This session presents practical and readily adaptable instructional strategies to keep young learners interested and motivated. A thematic approach, incorporating stories, music and most importantly, play, captures students’ interest and whets the appetite for a range of language learning tasks, including repetition, listening comprehension and role play. The activities are repetitive and scaffolded and require no writing, making it suitable for young children, and students who learn differently. After modelling various themes and after discussing the instructional strategies, each participant develops a thematic language session individually. A speed date activity follows to sample the sessions and provide constructive feedback to each other.