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Table of Contents
Introduction
Brainstorming Games
Alphabet Brainstorm
Brainstormers
Brainstorming Race
Five Things That...
Category Games
Balloon Volleyball
Board Races
In the Circle
Monkey in the Middle
Seek and Destroy
Stick Men
Stop the Music
Classic Childhood Games
I Spy
Mr Crocodile
Mr Wolf
Red Light, Green Light
Simon Says
Counting Games
Fizz Buzz
Frog Bob
Tinglish
7 Up
Describing Games
Details
Felix the Cat
Hot Seats
Swat
Teammates
Ten Words
Drawing Games
Beetle Drive
Don't Say a Word!
Draw the Sentence
Pictionary
The Drawing Game
Drilling Activity Games
Lord of the Rings
Three Times
First Day Introduction Games
The Name Game
Secrets
Who am I?
Flashcard Games
Flashcards at Dawn
Mr Wolf
The Flashcard Exchange
Tiddlywinks
Whisper
Games for Giving Answers
Hot Potato
Speak Button Game
The Buzzer Game
Grammar Games
Battle Tanks
Correction
Grammar Races
Superlative Crocodile Races
Verb Races
Hangman Games
Consonant Hangman
Dice of Fortune
Last Man Standing
Parts of Speech Hangman
Scrambled Hangman
Sentence Hangman
Listening Games
English Whispers
It's not Musical Chairs
Throw a Question
Sticky Fingers
Miming Games
Charades
Classic Charades
Verb Antics
What am I doing?
Music Games
Musical Flashcards
Musical Madness
Word Grab
Word Snake
Question and Answer Games
Balloon Stamp
Dartboard Game
Duel
Fanning the Kipper
Flinch
Killer
Pac-man
The Waiting Game
Three Step Tag
True or False
Verbal Football
Quiz Games
Join the Dots
ESL Quiz Game
Sentence Race Games
Alphabet Madness
Translation Race
Words to Sentences
Spelling Games
Backdraw
Flower Power
Remix
Spell or Draw
Spelling Grid
Spelling Race
The Spelling Game
Up the Ladder
Word Chain
TV Game Shows
Blankety Blank
Blockbusters
Countdown
Mastermind
The Price is Right
The Weakest Link
Verb Games
Catch
Classroom Tennis
Things We Do
Verb Connection
Visual Verbs
Vocabulary Games
Over the Line
People to People
Splat
Vocabulary Deck
Word Association Games
Mallet's Mallet
Password
Word Association Game
Word Disassociation Game
Word Games
A Ship Comes Loaded
Balderdash
Lewis Carroll's Game
Match the Squares
Tic Tac Words
Word Square
Yes/No Question Games
Changing Chairs
Twenty Questions
Yes No Laugh
Virus
INTRODUCTION
ESL Essential Games contains over 120 captivating games for English teachers to use in the
classroom. In addition, many of the games can be easily adapted to suit classes of varying ability.
The games provide practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The games are also
categorized to help you easily find the type of game you are looking for. There are games for young
learners, teenagers and adults. No matter how old your students are, you will find an ESL game to
suit your needs. Many of the games have been specially adapted for the ESL classroom
environment. Most of the games in ESL Essential Games take very little preparation time and many
can be played straight away, which is always useful as you never know when the unexpected will
happen in class.
The ESL games provided in this eBook can be used to introduce new vocabulary, practice words or
language structures, teach or practice English grammar, improve pronunciation or listening skills.
Playing games is a fun way to help students make connections between words and grammar. These
connections quicken the process of building language skills. These ESL games can help both native
and foreign speakers of English improve their language ability.
Using games and fun activities in class is an important part of teaching ESL and EFL. Playing games
helps your students learn more effectively. Games also help to build confidence, focus attention,
improve interaction, and energize your students. Furthermore, shy or quiet students begin to open
up and speak English when playing games in class.
You can use these games to warm up the class when the lesson begins, during the lesson to reenergize the class after dealing with a difficult subject, or after doing book work, or to reinforce a
language point or new vocabulary, or at the end of class to finish on a positive note and round off
the lesson.
The intention of this book is to provide both teachers and students with enjoyable games, which
will make teaching and learning fun and interesting.
Paul Adams
Teach-This.com
ESL BRAINSTORMING GAMES
ALPHABET BRAINSTORM
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To brainstorm categories of words
Here is an excellent ESL brainstorming game for revising vocabulary or introducing a new lexical
set.
Procedure
On the board, write three numbered categories, e.g. 1. clothes, 2. drinks, 3. verbs, etc. The categories
you choose will depend on the vocabulary you wish to teach or revise.
Next to the categories write the letters of the alphabet with a random number next to each letter,
e.g. A - 2, B - 4, C - 1, etc.
Divide the students into teams.
Give each team a piece of paper and tell them to write the letters of the alphabet in a list.
Call out a category from the board.
The teams then race to complete their list with an example for each letter.
Set a time limit for the teams.
When time is up, have the teams swap papers for marking.
For each correct word, teams score the number assigned to the letter.
Tally up the scores and then start a new round.
The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
BRAINSTORMERS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Teams of 3 to 4
Preparation: Write different categories to brainstorm on slips of paper
Aim: Students work together to brainstorm words in a category
Here is a fun brainstorming game to get your students working together and using English.
Before class, write categories down on slips of paper.
Examples:
Seven things you do before you go to bed, Six things that are watched, Five ways to keep fit, Five
brands of toothpaste, Seven things to do on holiday, Five things you can read, Seven reasons for
being late to class.
Procedure
Place a category slip on the teacher's desk.
Split the students into teams of three or four.
Each team chooses one student to be the runner.
The runners go to the teacher's desk and read the category, e.g. seven things you do before you go
to bed.
The runners go back to their teams and tell their team members the category.
The teams then brainstorm words in the category and write them down.
The first team to finish shouts Stop!
The winning team calls out their answers. If their answers are correct, they win one point for each
word in the category.
The next category slip is placed on the table and the game begins again, and so on.
The team with the highest number of points at the end is the winner.
BRAINSTORMING RACE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 to 4 Teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To brainstorm categories of words
This ESL game is great for brainstorming new vocabulary or revising words.
Procedure
Draw two to four columns on the board and separate the students into a corresponding number of
teams.
Have each team line up in front of a column and give each team a marker or chalk.
Call out a category for the students to brainstorm.
Set a time limit and let the students start writing all the words they can think of belonging to that
category.
The first student in each team runs to the board, writes a word, gives the marker/chalk to the next
student, and goes to the back of the line. Then the second student runs to the board and so on.
When the time limit has been reached, check the words and spelling.
The team with the highest number of correct answers wins.
To stop teams copying each other you can cross out all the words that are duplicated across the
teams.
FIVE THINGS THAT...
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: Write a list of categories with five words in each category
Aim: To write down five answers that match the teacher's answers
This is a fun brainstorming game to play at the start of class. The aim is for the teams to write down
five answers that match the five things on your list.
Before the game, prepare a list of categories with five words in each category
Procedure
Split the students into small teams and give each team a sheet of paper.
Call out one of the categories, e.g. five things that are watched.
The students then brainstorm and write down five answers.
Each team gets one point for each answer that matches the teacher's answer.
Play several rounds.
The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Here are some examples of categories you can use: Five things that are watched, round, listened to,
made of plastic, read, used in an office, useful, blue, etc.
ESL CATEGORY GAMES
BALLOON VOLLEYBALL
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10-15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A balloon
Aim: To keep a balloon airborne while saying words from a category
This energetic category game helps students to revise categories of words. This game is exactly like
volleyball, but instead of a ball, a balloon is used.
Procedure
Put the students into two teams. If you have a large class, make more teams and create a volleyball
tournament.
Start the game by shouting out a category, e.g. adverbs.
Every time the balloon is hit, either to another player or over to the other team, the student hitting
the balloon must say a word from the category.
If the balloon hits the floor, a word is not said, or a word is repeated the opposing team wins a
point.
Play for five minutes and then change sides or teams accordingly.
BOARD RACES
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 3 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To write words connected to a category
Board races are a good way for students to brainstorm their vocabulary knowledge. This enjoyable
category game helps students focus on the vocabulary for the subject or topic you are teaching.
Procedure
Split the class into three teams.
Draw three columns on the board.
Have each team line up in front of a column and give the first player in each team a marker or chalk.
Write a category on the board and set a target number of 10 to 20 words depending on the level of
the class.
The first player in each team runs to the board, writes a word connected to the category, gives the
marker/chalk to the next student, and goes to the back of the line.
Then the second player runs to the board and so on.
The first team to reach the target number and have suitable words and correct spelling wins a
point.
Play multiple rounds and then add up the scores.
IN THE CIRCLE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball
Aim: To name six things specified by another student in a limited time
Here is a challenging category game that can be adapted to any teaching topic or level. You will
need a ball or similar object before you start the game.
Procedure
Start the game by choosing seven students to play first.
Arrange six chairs in a circle and choose one of the students to stand outside of the circle.
The other six students sit on the chairs.
The student outside the circle chooses which player should have the ball and states what the person
holding the ball has to name six of. For example, you have just finished teaching sports. The student
might say, "Name six team sports."
The player with the ball then passes it to the student sitting next to them, and it goes around the
circle.
The player must name the six things specified by the student standing outside the circle before the
ball gets back to them.
If the player cannot name six things by the time the ball reaches them, they exit the game and have
to go and sit down.
The student standing outside the circle then takes the vacant seat. A new student can then play and
starts by standing outside of the circle.
Alternatively, you could play this game with different numbers of students and ask them to name
more or less things, depending on the number of students. The loser has to stand outside the circle.
MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball
Aim: To say words within a category
Enjoy playing this dynamic category game with your students.
Procedure
Start by having the students make a large circle.
Select one student to be the monkey.
The monkey stands in the middle of the circle.
Give the students a category, e.g. cities.
The students in the circle throw the ball around the circle so that the monkey can't get it.
Every time a student throws the ball, they say a word from the category, e.g. London.
If a student can't think of a word, they become the monkey.
If the monkey gets the ball, the thrower becomes the new monkey.
Change the category whenever there is a new monkey.
Play until time is up.
SEEK AND DESTROY
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Create ten categories with three words in each category
Aim: To identify words from a category
This competitive ESL game helps students to match words to categories.
Procedure
Begin the category game by covering the board with category words. There should be ten
categories of words with three words in each category. Only write the words and not the categories
on the board and make sure the words are all mixed up.
Divide the class into two teams.
Have each team line up at the back of the room. Make sure that the students have a clear run to the
board.
Give the first student in each team a marker or chalk.
Call out a category, e.g. animals.
The students at the front of each line race each other to the board and circle one of the words in
that category.
The first student to correctly circle a word wins a point for their team.
Continue with the next two students and so on.
Keep on calling and awarding points until all the words have been circled.
The team with the highest number of points wins.
You can make the game last longer or shorter just by using more or less categories.
STICK MEN
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Any
Preparation: None
Aim: To come up with words that relate to a category
This is a fun category game for students of English.
Procedure
This game can be played individually, in pairs or small teams, depending on the size of your class.
Give each team (student or pair) a number and write the numbers on the board. Next to each
number draw three stick men. The stick men represent each team's number of lives.
Now, give the teams a category, e.g. animals.
The teams must come up with words that relate to that category. Each team in turn says one word
relating to the category and this continues around the class.
Once a word has been said, it cannot be repeated.
If a word is repeated, the team who said the word loses a life.
Also, if a team takes too long to come up with a word or can't think of a word, they lose a life.
When a team loses all three lives, they are out of the game.
Continue with the category until only one team is left. That team is the winner.
STOP THE MUSIC
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: Dance music
Aim: To write ten category words beginning with a certain letter
This lively vocabulary game is ideal for reviewing categories of words.
Procedure
On the board, write ten categories and number them one to ten, e.g. 1. sports, 2. verbs, 3. animals,
etc.
In the centre of the board, draw a square.
Split the class into small teams and give each team a number.
Each team should have a piece of paper and a pen. Tell each team to choose one student to do the
writing and to write 1 to 10 on their paper.
Bring the students' attention to the ten categories on the board.
In the square on the board, write a letter, e.g. B.
Ask the class to think of a word beginning with that letter for each category and write their answers
on the board, e.g. badminton, buy, bird, etc.
Next, explain that you will write a new letter in the square, but this time the teams must write down
their ten answers on their paper.
Tell the teams while they are writing their answers, you will play some music (dance music works
best).
Explain that the first team to finish must shout, "Stop the music!" The music is stopped and if the
team has ten correct answers, they win the round and ten points.
Then a new round starts with a different letter.
How the students show you their answers is up to you. Asking them to shout out their answers is
the quickest way, but you might ask them to write the answers on the board or just show you the
answers.
