# Young Learner Activity Bank

`scripts/yl_lesson_timer.py` reads this table. Type: **stir** (lively, movement, voice) or **settle** (calm,
seated, focused). Ages are years. Minutes are typical; activities can be shortened. Keep the column order.

| Activity | Type | Ages | Minutes | Language | How it works |
|----------|------|------|---------|----------|--------------|
| Hello song | stir | 3-8 | 3 | greetings, names | Same song every lesson with actions; learners wave to friends by name |
| Weather and date routine | settle | 4-9 | 3 | days, weather | A helper chooses the weather picture and says the day; class repeats |
| Simon says | stir | 4-10 | 5 | body parts, actions, imperatives | Do the action only when "Simon says"; learners take turns as Simon |
| Flashcard flash | settle | 3-9 | 5 | new vocabulary | Show cards quickly, half-hidden or flipped; learners shout the word, then whisper, then say it in a silly voice |
| Run and touch | stir | 4-10 | 5 | vocabulary, colours | Cards on the walls; teacher says a word; learners run (or point) to it |
| What's missing? | settle | 4-10 | 5 | vocabulary | Cards on the board; learners close eyes; remove one; who knows what's missing? |
| Action song | stir | 3-8 | 4 | target chunk with actions | Song with gestures; sing faster and slower; learners lead |
| Chant with clapping | stir | 5-10 | 4 | sentence patterns, rhythm | Chant the target sentence to a beat; change the word each round |
| Story time | settle | 3-10 | 8 | language in context | Picture book or story cards; predict, repeat refrains, act out key moments |
| Act out the story | stir | 4-10 | 7 | story language | Groups act a scene; class says the repeated lines |
| Colouring dictation | settle | 4-9 | 8 | colours, numbers, objects | "Colour the big ball red"; learners colour; check by comparing with a partner |
| Draw and guess | settle | 6-11 | 6 | vocabulary | A learner draws slowly on the board; class guesses in English |
| Musical cards | stir | 4-9 | 5 | vocabulary, questions | Pass cards while music plays; when it stops, learners say their word or answer a question |
| Bingo with pictures | settle | 5-11 | 7 | vocabulary | Picture bingo grids; teacher says words or definitions |
| Find your partner | stir | 6-11 | 5 | questions and answers | Learners have half pairs (picture/word, question/answer); mingle to find their partner |
| Board game | settle | 6-12 | 10 | target structure | Simple dice game; each square has a prompt to answer |
| Hot potato question | stir | 6-11 | 5 | question forms | Pass a soft ball; when the music stops, answer the question |
| Craft with language | settle | 4-10 | 12 | instructions, colours, shapes | Make a mask, puppet or card following step-by-step spoken instructions |
| Puppet dialogue | settle | 3-8 | 5 | short dialogues | Teacher's puppet talks to learners; then learners talk to the puppet |
| Traffic lights | stir | 4-9 | 4 | listening, yes/no | Green = run on the spot, yellow = walk, red = freeze; teacher calls words |
| Memory (pelmanism) | settle | 6-12 | 8 | word-picture matching | Cards face down; turn two; say the word to keep the pair |
| Word chain | settle | 8-12 | 5 | vocabulary, spelling | Next word starts with the last letter of the previous word |
| Treasure hunt | stir | 6-12 | 10 | prepositions, objects | Clues around the room ("It's under the chair"); teams find objects |
| Mini book making | settle | 7-12 | 12 | sentences about themselves | Folded paper book with one sentence and a drawing per page |
| Interview a friend | settle | 8-12 | 8 | questions, likes | Simple survey with a grid; report "Ana likes cats" |
| Goodbye song | stir | 3-8 | 3 | farewells | Same song every lesson; learners wave and say goodbye |
| Quiet reading corner | settle | 7-12 | 8 | reading | Picture books and graded readers; learners choose and tell a partner one word they learned |
| Freeze dance with words | stir | 3-8 | 4 | vocabulary | Dance; when the music stops, freeze like the word called (cat, tree, robot) |