Switch the Witch Game

  

Switch the Witch is another game created by David Sindrey.  Much like his other game I featured, "Halloween Meanies," I love using it because of the ability to choose whatever target I want to while playing it.  You can target articulation, expressive vocabulary, auditory discrimination, receptive understanding of verbal descriptions, answering questions, or practicing grammar targets.  The ability to vary targeted skills makes this game very repeatable without the students losing interest.  You do need at least two players, and I think it works best with three (even if you are the third player).  You need 16 picture cards to represent your targeted skill(s).  You then hide the "witch faces" and "magic wands" under the picture cards.  I like to use paper clips so that I can pick them up without revealing what's underneath.  Before you start the game you have the students select which mouth, nose, and hat to put on the "Witch of the Year" poster to start the game.  To play the game students take turns picking a picture card.  After practicing their speech or making a sentence (whatever you have decided is the targeted skill), they slide the witch face or wand from behind.  If they get a witch face they hold onto it until the end of the game.  If they get a magic wand, then they "Switch the Witch" and can change one part of the witch pictured on the poster (mouth, nose, or hat).  There is some strategy to this game, as students need to realize they should change the part that will help them win.  At the end of the game, when all the picture cards have been played, whoever has the witch face that matches the witch on the poster wins the game.