CLASSIC CHILDHOOD GAMES
I SPY
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To look for something beginning with a certain letter
You may remember this entertaining word game from your childhood.
Procedure
Have the students sit down in a circle.
One student looks for something in the classroom or surrounding area and says, "I spy with my
little eye, something beginning with (the first letter of the chosen object)"
This is the only clue the other students get.
The other students then take it in turns to try to guess what it is.
When someone guesses the word correctly, they get to choose something.
MR CROCODILE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A blindfold
Aim: To revise clothes, appearance or colours.
This ESL childhood game is a lot of fun for young learners and can be used to teach or revise
clothes, appearance or colours.
Procedure
One student is chosen to be 'Mr Crocodile'. He or she stands in the middle of the classroom.
The rest of the students line up at one end of the classroom.
The students say, "Hey Mr Crocodile, let us cross the river. If not, why not? We're on our way to
school."
Mr Crocodile then lets people pass who match a certain criteria. This could be people wearing
certain clothing, the way someone looks or a colour someone is wearing. So, Mr Crocodile might
reply "People wearing a T-shirt can pass."
The students matching the criteria set by Mr Crocodile walk to the other side of the room. They are
safe.
Mr Crocodile then puts on a blindfold, and the other students try to run past without being tagged.
If a student is tagged by the crocodile, they are out.
This process is repeated until there is only one student left. That student is the winner.
MR WOLF
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice time or numbers.
You may have played this delightful childhood game when you were a kid. It works equally well in
the ESL classroom.
Procedure
One student is the wolf. The wolf stands with their back turned to the other students at one end of
the classroom.
The other students line up against the opposing wall.
The students say, "What's the time Mr Wolf?"
The wolf turns to face the students and shouts out a time, e.g. 7 o'clock. The wolf can only look at
the students when he or she tells the time.
The students then take seven steps toward the wolf. The students always take the same amount of
steps toward the wolf as the number of hours in the wolf's time, e.g. 3 o'clock = 3 steps, 9 o'clock = 9
steps, etc.
The wolf then turns around, and the students shout, "What's the time Mr Wolf?" and so on.
When the students get close to the wolf, the students shout, "What's the time Mr Wolf?" and the
wolf says, "Dinner time!"
The wolf then runs after the students who are running back to the opposing wall.
If the wolf catches a student before they get to the wall, they become the wolf.
RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To revise numbers or letters of the alphabet
Here is a childhood game for teaching numbers or the alphabet.
Procedure
Choose one student to come up to the front of the class and be the announcer.
The announcer's job is to say, "Red light" and "Green light." Red light means stop writing and green
light means start writing.
The other students are players. Have the players come up to the board and give each student a
board marker. If you have limited space, students can play in rounds.
The players at the board are given certain things to write, e.g. the alphabet, numbers 1 to 25, etc.
When the announcer says, "Green light," the players start writing as quickly as they can.
When the announcer says, "Red Light," the players must freeze and stop writing.
Any player who is caught writing after the red light announcement is out of the game and must sit
down.
The first player to complete the task on the board correctly becomes the new announcer.
You can vary the game by changing the stop and go commands to other synonyms. You can also
blindfold the announcer if you wish.
SIMON SAYS
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice imperatives
This is a classic ESL game for young learners. It's ideal for teaching imperatives.
Procedure
Have the students stand in front of their chairs.
Give a command to the students by saying 'Simon says' followed by an imperative, e.g. sit down.
Students must only respond to you when you use the phrase 'Simon says'.
If a student responds when you don't use 'Simon says', they are out.
The last student left is the winner.
Example:
Teacher: Simon says sit down.
Everyone sits down.
Teacher: Simon says touch your head.
Everyone touches their head.
Teacher: Stand up.
Tim and Helen stand up. Everyone else doesn't move. Tim and Helen are out.
ESL COUNTING GAMES
FIZZ BUZZ
Age/Level: Any
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice numbers 1 to 100
Here is a wonderful ESL counting game for teaching or reviewing numbers.
Procedure
Sit the students in a circle.
Have the students count in turn going around the circle, starting with number one.
Every time the number reaches a multiple of five, a student says, "Fizz."
Every time the number reaches a multiple of seven, a student says "Buzz."
If a student makes a mistake, either by saying a number instead of Fizz or Buzz or by saying the
wrong number, the counting starts again from number one.
When a student gets it wrong, they are out of the game and have to answer a question set by the
teacher.
The object of the game is for the group to reach 100 without making a mistake.
For young learners, play the same game, but only use the word 'Buzz'. When they come to a number,
which contains or is a multiple of three (e.g. 3, 6, 9, 12, 13 etc.), they say "Buzz" instead of the
number.
The object for this version of the game is to reach 30 without making a mistake.
FROG BOB
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice numbers 1 to 20
This is a highly amusing ESL counting game for young learners to practice basic numbers.
Procedure
Get the students to squat like frogs in a circle.
Tell the students that they are going to count from 1 to one number less than the amount of students
in the circle, e.g. If there are 10 students, the students count from 1 to 9. If there are 15 students, they
count from 1 to 14, etc.
Every student must try to say one of the numbers or they are out.
Every time a student says a number, the student must bob up and down like a frog.
If two students say a number at the same time, they are out, or the slower student is out.
The game then starts again from 1 to one number less than the remaining students, and so on until
there are two students left. These two students are the winners.
TINGLISH
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To revise basic numbers
Students will certainly enjoy this simple and humorous counting game.
Procedure
Start the counting game by getting the students to sit in a circle.
Tell the students that they are going to play a counting game using their native language and
English alternatively, e.g. Thai and English.
The first student starts by saying the number one in English. The second student says the number
two in their native language, e.g. Thai. The third student says the number three in English, and so
on.
A student is out of the game if they say the wrong number or use the wrong language. To make the
game more exciting only give the students one or two seconds to respond, or they are out of the
game. It's a lot harder than it seems.
The last student left is the winner.
7 UP
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice numbers 1 to 7
This is a great ESL counting game for young learners. It works well as a five minute warmer.
Procedure
Procedure
To start the counting game, you need to sit the students in a circle.
The students then count in turn going around the circle.
The first student says the number one and using their hands indicates to the left or the right.
The student, who has been selected, then continues counting and indicates to his/her left or right.
This continues until the number seven. The student saying the number seven must raise their hand
above their head to indicate the next student and says, "7 Up."
Then, the counting starts from number one again.
Students are out when they say a number when they have not been selected. This happens a lot
because students may gesture with their head or other part of their body, but it's the gesture with
their hands that matters.
The last remaining student is the winner.
ESL DESCRIBING GAMES
DETAILS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: 5-10 minute video clip
Aim: To write descriptions of what you see in a video
This describing game is a wonderful way to incorporate media into your lesson. You will need
access to a VCD/DVD player or the Internet for this game. Choose a 5 to 10 minute clip from a
movie, TV programme, or music video. The clip should contain numerous things and have a diverse
backdrop.
Procedure
Divide the students into small teams.
Give each team a piece of paper and a pen.
Tell the students that they are going to watch a video. Explain that they have to write down as many
descriptions as they can from what they see in the video.
Tell the students they will receive one point for every adjective + noun combination.
However, if the students write down a complete sentence describing part of the video, they will get
five points.
Example:
Red car = 1 point
There is a beautiful woman dancing on a stage. = 5 points
At the end of the video, go through each team's answers and total up the points.
The team with the highest number of points wins.
This game also can be used to practice verbs, nouns, etc.
FELIX THE CAT
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To think of adjectives beginning with a certain letter
Here is a very simple game for adjectives of appearance and personality.
Procedure
Draw or copy a picture of a cat on the board.
Above the picture, write 'Felix the Cat'.
Then write on the board: Felix the cat is an awesome cat.
Next, write the letters of the alphabet (b, c, d, e, f, etc.) down the board.
Tell the students that they will take it in turns to think of a new adjective to describe Felix using the
letters on the board.
Students then take it in turns to come up with a new sentence to describe Felix.
Examples:
Student A: Felix the cat is a bad cat.
Student B: Felix the cat is a crazy cat.
As each student says a new adjective, you write it on the board. You could also have the students
write the sentences.
HOT SEATS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of revision words
Aim: To describe words to a classmate
This is one of the most popular describing games for teachers to play with their students. It is an
excellent game for teaching or revising any vocabulary.
Procedure
Begin by separating the class into two teams (A and B).
Place two chairs facing away from the board at the front of the class.
Get one player from each team to come and sit on one of the chairs, facing their team and having
their back to the board.
These chairs are the 'Hot Seats'.
Write a revision word from your list clearly on the board.
The team members describe the word to their player in the hot seat, using definitions, synonyms,
adjectives, etc.
The two players listen to their teammates and try to guess the word.
The first player to say the word wins a point for their team and gets to change places with someone
else from their team. Then, the game begins again.
The other team has to keep the same player in the hot seat until he/she is first to answer correctly.
SWAT
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: 2 fly swatters and a list of review words
Aim: To listen to a description and match it with a word
This is an active describing game for ESL students.
Procedure
Before you begin, you will need two fly swatters (or similar objects) and a list of words you wish to
review.
Procedure
Write all the words from your list randomly on the board.
Then, move any chairs or desks away from the board, so the students can run up to the board easily.
Separate the class into two teams (A and B) and give each team member a number.
Call out a number. The two students with that number come up to play first.
Give the two students a fly swatter each.
Then, give a description of one of the words on the board, e.g. It's something you sit on, what is it?
The two students run to the board to find the word 'chair'.
The first student to swat the correct word wins a point for their team.
Then, another number is called out and so on.
TEAMMATES
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Teams of 4 to 5
Preparation: None
Aim: To write a description of a classmate's appearance and personality
In this ESL describing game, students use adjectives to describe their teammates to the class.
Procedure
Give each team a piece of paper and pen.
Tell the students to secretly choose a student from their team to describe. Ask them to describe
their chosen teammate by writing down adjectives on their paper.
Explain that they should start by describing the student's physical appearance and then they write
about the student's personality.
When everyone has finished, ask the teams to come to the front of the class one by one.
The teams read out their descriptions and the other teams try to guess who they are describing.
Teams win points for correct guesses.
When all the teams have described their teammate, put the students into new teams and play
another round.
You can also ask them to write about other information, e.g. likes and dislikes, favourite colours, etc.
TEN WORDS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 30 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Small slips of paper
Aim: To describe recently studied words
This ESL describing game motivates students to use vocabulary they have learnt in class
Procedure
Give each student ten small slips of paper.
Ask the students to write down one word on each slip of paper. Tell the students that the words
must be vocabulary they have learnt recently in class.
When they have finished writing, collect the word slips and put all the slips into a bag or box.
Divide the students into two teams.
One student from each team comes up to the front.
You pick a word and show it to the two students.
The two students then race to describe the word to their teammates.
They can use any means to explain the word, e.g. synonyms, adjectives, actions, drawings, etc.
The first team to correctly guess the word wins a point.
Then, the next two students come up and so on.
ESL DRAWING GAMES
BEETLE DRIVE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: Dice, paper and pencils
Aim: To draw parts of the body
Here is a fun drawing game for teaching parts of the body.
Procedure
Divide the class into small teams.
Give each student a sheet of paper and a pencil.
Write the following on the board:
1 = body
2 = head
3 = eyes
4 = legs
5 = antennae
6 = wings
Then, give each team a dice.
Tell the students that they are going to draw a picture of a beetle by rolling a dice and then drawing
the part of the beetle associated with the number.
The catch is that the body must be first, so students can't start drawing until they throw a one.
Students must also draw a head (two) before they can draw the eyes and antennae.
The first student in each team rolls their dice. If they get a one, the student draws a beetle's body.
The next student then rolls the dice and so on.
The aim is to be the first team to complete a drawing of a beetle.
DON'T SAY A WORD!
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Groups of 5 to 6
Preparation: Write ten words or phrases on a piece of paper and make copies
Aim: To draw and guess words or phrases
This is a good drawing game for practicing or revising vocabulary and phrases.
Before class, write a set of ten words or phrases on a piece of paper. Make one copy of the set for
each group. Cut the words/phrases into slips.
Procedure
Divide the class into groups of five or six.
Give each group a set of slips and ask them to place the slips face down.
When you say 'go', the first student in each group takes a card and has 60 seconds to draw the
word/phrase on a sheet of paper.
The students are not allowed to speak or use any words or letters in the drawing.
While the student is drawing, the other members of the group try to guess the word or phrase
(They must say exactly what is on the card.).
When the time limit has been reached, shout 'stop', and ask each group if they guessed the word or
phrase correctly. Give them one point if they did.
Then, it's the next students turn to take a slip and so on.
