These activities are quick to create and simple to develop and involve key sounds in numbers and colours for teachers just starting to work with French (or any language- but it really works well in French) with their primary school children.The games can easily be used as a revisiting activity at any time in a language learner's career.They can lead to puzzles and performance opportunities

The games in the first instance involve numbers 1-11 and simple colours (bleu,jaune,orange,vert,noir,blanc )

As the teacher think about the numbers and colours you have taught.
Practise with the children key sounds in the words
Create a chart of key sounds as letter combinations for sounds that are in both colours and numbers or just in the colours or just in the numbers.
Take a look here:

Can you see the key sounds and letter combinations in the numbers 1-11 and the colours: bleu,jaune,orange,vert,marron,noir,blanc?

Take quick look some of the sounds and letter combinations are in both the colours and the numbers.

Sound in the word ladders and scafffolds

Ask your class first of all to create a "sound in the word ladder or scaffold " of the words they think that the key sounds come from- they may think of both a number and a colour for some of the boxes in the table
Can they add performance (mime,actions and volume) to their sound in the word ladders and scaffolds. They can decide to work across the table in horizontal lines or run down one column and then the other column of the table. Maybe they want to start from the bottom and work upwards etc .They can decide!
Can they perform their "sound in the word ladder or scaffold "for another group of children and can thwy trace the path that has been followed on the table of sounds?

Step Two !All shook up!

Cut up the table in to individual sound cards and put them out on the table.One set per four children works best.

The groups of children can now play several different games:

Take it in turns to select a sound and say a number or colour
Take it in turns and collect number cards only - who has the most when the sounds' cards the children can use run out?
Take it in turns to create a run of cards of all the colours or all the numbers
Take it in turns to create a run of cards of all the colours but in French alphabetical order/ try this with numbers but in numerical order or in reverse order

It's the time of year when the children have settled in to class routines and you may be want to introduce a new class routine technique to settle the children when they come in from play or when they start again in the afternoon after dinner time.

Teachers I have worked with over the last couple of years have enjoyed using this song in French as a settling activity- especially in the Autumn and Winter months when it's cold outside!
Have a listen!
It's catchy!.There is finger clicking and rhythm and it has the great phrase repeated within the song "un bon chocolat chaud"
Great thing is that hidden in this phrase is a small amount cultural knowledge about drinks we might enjoy in France and discussion around our favourite drinks and similarities and differences between France and England (not forgetting the ability to ask for " un chocolat chaud"! )

How have the teachers used this song?

Some teachers have staged the introduction of the song and have explained in the first instance that they just want the children to listen to the song which has a special drink hidden in the song . the teacher can then explain that the song is all about going to the cow to get milk to make "un bon chocolat chaud"

First to play in the background as the children come back in to the classroom and to just have as background music.
Then to encourage the children to join in with the clicking time with the rhythm and not to chatter as they sit in their seats or as they come to the carpet or as they line up
To add an action for "un bon chocolat chaud" which has as many movements in the action as there are syllables in the phrase ( a great way to practise the skill of internalising rhythm,sounds and intonation)
Next to locate the key phrase "un bon chocolat chaud" as it is sung in the song and to join in with the actions you as a class have created.
To listen out for the phrase in the song and join in with actions and the phrase
Finally to listen out for the next time it is sung and to continue to join in .

As the children settle - just turn down the volume until it's a quiet background music that can be heard and all the children can be heard clicking to the rhythm , singing the phrase when they hear it and showing the "un bon chocolat chaud " mime that the class have learnt alongside the phrase.

Sound in the French word for numbers and colours : ladders and scaffold games

Un bon chocolat chaud! A settling and refocusing song at any time of the day!