How to Use the Magic Genie Game in the Language Arts Classroom

The magic genie game encourages critical thinking while kids play an interactive game sure to bring a few laughs. In this game, students make wishes and other becomes the genie granting the wish-but not always in the way they expected. When used in language arts classrooms, the magic genie game builds communication skills, sharpens critical thinking and promotes active learning.

Setting the Stage
Set the stage by talking about dreams and wishes and how sometimes we wish for things without considering the consequences. Share a personal experience of when you wished for something, but when you got it you discovered it wasn't really what you wanted at all. Students may relate to the time you desperately wanted a pony, but once you got it, you discovered just how much work was involved and regretted your wish.

Allow students to share their experiences with wishing for something that didn't work out just as they planned.

Introduce the Magic Genie Game
Introduce the Magic Genie game by explaining that in this game, one person makes a wish and the second person becomes the magic genie who grants the wish, but must create a negative twist. For example, Johnny who loves swimming in the ocean may wish that he lived near the ocean. The magic genie replies with "Poof. Your wish has been granted. You now live by the ocean, but the waters are shark infested." Janie, who has been dying for that hot pair of boots, may be granted her wish, but the boots may be banned from the school.

Game Play
Depending on the class and the confidence level of students, the game may be played in several ways. If you have students who are eager to take on a challenge, feel free to start the game by making your own wish and selecting an eager student to grant your wish. Once granted, the genie then becomes the asker and states his wish. He then chooses a member of the class to become his genie. Play continues around the room until all students have made a wish and received a response from a magic genie-or for a specified amount of time.

Involve All Students
Allowing students to indicate that they would like to grant the wish, allows them to think quickly and prepare a response, but does run the risk of excluding shyer students who may not volunteer answers.

Determining the order ahead of time, such as taking turns as they go around the room includes all students, but may put shy students (or those who process information slowly) on the spot and cause discomfort.

Accommodating Shy Students
Use your judgment in setting rules for the game that encourages involvement from all students without causing undue stress to those who may be reluctant to try their hand at granting wishes. You may consider allowing the shyest students to express a wish and allow another to be the genie. This can be facilitated by taking a short break to interject your own reactions at intervals in the game and beginning again with the student of your choosing.

Use the magic genie game to put some life into your language arts curriculum or to simply have a little fun with words. Remember to become effective communicators students need practice speaking and interpreting the spoken word in a variety of ways.