The team with the most points at the end is the winner.
DRAW THE SENTENCE
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess what people are doing in a picture using the present continuous tense
This is an imaginative ESL drawing game for teaching the present continuous tense. This game can
be played with students of all ages.
Procedure
Individually, students write down two sentences using the present continuous tense. The sentences
must start with 'He', 'She' or 'They'.
Example:
He is playing football.
Split the class up into two teams (A and B).
One student from Team A comes up to the board and draws one of their sentences. The student is
not allowed to write words or letters, and cannot speak.
Team A has one minute to try to guess the correct sentence. If they cannot guess correctly after one
minute, Team B can try to answer.
One point is awarded for each correct answer.
Then, a student from Team B comes up to the board and so on.
The first team to ten points wins the game.
PICTIONARY
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Pictures of target vocabulary
Aim: To draw and guess target vocabulary
This drawing game is ideal for introducing or revising vocabulary.
There are two possible ways to play this game. The first version is better for younger learners. The
second version works well with older students.
Procedure
Version 1 (Younger students)
Separate the students into two teams and have them sit in two circles.
Put a plastic hammer in the centre of each circle.
Draw a picture on the board.
If a student knows what the picture is, they hit the floor with the plastic hammer and call out the
answer.
One point is given for each correct answer.
Play until all the vocabulary is revealed or time is up.
Version 2 (Older students)
Put the students into two teams.
A student from each team comes to the front of the class.
Show the two students a picture of the target vocabulary.
Each student draws the picture.
The first team to say the word wins a point.
Play until all the vocabulary is revealed or time is up.
THE DRAWING GAME
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess the name of a famous film, TV show, book or person from a drawing
This fun drawing game will motivate your students to speak English.
Procedure
Separate the class into two teams.
Take one student from each team out of the classroom. Give the two students a marker or chalk.
Then, tell them the name of a famous film, TV show, book or person.
The two students then go back into the classroom and start drawing clues on the board.
The first team to answer correctly wins a point.
The next two students are taken out of the classroom and so on.
This game can also be played using vocabulary sets, e.g. animals, food, furniture, etc.
ESL DRILLING ACTIVITY GAMES
LORD OF THE RINGS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To repeat and practice questions and answers
This ESL game is great for drilling the structure of questions and answers that you have recently
covered in class.
Procedure
Start the game by selecting four students. These students will be the hobbits and will be asking the
questions.
Get the four hobbits to stand in a line in front of the board.
You are the King. You have to sit on your throne behind the hobbits.
Assign each of the four hobbits a question, e.g. What's your name? How old are you? Where do you
live? What's your favourite food?
The remaining students are orcs. They form a queue near the first hobbit.
The first hobbit asks the first orc in the queue their assigned question, e.g. What's your name? The
orc replies, "My name is..." and they rock, paper, scissors.
If the orc wins, he/she moves on to the second hobbit, who asks the orc the next assigned question,
e.g. How old are you?
The orc replies and again, they rock, paper, scissors. If the orc wins, he/she proceeds to the third
hobbit and so on.
However, if at any time an orc loses at rock, paper, scissors, they must return to the back of the
queue and repeat the whole process.
If an orc manages to get past all four hobbits, they have a showdown with the King! You can ask
them any question that you've covered in class.
If the orc answers correctly, you rock, paper, scissors. If the orc wins, you have been dethroned and
the orc is now the King.
You must rejoin the game with the other orcs in an attempt to get past all the hobbits to reclaim
your throne!
THREE TIMES
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Teams of 6
Preparation: None
Aim: To repeat sentences
Motivate younger learners to speak English with this ESL drilling game.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of six.
Have each team stand in a line.
Hold up a flashcard and make a sentence based on the picture.
Each team must repeat your sentence three times and then sit down.
The team that sits down first wins.
You can vary the ending by having the students do different actions like turn around or jump before
they sit down.
Also, instead of every student speaking at the same time, you can get each student to repeat the
sentences one at a time and then sit down.
FIRST DAY INTRODUCTION GAMES
THE NAME GAME
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Two balls
Aim: For students to get to know one another's names
This ESL introduction game is ideal for the first day of class and helps young learners get to know
each other in a fun and imaginative way. This game is also great for teaching pronouns.
Procedure
Arrange the students into two teams and sit each team in a circle.
Tell the teams that they are going to race each other to say everyone's name in their team.
Give the first student in each team a ball. The first student begins by saying their name, e.g. I'm Tom.
The first student then passes the ball to the second student.
The second student repeats the first student's name and then adds their own name, e.g. He's Tom,
and I'm Kate.
The second student passes the ball to the next student.
The next student continues, e.g. He's Tom. She's Kate, and I'm Amiko.
This continues until all the names have been said.
If a student forgets the name of a teammate, the team starts over from the first student.
The first team to finish wins a point.
You can carry on the game with other personal information, e.g. age, height, etc.
SECRETS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask questions to determine who is telling the truth
This is a fun mystery game to play on the first day of class. This game motivates students to ask
questions. The students also get to find out interesting things about their classmates.
Procedure
Hand out a slip of paper to each student.
Tell the students to write their name on the paper.
Then, ask the students to write down a secret about themselves.
The secret could be anything, such as a hidden talent, a skill, accomplishment or a place they have
visited. However, it should be something that is unknown to anyone in the class.
Collect the slips. Read them and choose one slip that has an interesting secret.
Then, ask three students to stand up and go out of the classroom. One of the three students must be
the person who wrote the secret you have chosen.
Go out of the classroom with the students and explain to them that they must all claim to have the
secret.
Bring the three students back and sit them down in front of the class.
Tell the class the secret. The class then has to question the three students to determine which two
are lying and which one is telling the truth.
After about five minutes of questioning, the students vote on who is telling the truth and who is
lying.
Award points to the students who guess correctly and then play another round.
WHO AM I?
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask questions about the teacher
Play this fun ESL icebreaker on the first day of class. It's a great game to get the students asking
questions. It also helps to introduce the teacher to the students and helps identify who are the
strong and weak students. This introduction game can be played by students of all ages. This game
is useful as it gets your new students to open up and start asking questions from the very first day
of class.
Before you start the game, cover the board with information about yourself. Next to each piece of
information write a number. The type and amount of information you write will depend on the level
of your class.
Procedure
Divide the students into two teams (A and B).
Tell the class that on the board is information about you. Tell the students that the objective of the
game is for teams to choose a number and ask a question that they think matches the answer on the
board.
Teams then take it in turns to choose a number and ask a question.
Teams score one point for asking the correct question and one point for using the correct grammar.
The winning team is the one with the highest number of points at the end.
Explain that for some answers many questions may be possible, but only one question is correct.
For example, you have written the colour blue as one answer.
Teacher: What number would you like Team A?
Team A: Number 2 please. What is your favourite colour?
Teacher: Sorry, that's the wrong question. My favourite colour is green. What number would you
like Team B?
Team B: Number 2 again. What colour are your eyes?
Teacher: Correct. Well done. Two points for Team B. That's the correct question and the grammar is
correct. (The teacher crosses off number 2 from the board) What number would you like Team A?
Team A: Number 8 please. How long have you been teaching English? Etc.
ESL FLASHCARD GAMES
FLASHCARDS AT DAWN
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Flashcards of the target vocabulary
Aim: To be the first to say what's on a flashcard
Motivate your students to speak English with this entertaining flashcard game. This ESL game
works very well with young learners.
Before you play, prepare some flashcards of the target vocabulary.
Procedure
Divide the class into two teams.
One student comes up from each team.
Both students are then given a flashcard.
The two students stand back to back in the middle of the classroom.
Each student holds their flashcard in front of them with the picture side facing away.
Both students then take three steps away from each other before quickly turning around. This is
similar to the pistols at dawn scenario.
The two students then race to shout out what's on the other student's flashcard.
The first student to shout out the word wins a point for their team.
Alternatively, you can ask the students to draw pictures instead of using flashcards. You could also
use numbers instead of pictures.
MR WOLF
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Flashcards of the target vocabulary
Aim: To answer yes/no question about a flashcard
This version of Mr Wolf is useful for teaching a variety of yes/no questions.
Procedure
The students line up against the wall and you stand at the opposite wall. Show the students your
chosen flashcard.
Ask the students questions about the flashcard, which would get a no response. Every time the
students answer no, they have to take one step forward.
When the students are close to you, ask them a question about the flashcard that would get a yes
response.
When the students answer yes, you chase the students and try to tag them out. Whoever is tagged is
out of the game.
Example: Flashcard of a car
The teacher shows a picture of a car and asks, "Is it a motorbike?"
The students say, "No, it isn't." They then move forward one step.
The teacher continues asking a few more questions to elicit a no response. Each time the students
answer no, they take a step forward.
When the students are near the teacher, the teacher asks, "Is it a car?"
The students answer, "Yes, it is."
The teacher then chases and tries to tag the students before they reach the wall. Whoever is tagged
is out.
The game can also be played with a strong student asking the questions.
THE FLASHCARD EXCHANGE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Flashcards of the target vocabulary
Aim: To associate words with pictures
You can use this entertaining flashcard game to teach vocabulary on a variety of topics, such as
weather, food, animals, etc. This game helps students to associate words with pictures.
Procedure
Put the students' chairs in a circle (minus one chair).
Each student sits in a chair and holds a flashcard. One student stands in the middle of the circle with
no flashcard.
If you were teaching sports, each student would have a different picture of a sport on their
flashcard.
Then you call out two different sports.
The two students who have those sports on their flashcards must swap places.
The student in the middle has to try to sit in one of their seats while they are swapping chairs.
If the student in the middle manages to sit in one of the chairs, the student left standing has to give
their flashcard to the student who took their place.
Then you call out two more sports and so on.
All the students should have each flashcard at least once by the end of the game.
TIDDLYWINKS
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Pairs/Small teams
Preparation: Tiddlywinks, prepared questions and flashcards
Aim: To answer questions about flashcards
For this fun flashcard game, you need a list of questions based on a set of flashcards.
Procedure
Begin the game by marking a start line on the floor.
Split the class into pairs or small teams.
Put the flashcards face up and spaced out at the other end of the room.
Give each team member a number. Player one from each pair or team goes first.
Give player one 2 tiddlywinks or 2 coins.
Show the players how to move the tiddlywinks. To do this, they must hold the tiddlywink between
their forefinger and thumb and press down on the edge of the other tiddlywink. This fires the
tiddlywink forward.
Ask a question based on one of the flashcards.
The first player from each team has to flip their tiddlywink across the room and onto the correct
flashcard.
Once a student has their tiddlywink on the flashcard, they can answer the question.
If the student answers the question correctly, they win a point for their team.
Then, the players swap and the game begins again from the start line with a new question.
WHISPER
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: 2 sets of identical flashcards
Aim: To communicate words in a certain order
This ESL flashcard game is great for reviewing vocabulary.
Procedure
Arrange the class into two teams.
Put two sets of identical flashcards at the front of the class next to the board. Then draw a line on
the board to separate the two teams.
Have each team sit in a row facing the board. The first student in each row should be near the board
and the last student should be near the back of the class.
Go to the back of the two rows and whispers three or four words to the two students at the back.
The student at the back of each row whispers these words to the student in front of them. They
must do this in the order, they heard the words.
The next student whispers the words to the student in front of them and so on, until the words have
travelled all the way to the front.
The student at the front of each row must grab the flashcards that match the words and stick them
to the board in the correct order.
The first team to put up the flashcards in the correct order wins a point.
When the round is over, the students at the front of the class move to the seats at the back and
everyone else moves up a place.
Then the process is repeated.
The team with the most points at the end wins.
You can also use this flashcard game to teach or review prepositions of place. Just add preposition
cards and mix them up with the other flashcards. Whisper a phrase to the two students at the back,
e.g. The ball is in the box. The student at the front would have to form the flashcards, e.g. ball, in,
box. Then say the complete sentence.
For higher-level students, use flashcards with words rather than pictures.
GAMES FOR GIVING ANSWERS
HOT POTATO
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 5-10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To answer exercise questions
Here is a quick and easy ESL game to make your students motivated to answer questions.
This game can be used in any situation where the students have to answer questions in class, e.g.
answering exercise questions.
Procedure
Take a small object such as an eraser. Hand the object to a student and then turn around facing
away from the students.
Tell the students to pass the object around the room.
Give the students a few seconds and then shout Stop!
The student who is holding the object at that time must answer the question.
SPEAK BUTTON GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 10 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To answer exercise questions
Liven up your class when you want to go through the answers to exercise questions with this fun
ESL game.
Procedure
When the students have finished the exercises in their books, divide the students into two teams.
Explain that the two teams are going to race to answer the exercise questions.
