You will need newspapers, magazines and construction paper or card stock. Break the class into groups of three or four. Without telling the groups why, have them cut out nouns and verbs from the newspapers and magazines, at least 10 each. Instruct the students to paste all of their verbs on one sheet and all of their nouns on the other. Then, using only the nouns and verbs they cut out --- this doesn't include any helping verbs need for the story --- challenge the students to write a 100-word story. The students read them aloud as the other groups listen and judge which group's story is the best. A group cannot vote for its own story.
Either from a list that the students put together or a list found somewhere else, have the students act out a certain verb or verb phrase without talking to the class. It may be helpful to pass out a handout detailing the rules of charades and have a few practice rounds before actually starting the game.
Partner your students up. Have each one write a story, putting blanks where the nouns and verbs should be. Then, have them switch papers and fill in the blanks. The stories can be creative and about any topic. This also works if you are talking about a certain subject or in a particular unit that their stories can allude to.
This can be done in a large classroom or outside. Set up boundaries and explain that you will hold up a series of cards. The cards can have any part of speech on them. When an action verb is held up, the class has to do what the verb says and must continue to do it until another verb is held up. Ways to get out: stepping outside of the boundaries, touching another student, stopping on any word other than a verb or performing the wrong action.