Quick answer: A warmer is a short 5–10 minute activity that gets students thinking in English before the main lesson. The best ones need no preparation, involve everyone, and often sneak in useful language practice. Below are ten tried-and-tested, no-prep TEFL warmers – with the level, time and language focus for each – plus a simple method for running any warmer well and tips for adapting them to online classes and young learners.
Warmers are 5–10 minute activities designed to motivate and ‘warm’ your English class into thinking in English before the main body of your lesson gets underway. We’ve selected ten tried-and-tested, easy-to-use activities that are sure to get your class off to the right start.
What makes a good warmer?
Not every activity earns its place at the start of a lesson. A good warmer is quick to set up, gets everyone talking rather than a confident few, and works with zero or minimal materials. It should lower the affective filter – that wall of nerves that stops learners speaking – and, ideally, recycle language they already know or preview what’s coming. Keep it short: the warmer is the starter, not the main course.
How to run a warmer
Whichever activity you pick, the mechanics are the same. Follow these steps and any warmer will run smoothly:
- Choose the aim. Decide whether you want to energise a sleepy class, revise recent language, or preview today’s topic, and pick a warmer that fits.
- Set it up in under a minute. Give clear, graded instructions and, if needed, demonstrate one round yourself so nobody is confused.
- Get everyone involved. Use pairs, teams or a circle so no student sits out; the point is maximum talking time for all.
- Keep it short and end on a high. Stop the activity while energy is still high – ideally within ten minutes – and bridge straight into the main lesson.
10 no-prep TEFL warmers (step by step)
1) Truth or lie. Each person writes one true fact about themselves and one lie, presenting both as truth (e.g. “I have published a book” and “I have eaten frogs’ legs”). They hand the statements to a partner, who asks questions about both to guess which is true.
2) Board relay. Write 5–10 anagrams in the centre of the board. Split the class into two teams lined up either side. The first person from each team runs up and unscrambles the first word, then runs back to pass the pen on. The first team to unscramble all the anagrams wins.
3) Who am I? Write the name of a famous person on paper and pin one to each student’s back. Students mingle, asking only yes/no questions (such as “Am I alive?”) to find out who they ‘are’. Good practice of the present tense.
4) Change places if… Everyone sits in a circle. One person stands in the centre and says “Change places if you are wearing blue jeans.” Those people must swap seats while the person in the middle also tries to sit down, so the slowest is left standing and the game continues. Great for the present continuous.
5) What’s the question? Write five ‘answers’ on the board, e.g. “3 children,” “I work as a teacher,” “Yes, I love dogs.” Each pair writes the appropriate questions – ideal for revising question forms.
6) Memory chain. “I went to the market and I bought a…” – each person repeats the sentence, adding their own item to the growing list. The chain gets longer and longer.
7) Guess my job. Students mime a job for the class to guess – quick vocabulary and question practice.
8) Tongue twisters. Write one on the board for students to practise – superb, low-stakes pronunciation work.
9) Broken telephone. Whisper a phrase to one student, who passes it on until the last person says aloud what they heard. Is the message the same at the end as the beginning?
10) Classics: I spy, hangman and Simon says. Old favourites that need nothing and work at any level – perfect for the last five minutes of prep time you didn’t have.
Which warmer for which class?
Use this quick reference to grab the right activity in a hurry:
| Warmer | Level | Time | Language focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truth or lie | A2+ | 8–10 min | Question forms, present perfect |
| Board relay | A1+ | 5–7 min | Spelling, vocabulary |
| Who am I? | A2+ | 8–10 min | Present simple questions |
| Change places if… | A1+ | 5–7 min | Present continuous |
| What’s the question? | A2+ | 5–8 min | Question formation |
| Memory chain | A1+ | 5–7 min | Vocabulary, past simple |
| Tongue twisters | Any | 3–5 min | Pronunciation |
Warmers for online classes
Most of these adapt easily to a screen. “Truth or lie” and “What’s the question?” work as-is; “Board relay” becomes a typing race in the chat box; “Who am I?” works if you type the famous name in a private message. For one-to-one online lessons, turn team games into you-versus-the-student challenges, and use the screen-share and annotation tools as your board. The golden rule online is the same as in class: get the learner producing language in the first two minutes.
Warmers for young learners vs adults
Young learners need movement and repetition – “Change places if…”, “Simon says” and miming games burn off energy and settle them into English. Adults usually prefer warmers with a bit of thinking or personal content – “Truth or lie” and “Memory chain” respect their intelligence while still getting them talking. Read the room: a warmer that delights a class of ten-year-olds can feel childish to a group of professionals, and vice versa.
Warmers don’t have to tie in with the theme of the lesson to follow – but they can, to good effect. Similarly, if a class proves sluggish, introducing a 5-minute ‘livener’ in the middle of a lesson can work wonders.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a warmer last?
Around 5–10 minutes. Long enough to get everyone thinking and speaking in English, short enough that it doesn’t eat into the main lesson. Stop while energy is still high and move straight into your first activity – a warmer that drags loses the very momentum it’s meant to create.
Do warmers work in 1-to-1 classes?
Yes, with a tweak. Turn team and mingling games into you-versus-the-student challenges: play “Truth or lie” against each other, do a memory chain together, or race to write questions. One-to-one warmers also double as a gentle way to check how your single student is feeling and what language is fresh in their mind.
What is the difference between a warmer and an icebreaker?
An icebreaker is a first-meeting activity that helps a new group get to know each other and feel comfortable. A warmer is a regular lesson starter that switches students into English and previews or recycles language – you use it every lesson, not just on day one. Many activities, like “Truth or lie,” can serve as either.
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* There’s more on crafting warmers into your lessons in our accredited online TESOL courses, or try leading a warmer in our short, tutor-led Zoom course.
* Grab print-and-go activities with our TEFL ready-to-print instant lessons.
You might also like:
* 5 top tips for lesson success
* Creating great discussion classes
* Teaching English to beginners
* For free, level-graded activity ideas, browse American English resources and BBC Learning English.