Give each student a number. The players in both teams should have the same numbers. So, if there
are six players in each team, the players in each team are numbered one to six.
If there is an extra student, give one student two numbers.
Make sure that each player's opponent is at an equal distance to the board.
Draw a circle on the board and write the words 'Speak Button' inside the circle.
Ask a question from the exercise. Then say a number.
The two players with that number run to the board and touch the speak button.
The first player to touch the button answers the question. If they are correct, they win a point for
their team.
If that player answers incorrectly, the other player may answer the question.
THE BUZZER GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Pairs
Preparation: None
Aim: To answer questions
This enjoyable game can be used when the students have to answer questions, e.g. when studying a
text or answering comprehension questions, etc.
Procedure
Set up the students in a horseshoe-shaped seating arrangement with enough seats for half of the
class.
Put the students into pairs. One student sits on the chair and the other stands behind their partner.
Each pair is one team. The seated students are 'buzzers'. The standing students are 'contestants'.
Contestants place their hands over the shoulders of their respective buzzer, ready to press down
when they know the answer. Go around checking every team's buzzer is working correctly. This can
be quite entertaining.
Read the first question. The first team's buzzer to sound can answer the question. If the contestant
gives the correct answer, award points. The only one who can answer is the contestant. They must
press their buzzer to answer.
If a buzzer gets over-excited and buzzes because they know the answer, that contestant must try to
answer and be rewarded or penalised accordingly.
Change contestants and buzzers at the end of each round. Some buzzers may run out of voice.
You could get students to make up their own questions and answers before playing. You may also
wish to have students asking the questions. This would enable you to check their question
formation and intonation development.
ESL GRAMMAR GAMES
BATTLE TANKS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 4 students per game
Preparation: Two blindfolds and two soft balls
Aim: To practice prepositions of movement and giving directions
This grammar game is ideal for teaching or revising directions and prepositions of movement.
Procedure
Clear away the desks so you have space to play the game.
Choose four students to play first.
Split the four students into two teams.
In each team, one player is the 'tank' and one player is the 'driver'.
Blindfold the two players who are the tank.
Then place two soft balls on the floor somewhere in the room.
The two tanks then stand at opposite ends of the room.
The drivers have to guide their tank to a ball by giving directions, e.g. go straight, turn right, etc.
When a tank is guided to a ball, that tank has ammunition.
The driver then guides the tank to fire on the other tank.
When one tank is hit by a ball, they are out and the other team wins.
Repeat with the next four students and so on.
When everyone has played, the winning teams can play against each other to find the ultimate
champion.
CORRECTION
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of 10 to 15 sentences that contain grammar mistakes
Aim: To identify grammar mistakes
This useful grammar game can be prepared very quickly. It's a good game to play with small classes.
Procedure
Separate the class into two teams (A and B).
Write 10 to 15 sentences on the board and tell the class that each one contains a mistake. The
sentences should be graded according to the level of the class and concentrate on points of
grammar and vocabulary that the students have studied recently. Alternatively, you could focus on
typical mistakes your students make.
Tell the teams to read the sentences and look for the mistakes as you are writing them on the board.
Explain that each team starts with 100 points.
Team A starts and chooses a sentence for Team B to correct.
Team B decides how many points they would like to gamble (the more confident they are, the more
points they will gamble).
The maximum bet is 50 points as there is a risk that one team could run away with the game very
quickly.
Team B then consults and gives their correction. Make sure you impose a time limit for
consultation.
If they identify the mistake, add the points to their total. If they don't identify the mistake, they lose
the points.
If Team B gives the wrong correction, Team A has a chance to pick up bonus points by correcting
the sentence. If they answer correctly, they get the points that Team B would have won.
This means that Team A will be consulting at the same time as Team B, so everyone is focused on
the sentence.
It's then the turn of Team B to choose a sentence for Team A to correct and so on.
GRAMMAR RACES
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 Minutes
Players: 4 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To write sentences containing a certain word and to identify grammar mistakes
This ESL game is great for reviewing all aspects of grammar. It also helps you to spot problem areas
or common mistakes that your students are making.
Procedure
Separate the class into four teams.
In each team, there is a 'runner' and a 'writer'.
Give each team a number and allocate a space on the board for them to write.
Have the writers stand next to their space by the board.
Give each team a different keyword, e.g. elephant, car, carrot, etc.
Team members must then think up sentences using the keyword.
When a team thinks of a sentence, they tell the runner. The runner then goes to the board and tells
the sentence to the writer who writes it on the board.
After a few minutes, stop the round and evaluate the sentences from each team.
Award one to three points for each sentence. Give reasons for the awarded points, e.g. subject-verb
agreement, spelling, punctuation, etc.
If you spot a mistake, ask the teams to identify and correct it. The first student to raise their hand
and correct the mistake wins the points for his or her team.
Play a few rounds. The team with the highest number of points at the end of the game wins.
SUPERLATIVE CROCODILE RACES
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Teams of equal number
Preparation: Coloured tape
Aim: To perform tasks relating to superlatives
This is an enjoyable ESL game for teaching superlatives.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of equal number. The teams should have around 4 to 6 students per
team.
Mark out a boat for each team on the floor using coloured tape. Make sure the boats are just long
and wide enough for each team to stand in.
Tell the students to stand in their boat.
Explain that they are in crocodile infested waters and if they step out of the boat, they will be eaten.
Next, have the teams perform tasks in their boat using superlatives, e.g. Tallest student at the front.
The teams must subsequently get their players arranged with the tallest student at the front and
the shortest student at the back.
The first team to do the task wins a point.
If a student falls out of the boat, that team is out of the round.
Continue with things like, youngest at the front, longest hair at the back, etc.
VERB RACES
Age/Level: Beginner
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Teams of equal number
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice verb conjugations
This is a great high-energy grammar game for reviewing verb conjugations.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of equal number. The teams should be quite large, but have no more
than seven students per team.
Each team sits in a row.
The first student in each row is number one. The second is number two, etc.
Give all number ones a piece of paper.
Pick a verb that they are studying, e.g. run.
All number ones write 'I run', and pass the paper to the student behind them.
The second student writes 'You run', and passes the paper back.
This continues until all the subject pronouns you chose to use and verb forms have been written.
The last student passes the paper to the first student and the first student runs to the board to write
all the answers down.
The first team to get their answers on the board in the correct order and correctly conjugated gets a
point, e.g. I run, You run, He runs, She runs, They run, etc.
The students then shift places, so student number one moves to spot two and the last student in
each row becomes student number one.
ESL HANGMAN GAMES
CONSONANT HANGMAN
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess a word by looking at the consonants
This hangman game helps to introduce new vocabulary.
Procedure
Divide the class into two teams.
As in hangman, think of a word and draw a blank for each letter on the board.
Explain to the teams that they can guess consonants, but vowels have to be bought with points they
earn by correctly guessing consonants.
Teams take it in turns to play.
If a team guesses a consonant and it's not found in the word, play passes to the other team.
If the consonant is in the word, that team wins one point for every occurrence of the letter.
When a team has points, they can buy a vowel for one point or guess another consonant. Vowels do
not earn points.
The first team to guess the word wins.
DICE OF FORTUNE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 Minutes
Players: 3 teams
Preparation: A large dice
Aim: To guess a word or sentence by inserting letters into blank spaces
You can use this enjoyable ESL hangman game to revise vocabulary or sentence structure.
Procedure
Begin the game by splitting the students into three teams.
Draw the six sides of a dice on the board and assign the following value to each number.
1 = 10 points
2 = 20 points
3 = 30 points
4 = Bankrupt
5 = Roll again
6 = 100 points
Then, draw a hangman style clue on the board. It can be a word, phrase or complete sentence.
The first team chooses a letter and then rolls the dice. If you can, use an oversized dice, the bigger
the better.
If the letter appears in the clue, the team scores the assigned value for every occurrence of the
letter.
If the letter doesn't appear in the clue, play passes to the next team.
When a clue is complete, the points scored by each team are safe and can't be rubbed out if
bankrupt.
The game is then repeated until a time limit is reached or all the clues are guessed.
The team with the highest score is the winner.
LAST MAN STANDING
Age/Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 4 Teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess words by inserting letters into blank spaces
This ESL hangman game is a great adaptation of the original hangman. Teams race to get the
highest number of points by guessing letters and words.
Procedure
Divide the class into four teams.
Explain that each team has 50 points and that the objective of the game is to get the highest number
of points.
You may need to elicit or pre-teach the words: consonant, vowel and clue.
Set up the whiteboard as follows:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Correct consonant = 20pts
Vowel = -10pts
Correct answer = 50pts
Wrong answer = -50pts
Clue - It's big and green.
___/______
Write the letters of the alphabet at the top of the board.
Each team starts with 50 points.
A correctly guessed consonant wins a team 20 points for each occurrence of the letter.
If a team chooses a vowel, it will cost them 10 points.
Teams take it in turns to play.
A correct answer is worth 50 points (The answer in the example is The Amazon.). However, an
incorrect guess will cost a team 50 points.
The clue is there to help the teams think of the answer.
Good topics: movies, famous people, idioms, slogans, famous places, etc.
As an extension, students can think of their own words and clues and run the game themselves.
PARTS OF SPEECH HANGMAN
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To identify parts of speech
This version of hangman is good for practicing parts of speech. It also works well when introducing
a grammar point at the beginning of a lesson.
Procedure
Arrange the class into two teams. If you have a large class, you could have three or four teams.
Draw lines on the board according to the number of words in the sentence. Then number each line.
Teams take it in turns to play.
The first team to play chooses a number, e.g. number two.
You give the team a clue, e.g. it's a verb.
Teams are allowed one guess after each clue.
If they guess correctly, they win one point and the word is written in the space.
The next team can ask for a second clue or choose another number.
If they ask for number two again, you give another clue, e.g. the verb is in the past simple tense.
You should try to have at least three clues for each word.
After the sentence has been guessed correctly, you may go on to focus on the grammar point of the
lesson, e.g. the past simple tense, compound or complex sentences, etc.
SCRAMBLED HANGMAN
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess a word by inserting letters into blank spaces and unscrambling the letters
This version of hangman works well with higher-level students. This game is a combination of
hangman and scrambled words.
Procedure
Divide the students into two teams.
Draw a line on the board for each letter of the word you have chosen.
Teams take it in turns to choose a letter.
When a correct letter has been guessed, write the letter in a different place to where it should go.
So, the order of the letters is mixed up.
The word can be guessed before all the letters are revealed. However, this is normally very hard to
do.
Once all the letters of the word are revealed, the teams race to unscramble the word to determine
what it is.
The first team to guess the word wins a point.
The team with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.
You may also wish to base the words on a theme or category to help the students guess the word.
SENTENCE HANGMAN
Age/Level: Any
Time: 2 or more teams
Players: 2-3 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess a sentence by inserting letters into blank spaces
This hangman game uses a complete sentence rather than an individual word. It is a useful game for
introducing topics, vocabulary or grammar points at the beginning of a lesson.
Procedure
Divide the students into two or more teams.
Draw a line for each letter in the sentence. Separate the words with a slash.
Example: The capital of England is London.
___/_______/__/_______/__/______
Explain to the teams that they can guess either individual letters or complete words.
If a team correctly guesses an individual letter, they receive a point for each occurrence of the letter
in the complete sentence.
Example: A team guesses the letter N.
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ n _ _ _ n _ / _ _ / _ _ n _ _ n = 4 points
If a team correctly guesses a one word, they will win the total number of letters in the word. This
includes any previously entered individual letters.
Example: A team guesses the word England.
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / E n g l a n d / _ _ / _ _ n _ _ n = 7 points
When a team correctly guesses a letter or word, they get an extra turn, and then it's the next teams
go.
Play a few rounds. The team with the highest number of points by the end of the game is the
winner.
ESL LISTENING GAMES
ENGLISH WHISPERS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Equal teams
Preparation: A written conversation for each team
Aim: To listen and repeat sentences
This is an adapted version of the classic game 'Chinese Whispers'. You can use this listening game to
teach a variety of vocabulary, language structures and topics. This game also helps to improve your
students' listening skills.
Procedure
Put the students into equal sized teams and have each team sit down in a row.
The students sat at the back of each row are given a different conversation.
The students at the back whisper the first sentence of their conversation to the student in front of
them.
That student then whispers the sentence to the next student, and so on down the line.
When the sentence reaches the person at the front, they stand up and write the sentence on the
board.
If the sentence is incorrect, the sentence is whispered down the line again.
The game continues until one team has written all the sentences on the board correctly.
The student at the back of each row chooses when to whisper the next sentence. He or she could say
each sentence quickly or wait until the sentence has been written on the board.
Try to make sure that the conversations are of equal length. Five to eight sentences are ideal.
