I �ve been playing Christmas Bingo with several kids classes recently, aged between 6 and 12. I thought it would be a fun way to help them learn Christmas vocabulary.

More often than not, the game has been an absolute disaster, with kids crying, screaming, tearing up their bingo cards and one even storming off in a huff because his words didn �t come out! This despite me making sure that every kid would win at least once (just some kids complete a row sooner than others, of course). And despite me making every effort to make the game funny and light-hearted.

Weird, right?

 

This could have something to do with me teaching in China, where the one child policy makes many kids extremely spoiled and used to getting their way by screaming.

But is that the only reason? Am i doing something wrong? Does this happen to any of you and how do you deal with it?

 

Thanks for your replies!

I think that nowadays team games are always better than individual ones because children are very competitive.  They are taught to be the best to be successful in life and so they have problems in accepting the obstacles of life.

 

I also think the chinese individualism versus colectivism is something difficult to understand. Perhaps your students � atitudes have something to do with this - they have to be great individually for the sake of the group.  

 

Just guessing!!!!! 

 

Good luck!