Silly story time is a challenge where each student has to select the silliest story to share with the classroom from a list of short stories (from a pre-approved website), or if their skill permits, compose a short story that describes an event that has happened to them. They are encouraged to both write the story down, and then read it before the classroom. The story that gets the most giggles is considered the winner.
This contest challenges each student to either write or announce their ideas for crazy captions for a silly photograph. Each student is given the photo and some time to create the captions. Web pages such as "Cute Overload" and "Here in Reality" can be useful sources of cute and funny images from which the instructor can draw content. Students vote on their favorite entry and the winner gets his captioned picture placed in a visible place in the classroom.
Creating cards is a fun and free way for ESL students to express themselves. Besides the various big card holidays like Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day, there is never a day when a parent, sibling, or friend wouldn't like to receive a card to remind them that they are special. Whatever the reason, decorating a card with designs and words is a fun learning experience. Folded printer paper or card stock is all you need.
If you have access to computers, you can access a host of free, kid-friendly web games that are specifically tailored for ESL education. In some, the student searches for common objects in a scene that are listed on the screen. Traditional games like hangman are also popular choices. If your computer resources are stretched, you can have several children work at a single computer station and take turns running the mouse for the various activities.