For younger learners, you can play this listening game using individual words.
IT'S NOT MUSICAL CHAIRS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Audio conversations, scripts and prepared questions
Aim: To listen for the answer to a question
For this listening game, you will need some audio conversations, audio scripts and some prepared
questions about the conversations. The conversations can come from the course book you use in
class. You may wish to use one long conversation or several short ones. This game is similar to
musical chairs.
Procedure
Organize the chairs into a circle. There should be one less chair than there are students in the class.
To begin the game, ask the students a question. Then start playing the audio conversation.
The students walk around the chairs listening to the conversation.
When a student hears the answer to the question on the audio, they sit down. There may be one or
several students who sit down.
At this point, pause the audio.
If it is just one student who sits down, ask them for the answer to the question. If it is a few students
who sit down, ask them to whisper the answer to you individually.
If a student's answer is correct, they remain seated.
Next, ask another question that can be answered in the next part of the audio conversation.
The students who have remained standing start walking around the chairs again until they hear the
answer to your new question on the audio.
Carry on like this until there is one student left standing. That student is out of the game.
Remove a chair from the circle. Everyone stands up and the game continues until there are only two
students competing for one chair to become the ultimate winner.
THROW A QUESTION
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball
Aim: To listen and answer questions
This is an enjoyable listening and speaking game. You can use this game for lower-level students as
practice or with higher-level students as a review. For lower-level students, you might want to
cover the questions and answers before you play the game. For more advanced students, this game
can be used as a review of what they have studied in past lessons.
You will need a ball for this game.
Procedure
Sit the students in a circle.
Tell the students that they are going to practice some questions and answers they have been
studying in class.
Start by throwing the ball to a student. When the student catches the ball, ask him or her a question.
The person who catches the ball must answer the question appropriately.
Then, that student throws the ball and you ask another question to someone else, and so on.
This game helps students with their listening skills, because they are always in suspense not
knowing who will go next. Therefore, they have to pay attention and listen to each question.
STICKY FINGERS
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 3 students each round
Preparation: None
Aim: To listen carefully for keywords
This ESL listening game works really well with young learners. You play this game with three
students at a time.
Procedure
Choose three students to play first.
Outstretch your arm.
Each student then grabs one of your fingers.
Assign a special keyword.
If you say the keyword, the students let go of your finger and run to the far wall.
If on the way you tag a student, they are out.
If a student lets go when you haven't said the keyword, e.g. if the keyword is 'take' and the student
runs when you say 'cake', they are out.
Repeat until only one student is left.
Then, start a new round with three more students.
When everyone has had a go, you can play again with the winners of each round. Keep playing until
you find the ultimate champion.
ESL MIMING GAMES
CHARADES
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of vocabulary
Aim: To use actions to describe a word
This amusing ESL miming game can be played by students of all ages and levels. Before you play,
have a list of vocabulary items ready.
Procedure
Take two chairs and place them facing away from the board.
Divide the class into two teams.
One student from each team comes to the front of the class and sits facing their team with their
back to the board.
Write a word from your list on the board.
The aim of the game is for the students in the teams to use actions to describe the word. They
cannot speak or spell the word in the air.
The students in the seats watch their teammates and try to guess the word.
The first student to say the word wins a point for their team. That student then changes places with
someone in their team.
The other team has to keep the same player in the seat until he or she answers correctly first.
Then the next word is written on the board, and so on.
The team with the highest number of points at the end is the winner.
CLASSIC CHARADES
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To use actions to describe a movie, song or book title
Before you begin this game, practice the gestures given below with the class. You may also need to
think of the names of movies, songs or book titles for your students to act out, depending on the
level and ability of your students.
Procedure
Separate the class into two teams. Teams take it in turns to play.
A player from the first team comes up to the front of the class and acts out a movie, song or book
title.
Choose someone from the other team to be a timekeeper and set a time limit of three minutes.
When a student acts out the title, they must start by indicating which category the title belongs to
by using one of the following gestures:
Movie title: Pretend to crank an old-fashioned movie camera.
Song title: Pretend to sing.
Book title: Put the palms of the hands together and then open them like a book.
The student then indicates how many words are in the title by holding up a corresponding number
of fingers.
After that, the student indicates which word they want to start miming, e.g. the student holds up
two fingers for the second word, and so on. Then, the student starts miming the title.
If the first team manages to guess the title within three minutes, they win a point. Then, the other
team plays, and so on.
Gestures:
Number of words in the title: Hold up the corresponding number of fingers.
Which word you're going to mime: Hold up that number of fingers.
Number of syllables in the word: Lay the number of fingers on your arm.
Mime the whole phrase at once: Sweep your arms in a big circle.
Sounds like: Cup one hand behind your ear.
Past tense: Wave your hand over your shoulder toward your back.
When a student calls out a correct word: Point at that student and nod your head to indicate 'yes'.
Short word: Bring your thumb and index fingers close together.
VERB ANTICS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Verbs written on slips of paper
Aim: To guess the verb from a classmate's mime
Here is an enjoyable miming game to help your students practice verbs and verb forms.
Before you begin, you will need to write verbs on slips of paper. The verbs you use can cover any
form, e.g. irregular verbs, action or state verbs, etc.
Procedure
Split the class into two teams.
Teams take it in turns to act out the verb.
A player from the first team comes to the front of the class and is given a verb.
The player acts out the verb without speaking.
The two teams have to guess the verb the student is acting out.
The first team to guess the verb correctly chooses a team member to go to the board and write
down the three forms of the verb.
Following that, a student from the other team is selected to play, and so on.
Award points for correct answers as well as for the spelling and verb forms on the board.
The team with the most points at the end wins.
WHAT AM I DOING?
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A set of activity cards
Aim: To guess a mimed activity using the present continuous tense
This ESL miming game can be used to teach or review the present continuous tense. Before you
begin, have a set of activity cards ready.
Procedure
Begin the miming game by separating the students into two teams.
The aim of the game is for the students in the teams to guess the correct activity using the present
continuous tense.
One student comes up and asks the class, "What am I doing?"
The student then does the mime on the card.
When a member on either team thinks they know, they respond, 'You are verb+ing...'
Example: You are eating a pizza.
The first team to get the mime correct wins a point.
Then, a student comes up from the other team.
The first team to get ten points wins the game.
ESL MUSIC GAMES
MUSICAL FLASHCARDS
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A set of flashcards and some music
Aim: To say the word on a flashcard
This ESL music game is similar to 'Musical Chairs'. It's ideal for teaching or reviewing vocabulary
with young learners.
Procedure
Spread out the set of flashcards in a circle on the floor.
You should have one flashcard less than the number of students in your class.
Tell the students that they must walk around the flashcards when they hear the music.
When the music stops, they have to stand on a flashcard and shout out the word, according to the
picture on the card.
If a student fails to say the correct word, the student without a flashcard has a chance to steal the
card from the student by giving the correct word.
The student without a flashcard is out of the game.
Take away another flashcard and play again.
The last student left is the winner.
Obviously, when playing this game make sure none of the students are wearing shoes and that your
flashcards are suitably covered.
MUSICAL MADNESS
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Pairs
Preparation: Music
Aim: To practice or review parts of the body
Here is a highly amusing ESL game that combines music with learning parts of the body.
Procedure
Have each student in the class choose a partner (A and B).
Ask the A students to stand in a circle and hold hands.
Tell the B students to make a circle surrounding the first circle and hold hands.
Tell the students that when they hear some music, the inner circle will move around clockwise and
the outer circle will move around anti-clockwise.
Explain to the students that when the music stops, they must find their partner as quickly as
possible and touch each other using different parts of the body.
Let the music play for a while and then stop the music at an appropriate point.
You then call out two parts of the body, e.g. elbow to hand.
Students race to find their partner and put one elbow to their partner's hand.
The last pair of students to find each other and get into position is out of the game.
The students then get back into the two circles. The music starts again and so on.
The last pair of students left is the winner.
WORD GRAB
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: 15 words from a song written down on pieces of paper
Aim: To listen for words in a song
This is a fun and lively ESL music game to play with your students.
Procedure
Choose a popular song that your students would like.
Pick 15 words from the song and write them down on separate pieces of paper.
Then, stick each word to the board.
Divide the class into two teams.
Have each team stand in a line in front of the board.
Next, play the song.
When the student at the front of each line hears a word from the song that is on the board, they race
each other to grab the word.
Teams win one point for each correct word they grab.
Once students have played, they go to the back of the line and the next two students at the front of
the line play.
The team with the most words wins.
You may have to play the song two or three times until all the words have been grabbed.
You can make this game more difficult by putting decoy words up on the board.
WORD SNAKE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Music and a ball
Aim: To write words beginning with a certain letter
This is a very simple music game to play with young learners. For this game, you will need a ball.
Procedure
Have all the students stand up in a circle.
Play some music and have the students pass the ball to each other until the music stops.
When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball has to write a word in English on the board. You
can have the students write any word or you could tell the students what types of words they must
write, e.g. verbs, adjectives, animals, etc.
Then, start the music again.
The next student, who is holding the ball when the music stops, has to use the last letter of the word
on the board to make another word.
Example:
If a student wrote monkey, the next student would use the Y as the first letter of the new word.
At the end of the game, you should have a long word snake with all the words joined up.
ESL QUESTION AND ANSWER GAMES
BALLOON STAMP
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Balloons, rubber bands, and questions on slips of paper
Aim: To ask and answer questions
This game is an entertaining way for students to ask and answer questions. Before you begin, write
a question for each student on a slip of paper. Put the slip inside a balloon and blow it up.
Procedure
Give each student a balloon with a question inside.
The students then attach their balloon to their ankle with a rubber band.
The objective of the game is for the students to stamp on another student's balloon.
When a balloon is popped, everyone stops.
The student, who popped the balloon, asks the question to the student who had their balloon
popped.
If the student answers the question correctly, he/she can continue trying to pop other balloons. If
not, the student is out of the game and has to sit down.
Then, the game continues.
The winner is the last remaining student with a balloon.
You could play this game without putting the question slips in the balloons. In this case, you would
ask the questions to the students.
DARTBOARD GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A small ball or eraser
Aim: To answer questions
Play this simple Q & A game with your students. It works well with students of all ages and levels.
Procedure
For darts, you can use an eraser or a small soft ball. You could also ask the students to make paper
airplanes as darts.
Draw a target on the board with points going around it, much like a dartboard.
Separate the students into two teams.
Ask a question to the class. The first student to answer correctly throws a dart at the target.
Wherever the dart hits, correlates with the amount of points won for that team.
Alternatively, you could have a student from each team come up and throw a dart. The student with
the highest score gets to answer a question. If they are correct, they keep the points they scored.
The team with the highest number of points at the end of the game wins.
DUEL
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A list of questions
Aim: To answer questions
Here is a creative question and answer game to play with your students.
Procedure
Have the students stand in a circle.
Tell the students to form guns by clasping both their hands together.
Then call out a student's name. The two students on either side of that student race to shoot the
named student.
The slower of the two is out and has to answer a question.
When there are two students left, get them to have a duel to see who the winner is.
FANNING THE KIPPER
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual or pairs
Preparation: Paper and scissors
Aim: To answer questions
Here is an amusing ESL relay race to play with your students.
Procedure
Tell the students that they are going to play a relay race using cut out fish.
Cut out the shape of a fish from a newspaper or piece of paper, and ask the students to do the same.
Then, mark a start and finish line on the floor.
All the students line up with their kippers (the cut out fish).
Ask a question to each student one by one.
If a student answers correctly, they fan their kipper once using a book.
This continues until the first kipper crosses the finish line and wins.
Alternatively, you may have teams of two, one player at each line.
Ask a question to the players at one line. The first player to answer correctly can start fanning their
kipper in a relay race.
The player fans it across the opposing line, and the other player fans it back to the start.
Keep asking questions to the players until all the players have started the relay race and see who
gets back first.
FLINCH
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball
Aim: To answer questions
This is a fun way to revise question and answer structures.
Procedure
You will need a soft ball for this game.
Get the students to stand in a circle with their arms folded.
You stand in the middle of the circle with a ball.
Throw or pretend to throw the ball to a student.
If the ball is thrown, the student catches it and throws it back.
If the student doesn't manage to catch the ball in time, they must answer a question and sit down.
If you fake a throw and the student flinches, the student answers a question and sits down.
If they don't flinch, the game continues.
The last student left is the winner.
KILLER
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask and answer questions using different grammatical structures
In this ESL question and answer game, students have to ask each other target questions set by the
teacher. This game is useful because you can review any question pattern or form.
Procedure
Tell the students to write a question using the structure being studied.
When they have finished, ask all the students to put their heads down and close their eyes.
Walk round the class and touch two students on the shoulder. They are now the 'Killers'.
