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New Zealand Filler Activities

Quick, lively activities for A2 international students who are new to New Zealand and getting ready for high school. Choose one activity or combine several to fill 10–60 minutes.

A2No paper neededSpeaking + movement10–60 minutes
Teacher tip: These activities need almost no preparation. Keep instructions short, model one example first, and let students move and talk. They are ideal for relief lessons, spare time, early finishers or a class that needs an energy change.
1. Four Corners – New Zealand

Choose four corners: A, B, C and D. Ask a question and give four choices. Students move to their answer, then tell someone why.

  • NZ food: pie / fish and chips / pavlova / hokey pokey
  • NZ adventure: mountains / beach / wildlife / sport
  • Starting high school: excited / nervous / happy / not sure
Useful English: “I choose ___ because …”
2. Find Someone Who…

Say or write one challenge on the board at a time. Students walk around and find a different classmate for each one.

  • has taken a Christchurch bus
  • has been to a New Zealand supermarket
  • has tried New Zealand food
  • has seen a native NZ bird
  • likes rugby
  • is going to a different high school
Rule: Ask in English: “Have you…?” / “Do you…?” / “Are you…?”
3. High School Survival Charades

One student acts out a school problem. The class guesses the problem and suggests what the student could say.

  • missing the bus
  • being late for class
  • getting lost
  • not understanding the teacher
  • feeling sick
  • forgetting lunch or a pen
Useful English: “Excuse me, where is Room 12?” · “Could you say that again, please?”
4. What Would You Say?

Give pairs a real school situation. They have 30 seconds to decide what they would say, then share or role-play it.

  • You cannot find your classroom.
  • You do not understand an instruction.
  • You need to borrow a pen.
  • Someone says, “How’s it going?”
  • You miss your bus.
  • You want to join a sports club.
Challenge: Give one point for a clear, polite English sentence.
5. Kiwi English Guessing Game

Say or put one Kiwi word on the board. Teams guess the meaning, then use it in a simple situation.

  • kia ora
  • dairy
  • jandals
  • togs
  • sweet as
  • yeah nah
  • heaps
  • reckon
  • arvo
  • takeaways
Extension: Students choose their favourite new expression and explain when they could hear it.
6. My First Week Challenge

Stand in a circle. Each student says one small thing they will try during their first week at a New Zealand high school.

  • “I will talk to a Kiwi student.”
  • “I will ask my teacher a question.”
  • “I will learn my bus route.”
  • “I will try a new food.”
  • “I will join an activity.”
Make it supportive: After each answer, the class can say, “Good luck!” or “You can do it!”

Fast rescue sequence – 30 minutes

Start: Four Corners (8 min) → Move: Find Someone Who (7 min) → Practise: What Would You Say? (10 min) → Finish: My First Week Challenge (5 min).