Tell all the students to stand up and start asking their questions to their classmates.
Explain that the students must mark down every time they ask their question on the back of their
paper.
Give the students five minutes to ask their questions to as many people as they can.
During the game, the killers try to kill as many students as possible by winking at them.
If a student is killed, they have to go back to their seat and sit down.
When the five minutes are up, have the students raise their hands, according to how many times
they asked their question.
The student who asks the most people wins.
You can play this question game several times using different grammatical structures.
PAC-MAN
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A list of questions
Aim: To answer questions
Get your students' attention with this fun ESL question and answer game. Before you begin, have a
list of questions prepared.
Procedure
Start by moving the tables and chairs out of the way to create a space to play the game.
Tell the students that when you say 'Go', they have to run around the room, and when you say
'Stop', they must stop exactly where they are.
When you say 'Stop', ask the class a question.
The first player to put their hand up can answer the question.
If they are correct, they are allowed to take one pivoted step to try to touch other students.
Each student they are able to touch is out of the game.
Then shout 'Go', and the steps are repeated.
The winner is the last student left standing.
THE WAITING GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Players: Class
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask and answer questions
Need an idea for something to do while you are waiting for your students to turn up? Try this
enjoyable question and answer game.
Procedure
Write 'You' and 'Me' on the board.
'You' represents the students and 'Me' represents the teacher.
Go around the class and play rock, paper, scissors with each student.
If a student wins, they score a point and must ask you a question.
If you win, you get a point and must ask the student a question.
After everyone has played, add up the scores.
THREE STEP TAG
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Blindfolds
Aim: To ask and answer target questions set by the teacher
This is a lively question and answer game.
Procedure
Choose one or two students to be the 'Catchers' and blindfold them.
All the other students find a spot in the classroom and stand still.
The catchers' task is to find the other students and touch them.
The other students remain completely silent to avoid being caught.
To avoid being caught, the students are also allowed to move three steps in the whole game.
When a catcher finds a student, they have to ask a target question set by the teacher.
The last student left standing is the winner.
TRUE OR FALSE
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Class
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask and answer questions
This ESL game works well with small classes and is ideal for revising question forms.
Procedure
Ask the students if they are good at lying, and ask them what makes someone a good liar.
Explain that one student is going to leave the classroom. While that student is out of the room, the
class has to think of three questions to ask the missing student. However, they need to be questions
that no one knows the answers to.
When the class has come up with three questions, the missing student is brought back in.
The student has to answer two questions truthfully and lie about one.
After the three questions have been asked, everyone in the class has to say which answer they think
was a lie.
The student then reveals the truth.
Each student who guessed correctly wins a point.
Repeat with another student and so on.
This game can be sped up by having the students come up with a list of 20 questions first.
VERBAL FOOTBALL
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of questions
Aim: To answer questions
Get your students involved with this imaginative ESL question and answer game.
Procedure
Draw a football pitch with players on the board. Have some kind of football sticker that you can
move around the pitch.
Divide the students into two teams and ask them to give their football team a name.
The game starts in the centre of the football field.
To score, the teams must pass the ball forwards through the players before beating the goalkeeper.
To do so, the teams must beat each other in correctly answering questions set by the teacher.
When a team answers a question correctly, the ball moves from one player to the next in the
direction that the team is playing.
If the other team answers correctly, the ball goes in the other direction.
Either team can answer any question. So, if a team keeps answering correctly, they have a high
chance of scoring a goal.
The number of players you draw on the pitch is up to you, the more players the harder it is to score
a goal.
ESL QUIZ GAMES
JOIN THE DOTS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 3 teams
Preparation: A list of questions
Aim: To answer questions
This is a strategic ESL quiz game for students of all ages.
Procedure
Divide the students into three teams.
Draw a 6 X 6 grid using 7 dots across and 7 dots down. Draw the dots about three inches apart so
that they can be easily seen by the students.
You will need a different coloured pen for each team playing.
Team A answers a question. If they are correct, they get to connect two of the dots with a line.
Repeat with Team B, and so on.
The object of the game is to join the dots together either horizontally or vertically to make squares.
When a square is formed as a result of drawing the fourth line that team writes their team's letter in
the square, and they get another turn.
The game is over when the 36 squares are completed.
The winner is the team with the most squares.
The number of dots depends on how long you want the game to last. Don't make it too many
otherwise the game will go on for a long time.
ESL QUIZ GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 4 teams
Preparation: A list of categories with five questions per category
Aim: To answer question based on a category
This ESL quiz game works well with large classes. You will need to have a list of questions. There
should be five questions for each category with each question being of varying difficulty.
Procedure
Put the students into four teams and have each team choose a name.
Draw a 6 x 6 table on the board.
Label each column with a points value. Label each row with a category, such as grammar, places,
movies, countries, etc.
Tell the class that the categories represent the types of questions and the points represent the
difficulty of the questions.
Explain to the class that you will start the quiz off with a question.
The first student to put up their hand and answer correctly wins the square.
Make it clear to the students that any student can answer any question. Also, explain that they must
put up their hand to answer and must answer in the form of a sentence.
Once the question is answered correctly, write the winning team's name in the square.
The winning team gets to choose the next category and point value for all the teams to try to
answer.
ESL SENTENCE RACE GAMES
ALPHABET MADNESS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Teams of 4 to 5
Preparation: None
Aim: To make sentences using words beginning with a particular letter
This fun sentence race game helps students improve their sentence structure.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of four or five.
Tell the class that they are going to race to make sentences using words beginning with a particular
letter.
Write a letter on the board, e.g. M.
Explain that the first team to give a grammatically correct sentence will receive one point for each
word that begins with the chosen letter.
Give the students the following example: My mother makes my morning meal. (6 points)
Write a random letter on the board and begin the game.
Tell the students that they must raise their hand before they give a sentence.
Choose the first student to raise his or her hand. Be sure to ignore students who shout out
sentences.
The chosen student must say a grammatically correct sentence or no points are awarded.
If no points are awarded, another student can put up their hand and try to answer.
If the sentence is correct, give that team points. Then move on to another letter.
At the end of the game, tally up the points to see which team is the winner.
TRANSLATION RACE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To translate sentences
This amusing ESL sentence race game can be used for any teaching point.
Procedure
Split the class into two teams. One player from each team comes to the front of the class and sits
with their back to the board.
Write a sentence on the board behind the two players. Make sure the two students can't see what is
written on the board.
When you say 'Go', the two teams shout out what is written on the board in their native language.
The two players then race to translate the sentence into English.
Teams may wish to translate word by word or by saying the whole sentence. The only rule is that
they must use their native language.
When a player thinks they can say the complete sentence in English, have them put up their hand
and say the sentence unaided by the team.
The first student to translate the sentence correctly gets a point for their team.
Once a sentence has been translated correctly, select new players to sit in the chairs and write a
new sentence on the board.
The first team to ten points is the winner.
WORDS TO SENTENCES
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Two identical sets of word cards
Aim: To write a sentence containing a particular word
This fun ESL writing game is ideal for large classes. It's useful for teaching or revising vocabulary
and sentence structure.
Before you start the game, prepare two sets of word cards. One word should be written on each
piece of paper and both sets should be identical.
Procedure
Separate the students into two teams.
Hand out one set of word cards to each team. Make sure each student has one word.
When you call out a word, the two students with that card must run to the board and write a
sentence using the word.
The winner is the first student to write a clear and grammatically correct sentence.
That student wins a point for their team.
The team with the most points at the end is the winner.
ESL SPELLING GAMES
BACKDRAW
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Equal Teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To spell words
This entertaining ESL spelling game is handy for revising recently studied vocabulary.
Procedure
Arrange the class into teams of equal size.
Have the teams sit down in rows facing the board.
The student at the front of each row needs to have a pencil and a piece of paper.
There are two actions that the students need to know before playing the game.
Tapping the shoulder means repeat the spelling.
Nodding the head means okay continue.
Show a different word with the same amount of letters to the last student at the end of each row.
The student at the back of each row needs to draw the word, letter by letter onto the back of the
person in front of them.
Example: Taxi
First, the student draws the T. If the student in front of them knows the letter, they nod their head.
If they are unsure of the letter, they tap their shoulder so the student can re-write the letter on their
back. This continues until the word is complete. Then, the next student draws the word onto the
back of the person in front of them.
When it reaches the person at the front of the line, they write the word on the paper.
The first team to spell the word correctly wins a point.
The front student then moves to the back and everyone moves up one space.
Then, the game continues with a new word.
For higher-level students, get them to write a complete sentence.
FLOWER POWER
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 3 Teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To write word beginning with and containing certain letters
This spelling game is great for young learners. It's a useful game for checking spelling.
Procedure
Draw three flowers on the board. The flowers should have six petals each.
Write a letter in the centre of each flower and write one letter on each petal of the flower. The three
flowers should have different letters.
Split the students into three teams and hand each team a marker.
Have each team stand in a line away from the board.
The first player from each team runs to the board and writes a word beginning with the centre
letter and containing a letter from one of the petals.
The player then runs back to their team and the next student goes.
The game continues until one team has completed all the petals.
Teams score one point for every letter in a correctly spelled word.
Repeat a few times, and then add up the scores to find the winning team.
REMIX
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of revision words
Aim: To put letters in the correct order to spell a word
This is a fun ESL spelling game for students of all ages. Before you start the spelling game, prepare a
list of words you wish to revise and then mix up all the letters in each word.
Procedure
Arrange the class into two teams.
A player from each team comes to the board. Give each player a marker or chalk.
Read out a jumbled word, depending on their level you could read or spell the word.
The players write the jumbled word on the board.
The first player to put the letters into the correct order to spell the word wins a point.
Repeat with new players and words, and so on.
SPELL OR DRAW
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To spell or draw specific words
Students will like playing this fun spelling game. This game may be used to review vocabulary or
spelling.
Procedure
Separate the class into two teams.
Assign each team member a number.
Call out a number. The two students with that number run to the board.
Ask the two students if they want to spell or draw.
Once they have chosen, give them the word.
The first student to successfully spell or draw the word wins a point for their team.
The team with the highest number of points at the end is the winner.
SPELLING GRID
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To spell recently studied words
Here is a great Tic-Tac-Toe style spelling game to practice vocabulary.
Procedure
Split the class into two teams.
Draw a 3 x 3 Tic-Tac-Toe grid on the board and write a different letter in each square.
Play a quick game of rock-paper-scissors to see which team will play first.
The winning team chooses a letter from the grid.
Give the team a word to spell that begins with the chosen letter.
The team gets 15 seconds to spell the word. If they spell the word correctly, they win that square
and mark it with an O or X symbol.
Teams take it in turns to play.
When a team gets three in a row either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, they win the round. If
there is a tie, the team with the most squares wins the round.
The winning team is given one point per round.
At the end of each round, write new letters in the grid. Remember to keep track of the letters and
words you have used.
SPELLING RACE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Pictures of vocabulary
Aim: To identify and spell a word from a picture
This is a great spelling game to play with large classes. It works well with young learners.
Procedure
Begin the spelling game by separating the class into two teams.
Have each team stand up and form a line in front of the board.
Hold up a card with a picture on it and ask the teams to spell the word.
The first student in each team runs to the board and writes the first letter of the word.
They run back to their team and tag the next person, who runs to the board, and writes the next
letter and so on.
The first team to spell the word correctly wins a point.
Teammates can help the writer by shouting out the correct letter or by writing the letter in the air.
THE SPELLING GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Equal teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice spelling
Here is a highly amusing spelling game. It is great for revising spelling and vocabulary.
Procedure
Divide the students into equal teams. Have the teams sit in rows and give each team a number.
Give the class a word to spell.
Teams then take it in turns to attempt to spell the word.
The student at the front of each team always starts with the first letter of the word. The next
student in the team says the following letter, and so on, down the line until the word is complete.
If it is a long word and the spelling has reached the last student, the spelling goes back to the player
at the front and so on.
The students are not allowed to help each other or write anything down.
Each student must be focused on the spelling of the word and his or her position in the team for the
team to spell the word correctly.
If a team spells the word correctly, they receive one point.
Then, a new word is given.
However, if a player is too slow, is not paying attention or says the wrong letter. Immediately go to
the next team.
The game may sound easy, but even the most basic word may take a few attempts before it is
spelled correctly. This is because all the students must concentrate and know the correct spelling of
the word.
UP THE LADDER
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 4 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To spell words in a category
This entertaining spelling game is a must for every English teacher. This game is perfect for revising
spelling and categories of words.
Procedure
Divide the class into four teams.
Ask the students if they know the word 'ladder' and then draw one on the board.
Tell the students that they are going to play a spelling game and race each other to the top of the
ladder. The first team to get to the top is the winner.
On every rung of the ladder, the students must write a word. The last letter of each word must be
the first letter on the next rung.
The race is played as a relay, so after a student writes a word, they run back and give the pen to the
next person in their team.
Teammates can help by shouting out, but they cannot crowd around the board.
Draw four ladders on the board. Each ladder should have five or six rungs.
Choose a category, e.g. jobs. Ask each team to give you the name of a job. This will be their starting
word. Each team should start with a different word.
Then, the game begins and the teams start writing on their ladders.
All the words in the ladder must be from the chosen category and must be spelled correctly. The
first team to get to the top of the ladder wins.
Then, choose a different category and so on.
WORD CHAIN
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To think of a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word
This is a quick ESL spelling game. It's very simple to set up and play.
Procedure
Have all the students stand up.
One student begins by saying a word in English.
The student next to them must then say a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word.
The next student follows suit and so on.
Example:
apple...egg...green...now...winner...run...
The game starts over when a student answers incorrectly, repeats a word, or when they can't think
of a word. That student is then out and has to sit down.
The last student left standing is the winner.
ESL TV GAME SHOWS
BLANKETY BLANK
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 2 equal teams
Preparation: A list of sentences
Aim: To write down the same word as another student
This is an excellent ESL TV game show for practicing parts of speech and sentence structure.
Procedure
Separate the class into two equal teams.
Give each student several small pieces of paper and a pen.
Have one player from each team come up and sit at the front of the class.
Read a sentence to the class, e.g. It was so hot yesterday my BLANK melted. Use the word 'blank' as
the missing word in the sentence.
The aim of the game is for each team member to write down the same 'blank' word as their
teammate at the front of the class.
Everyone then secretly writes down their missing word. They do this without talking or
communicating.
Then, ask each player at the front to reveal their word.
After that, each teammate in turn says or shows the word they wrote.
For every word that matches with their player at the front of the class, the teams get a point.
Repeat with different players.
Example sentences:
1. It was so hot yesterday my ________ melted.
2. My brother never ________ with me.
3. I haven't ________ for a long time.
4. I always go ________ after class.
5. I'm so hungry, I could eat a ________.
6. I like ________ before I go to school.
7. I saw a ________ man on the bus.
8. Last night, I ________.
9. (Student's name) has a small ________.
10. He was so drunk, he ________.
11. My teacher is ________.
12. My dog likes to eat ________.
13. Look! I've never seen such a big ________.
14. I couldn't ________ until I was 15.
15. I am going to ________ tomorrow.
16. (Student's name) is the ________ in the class.
BLOCKBUSTERS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of clues for words beginning with each letter of the alphabet
Aim: To guess the word from a clue given by the teacher
This ESL vocabulary game is originally from an English game show. It works well for revising
vocabulary. It can also be used as a general knowledge game.
Procedure
Draw a 5 x 5 hexagon grid on the board.
Write a different letter of the alphabet in each hexagonal space.
Split the class into two teams and allocate each team with a different colour, e.g. red and blue.
The two teams then decide which direction they want to play: top to bottom or left to right.
Start with the center letter, e.g. if the letter was B, the clue might be: A person who bakes bread.
The two teams then race to answer the clue.
The first team to answer correctly wins the hexagon and has their colour (red or blue) put into the
space. That team then chooses the next letter.
Give a clue for the next letter. Both teams then race to answer.
The aim of the game is for one team to connect the hexagons from top to bottom or left to right. The
first team to make the connection is the winner.
Remind the students that this is a fairly strategic game and they need to choose their moves
carefully.
Blockbusters grid:
COUNTDOWN
Age/Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: Countdown music
Aim: To come up with the longest word possible using nine letters
This engaging ESL word game is adapted from a famous TV game show.
Procedure
Divide the class into small teams and give each team a number.
The first team has to choose nine letters by saying either 'vowel' or 'consonant'. Each time the team
says vowel or consonant, you write a random letter corresponding to the team's choice.
Alternatively, you could have a set of letter cards that you stick on the board.
When nine letters are on the board, the teams have one to two minutes (depending on their level)
to come up with the longest word possible using the nine letters. Each letter can only be used once.
While the teams are writing, play some music that lasts as long as their time limit. There is a
countdown TV theme song. I use a combination of the theme song and Public Enemies - Final
Countdown of the Collision.
When the time limit has been reached, ask each team how many letters are in their word.
The team with the longest word gives their answer.
If the word has the correct letters and spelling, that team wins the same amount of points as there
are letters in the word, e.g. a six-letter word wins six points.
Then, another round starts and the second team chooses vowels and consonants, and so on, until
every team has had a chance to choose letters.
The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
You can play a follow-up round for this vocabulary game by showing the students anagrams.
Whichever team guesses the word correctly first wins extra points. The anagrams can be from
vocabulary the students have studied in previous lessons.
MASTERMIND
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess a word through logical deduction
This ESL word game is based on the TV game show "Mastermind."
Procedure
Begin the game by selecting a secret word, e.g. Hospital.
Draw eight lines or dashes on the board representing the letters in the word 'hospital'.
Split the students into two teams.
The first team to play tries to guess the word by choosing an eight-letter word.
For example, they might choose elephant.
There are two ways to score each letter in their word.
Cross = right letter, wrong place
Tick = right letter, right place
Put the crosses or ticks under the letters.
The other team uses this information to make another guess.
Continue until one team guesses the word.
The team to guess the word first wins one point.
Repeat the process with a new word and so on.
They will be able to guess the word by logical deduction after a few goes.
The length of the word depends on the level of your students. With higher-level students you can
use long words. Four or five letter words can be used with children.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Teams of 5 or 6
Preparation: Pictures and prices of different products
Aim: To accurately guess the price of a product
This ESL shopping game has been adapted from a famous TV game show. This game can be used
when teaching shopping and prices.
Before the game starts you may wish to revise expressions for buying things and large numbers
with the class. Also, prepare pictures of different products along with their prices.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of five or six.
Show the teams a picture of one of the products.
The objective of the game is for the teams to guess the actual price of the product.
Each team bids one at a time. The team that bids closest to the actual price wins.
Each bid has to be different. However, a team is out of the round if they bid over the actual price.
When every team has given a bid, give the actual price of the product.
The winning team gets the amount of points they bid.
Repeat the game with a different product and so on.
A different team should go first each time as it is advantageous to go last in this game. Try to vary
the products you have in this game from basic everyday items to luxury goods.
THE WEAKEST LINK
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Pairs
Preparation: A list of questions
Aim: To answer general knowledge or review questions
This ESL TV game show is great for asking revision questions.
Procedure
Split the class into pairs. Give each pair a number. Try to put a strong student with a weaker one.
Ask the first pair a question. They discuss the question and then tell you their answer.
If they are correct, add 10 points to a group pot.
Move on to the next pair. If they answer correctly, add 20 points to the pot.
The next pair would play for 30 points, and so on.
However, if a pair answers incorrectly, all the points scored by the pairs before them are removed
from the pot.
Before a pair of students has their go, they can choose to bank the points on the board first. If they
bank the points, they can only answer for 10 points.
The aim is for the pairs to make as many points as possible for the pot.
After each pair of students has answered two questions, get the pairs to vote off the weakest link
(pair).
Then continue the game and after each round the weakest link is voted off.
ESL VERB GAMES
CATCH
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball
Aim: To review verb forms
This fun activity is an excellent way to revise or practice verb forms.
Procedure
Sit the students in a circle.
Take a place in the circle as well.
Start the game by throwing a ball to a student. As you throw the ball, say a verb in the present tense.
The student who catches the ball must say the past or past participle of the verb, depending on the
level of your students.
You then shout out a new verb as the student passes the ball to another student and so on.
If a student fails to say the correct verb form, ask the student to throw the ball again and the next
student corrects the mistake.
If you want to make the game harder, you could ask the students to say a sentence using the verb in
a particular tense.
CLASSROOM TENNIS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice verb forms
This is a useful ESL word game for practicing tenses. It works well as a revision game at the start of
class.
Procedure
Two students (A and B) sit facing each other in front of the class. You act as an umpire.
To start the game, Student A thinks of an irregular verb and serves by saying the past participle of
the verb.
If Student A gets the past participle wrong, then Student B gets a point. At this point, you should tell
everyone the correct verb form and write it up on the board.
It is now Student B's turn to respond to the serve and give the past simple form of the same verb. If
Student B is right, Student A gives the infinitive of the same verb.
If Student B is wrong, Student A wins a point. You then give the correct verb form and write it up on
the board. Following that, Student A gives the infinitive.
Now Student B serves, choosing a new irregular verb he or she knows. The serve is always the past
participle of the verb.
Award a point to the other student when someone makes a mistake, or if they are too slow in
responding.
The first student to get five points is the winner.
Repeat the process with a new pair of students.
This game can be played with adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, and also with countries,
nationalities and languages.
THINGS WE DO
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Teams of 3 to 4
Preparation: A list of regular and irregular verbs
Aim: To write down verbs related to a topic
This is a great ESL game for teaching or reviewing regular and irregular verbs.
Procedure
Start by reviewing a list of regular and irregular verbs with the class.
Next, divide the class into teams of three or four.
Write a 'Things we do' topic on the board, e.g. things we do with our brains.
Tell the students that they have two minutes to write down as many verbs as they can (from the list
they just reviewed) that relate to the topic on the board.
In their teams, the students start writing down the verbs they remember, e.g. consider, dream,
imagine, forgive, guess, etc.
When the two minutes are up, check each team's answers.
Teams receive one point for each appropriate verb.
Then, write another 'Things we do' topic on the board and so on.
The team with the highest number of points at the end of the game wins.
This game can also be used to review nouns, adjectives, etc.
VERB CONNECTION
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To use a specific verb correctly in a sentence
This verb game is similar to 'Connect 4'. The game is quite strategic and helps the students practice
using verbs in a variety a tenses to make sentences and questions.
Procedure
Split the class into two teams. Give each student in both teams a number.
Draw an 8 x 8 grid on the board and assign the teams with an O or X symbol.
Write a different verb in each square and write the verbs in a mixture of tenses.
Have the teams play a quick game of rock-paper-scissors to see which team will play first.
Choose a player number. The player with that number chooses a verb from the grid.
That player then has to use the verb correctly in a sentence. The sentence must be in the same tense
as the verb in the grid.
If the student makes an appropriate sentence, the team wins the square.
An O or X symbol is then placed in the square, and the next team plays. When the next team plays,
the same player number is used.
The aim of the game is to get four in a row (the same as Connect 4).
For higher-level students, add a question mark next to some of the verbs. This means the students
have to make a question using the verb.
VISUAL VERBS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of verbs
Aim: To guess a verb and then write down the three forms
This is a great ESL game for practicing verb forms. It is also a lot of fun for students to play.
Before you begin, have a list of verbs ready. The verbs you use should vary depending on the ability
of your students.
Procedure
Divide the students into two teams (A and B).
Write the teams on the board and draw three columns under each team. Label the columns: Base,
Past, and Past participle.
Have the teams choose one player each. The players from both teams come to the front of the class.
Give each player a different verb.
The two players have to act out their verb without speaking.
The teams try to guess what verb their player is miming.
The student, who guesses the verb correctly for their team, comes to the front of the class, and
writes down the three forms of the verb in the columns.
Once the student has written the three forms, a new player comes up and acts out a new verb and
so on.
The two teams are playing continuously, so when a team member guesses the correct verb. The
other team keeps playing.
At the end of the game, give a point for every correctly spelled and formed verb.
The team with the highest number of points at the end is the winner.
ESL VOCABULARY GAMES
OVER THE LINE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A list of vocabulary items, some paper and coloured pens
Aim: To match words with pictures
This is an imaginative ESL game for teaching vocabulary to your students.
For this vocabulary game, you will need a list of words you wish to review, some paper and
coloured pens.
Procedure
Arrange the class into two teams (A and B).
Give each team some pieces of paper and coloured pens.
Tell the teams the words from your list. The teams make a drawing of each word on a separate
piece of paper. The students must not write the words on the pictures.
Try to have each student draw at least one picture.
When both teams have finished drawing, collect the pictures representing the target vocabulary.
Next, clear away the desks, so you have a runway from the back of the class to the board.
Then stick up both team's pictures on the board. When you stick them on the board, make sure that
both team's pictures are well mixed up.
After that, draw or mark a line near the back of the class.
The two teams then get behind the line.
One player from each team, steps up to the line.
Say one of the words from the list and the two players race to the board.
The first player back over the line with the correct picture gets a point for their team.
The pictures are then stuck back on the board, and the next two players step up to the line and so
on.
The team with the highest number of points at the end of the game wins.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Age/Level: Young learners
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Pairs
Preparation: None
Aim: To practice parts of the body
If you are teaching parts of the body, this vocabulary game is a must. It's an active and enjoyable
game for young learners.
Procedure
You will need an odd number of students to play this game.
Ask all the students to pair up.
The student without a partner is the 'leader'.
The leader calls out different parts of the body using the following phrase, e.g. hand to hand, knee to
knee, etc.
The pairs have to follow the leader's commands and touch each other hand to hand or knee to knee,
etc.
After three or four goes, the leader calls out, "People to people."
At this time, all the pairs have to partner up with a different person (including the leader).
Again, there will be an odd student left out. This student becomes the new leader and so on.
If the leader is having problems thinking of parts of the body, feel free to get them to repeat after
you.
SPLAT
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A ball, word slips and sellotape
Aim: To say some target language using a specific vocabulary
Your students will enjoy playing this exciting vocabulary game. It's a useful game for reviewing
target language and practicing tenses.
Procedure
Tell the students that they are going to practice making sentences using the target language or
tense you are studying in class.
Have the students stand in a circle.
Stick a different word onto each student.
Stand in the centre of the circle with a ball.
Throw the ball to a student.
The students on either side of the student with the ball rush to look at the word on the student, and
then use the vocabulary with the target language.
The first student to do so correctly stays in the game.
The other student is out.
The last two students left standing are the winners.
VOCABULARY DECK
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: A pack of playing cards
Aim: To think of a words or sentences beginning with certain letters
This is a motivating vocabulary game for developing students' word knowledge. It can also be used
to practice word order and sentence structure for more advanced students. For this game, you will
need a pack of playing cards.
Procedure
Write the following on the board:
Ace: A, N 2: B, O 3: C, P 4: D, Q 5: E, R 6: F, S 7: G, T 8: H, U 9: I, V 10: J, W Jack : K, X Queen: L, Y
King: M, Z
As you can see, for each card from ace to king, two letters of the alphabet are assigned.
Put the students into small teams.
For lower-level students:
Choose a category, e.g. verbs.
Shuffle the cards and turn the top card over. Show the card to the first team.
The students in the first team must think of a word beginning with one of the letters that card
represents. For example, if the card is an ace, the students must say a word beginning with A or N.
The word must match with the chosen category.
This is repeated with the second team and so on.
Award points for correct answers. Also, give the teams a time limit for coming up with a word.
For higher-level students:
Turn over six or seven cards and have the teams write down a sentence using words beginning with
the given letters, in the order they are drawn from the pack.
The teams read their sentences aloud and win points accordingly.
ESL WORD ASSOCIATION GAMES
MALLET'S MALLET
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams or individual
Preparation: An inflatable hammer or toy
Aim: To say words relating to a category
This enjoyable ESL word association game has been adapted from an English TV show. It works well
for revising words and can be adapted for any age or level. Your students will certainly have a lot of
fun playing this game.
You will need an inflatable hammer or toy for this game.
Procedure
There are two ways to play this word association game.
The first way is to divide the students into two teams.
Have the students line up in their team.
Then put two chairs at the front of the classroom.
Get the first player from each team to come and sit on the chairs.
Give the two players a category, e.g. sports.
The two players then take it in turns to say a word associated to the category.
If a player hesitates, repeats a word or doesn't answer, they get hit with the inflatable hammer or
toy and are replaced by the next player in their team.
When a student beats three opposing team members, they step down and let someone else play.
The first team to run out of players loses.
The second way to play this word association game is to get the students to sit in a circle.
Give the students a category.
Starting with any student, go around the circle until a student hesitates, repeats a word or doesn't
answer. That student is out and leaves the circle.
Repeat with a new category until one student is left. That student is the winner.
PASSWORD
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: Word slips
Aim: To associate one word with another
This is an imaginative ESL word association game to play with your students.
Before you begin the game, have the vocabulary you wish to revise written down on small pieces of
paper.
Procedure
Separate the students into two teams.
One player from each team comes to the front of the class.
Show both players a word. This is the 'Password'.
The aim of the game is for the teams to try to guess the password.
They do this by word association, e.g. If the password is 'flower', a player might say roses. His/her
team then tries to guess the password by associating the word 'roses' with another word.
If a team guesses correctly the first time, they win 5 points, the second time, they get 4 points, and so
on.
The players at the front of the class take it in turns to associate one word with the password. So,
both teams play for 5 points, then 4 points, etc.
If they can't guess correctly after five times, the players are changed and a new password is given.
When a password is correctly identified, new players come to the front and start with a new
password.
The team with the highest number of points at the end wins.
WORD ASSOCIATION GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To associate words
This word association game is easy to play and set up.
Procedure
Ask all the students to stand up.
Choose a word that you are currently teaching.
The first player says any word that they associate with the chosen word.
The next player must then do the same with the first player's word.
This continues from player to player.
If a player says a disassociated word, repeats a word, or is too slow to answer, they are out and
have to sit down.
The winner is the last person left standing.
Example: ocean, blue, green, field, flower, valentine, love, heart, etc.
Alternatively, you may ask the students to associate only with your chosen word.
WORD DISASSOCIATION GAME
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To disassociate words
Here is a fun game to use with any level. This game is the opposite of word association.
Procedure
Ask all the students to stand up in a circle.
Tell the students that they have to shout out the first word they think of when they hear another
word. However, the word they say must have no connection with the previous word.
Start by choosing a word at random.
The first player then says a word that is completely disassociated with your word.
The following player does the same with the first player's word and so on.
If a player says a word that is connected with the previous word, takes too long to answer, or
repeats a word, they are out of the game and have to sit down.
Anyone can challenge a player, if they think there is a connection. If the connection is agreed, that
player is out of the game.
ESL WORD GAMES
A SHIP COMES LOADED
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To remember and say words beginning with a certain letter
This ESL word game is simple to set up and play without any preparation.
Procedure
Sit the students in a circle.
Let the students choose a letter of the alphabet, e.g. B.
Tell the students that all the words they say must begin with the chosen letter.
Start the game by saying, "A ship comes loaded."
The first student replies, "with what?" and you say a word beginning with the chosen letter, e.g. with
bananas.
Then, the first student continues to say to the next student "A ship comes loaded."
The next student replies, "with what?" The student says, "with bananas and buffalos" for example.
This continues around the class.
The students have to remember what words have been said, and they have to come up with a new
word beginning with the letter that they decided to play with. Students aren't allowed to write
anything down.
If a student fails to remember all the words that have been said or if he/she can't come up with a
new word, that student is out of the game.
Whoever can stay in the game the longest is the winner.
BALDERDASH
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: A list of obscure words and their definitions
Aim: To invent false definitions and guess true definitions
This ESL word game is based on a popular board game of the same name. Students invent false
definitions for words and win points by correctly guessing true definitions.
Before you play the game, have the students find obscure words and their definitions.
Procedure
Split the class into groups of four or five and provide small slips of paper for players to write
definitions on.
Each player should have a few obscure words and their definitions on a piece of paper.
Players take it in turns to be the leader. The leader of the round chooses one of their words, reads it
aloud, and spells it.
Each player then invents a false meaning for this word that could fool the other players and writes
it on a slip of paper.
The leader should copy the true definition on to their slip of paper, so that they cannot be seen
reading from the word card.
Each player then hands their definition to the leader. The leader reads aloud each definition,
including the correct one.
The players then vote on which definition they think is correct.
The leader reveals the true meaning and adds up the scores.
Then, another player becomes the new leader and play continues.
Scoring:
1 point for every vote your false definition receives.
1 points if you choose the correct meaning.
The leader gets 3 points if nobody chooses the correct meaning.
LEWIS CARROLL'S GAME
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Small teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To change one word into another by changing one letter at a time
This delightful word game was invented by Lewis Carroll, who wrote 'Alice in Wonderland'.
Procedure
Tell the students that they are going to play a game where they change one word into another by
changing one letter at a time. Letters cannot be moved, merely substituted. Every time a letter is
changed, it must result in an English word.
Give the following example to the class to help them understand.
Example: wet to dry
wet - met - mat - may - day - dry
Next, separate the class into small teams.
Start them off with one of the easier examples below. Write both the original and final word on the
board.
Allow the teams to use dictionaries to help them with possible words.
Teams score points according to the number of steps taken to turn one word into another.
Example:
wet - met - mat - may - day - dry = 6 points
At the end of the game, the team with the 'lowest' score wins.
Examples:
cat - cot - dot - dog
shoe - shot - soot - boot
cow - cot - pot - pit - pig
few - new - net - not - lot
give - live - like - lake - take
boy - toy - ton - ten - men - man
love - live - give - gave - gate - hate
road - read - lead - lend - land - lane
hard - card - cord - ford - food - foot - soot - soft
hand - band - bend - bead - beat - boat - boot - foot
cold - sold - sole - mole - male - mare - ware - warm
meat - beat - bent - went - want - cant - cane - cone - bone
wind - wine - line - lane - land- sand - said - paid - pain - rain
wolf - golf - gold - bold - bolt- boat - boar - bear - beer - deer
pear - bear - beat - bent - bend - bind - wind - wine - line - lime
wood - wool - pool - poor - pour - four - foul - soul - soil - sail - nail
rich - rice - ripe - pipe - pine - dine - done - bone - bore - born - morn - moon - moor - poor
MATCH THE SQUARES
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: A completed word grid
Aim: To memorize and match pairs of words
You can use this matching game to review a great deal of vocabulary. It can be used when you have
two words that match in some way, e.g. adjective opposites, verb opposites, prepositions, past and
present verbs, etc.
Procedure
Draw a 6 x 4 grid on the board and number the squares 1 to 24. You could have a bigger or smaller
grid, depending on how many pairs of words you have to match. Make sure you have a completed
word grid in hand when you play the game.
Divide the students into two teams.
Explain to the class that behind each square is a word.
The objective of the game is to match the squares by remembering where each word is. Tell the
students that they cannot write anything down. They must remember the positions of the words.
The first team selects two squares, e.g. number 2 and 16.
Write the two corresponding words in the selected squares.
If the words match, the team gets a point and has another go.
If they don't match, the two words are erased and the other team selects two squares and so on.
Continue until all the word pairs have been found.
The team with the most points is the winner.
TIC TAC WORDS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Players: 2 teams
Preparation: None
Aim: To say a certain number of words being with a particular letter in ten seconds
Here is a simple ESL word game that can be played without any preparation. This game is based on
Tic-Tac-Toe.
Procedure
Draw a large square on the board and divide the square into a 3 x 3 grid. The same as Tic-Tac-Toe.
Write a random letter in each square and then write a small number under each letter.
Split the class into two teams. Assign the two teams with an X or O symbol.
Flip a coin to see which team will go first.
The winning team then chooses a letter from the grid. That team has ten seconds to say as many
words beginning with the letter as the number under the letter indicates.
If the team manages to say the required number of words, they win the square and their symbol is
placed in the square.
If the team cannot come up with the required number of words, they must pass to the next team.
The number you write under each letter will be determined by the ability of your students. If your
students' level of English is limited, put down a small number in each square.
When a team gets three symbols in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, they win the
game. If there is a tie, the team with the highest number of symbols on the board wins.
WORD SQUARE
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Teams of 3 or 4
Preparation: None
Aim: To make words using letters in a square
This is a wonderful ESL word game to play with your students.
Procedure
Draw a 3 x 3 grid on the board.
In the square, write a nine-letter word in a random order. The centre square must contain a vowel.
You can use any nine-letter word for this game. Ideally, it should be one that contains a few
different vowels.
Examples: scrambled, Christmas, blueberry.
The aim is to make words using the letters in the square.
Every word the teams write must contain the centre letter.
Students cannot use any letters twice, unless it is in the nine-letter word.
There is a bonus score if they can make one word using all nine letters.
Put the students into small groups of three or four.
Set a time limit of ten minutes.
The teams write as many words as they can from the square.
When the time is up, get each team to swap sheets with another team, and count up the letters and
words. The teams check the words and spelling, and the teacher answers any queries from the
students.
The game is scored by the length of the words. So, a three-letter word is worth three points, a fourletter word is worth four points, and so on. If a team gets the nine-letter word, they win 18 points.
The team who has the most points wins.
ESL YES/NO QUESTION GAMES
CHANGING CHAIRS
Age/Level: Any
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: Question cards
Aim: To write and respond to yes/no questions
This is an excellent ESL game for teaching a variety of yes/no question structures. It's guaranteed to
get your students' attention.
Before you play, write a set of incomplete questions, e.g. Are you...? Have you ever...? Do you like...?
Can you...? Etc. Make one copy of the incomplete questions for each student.
Procedure
Give each student a copy of the incomplete questions.
Tell the students to complete each question however they want, but they should try to make
questions that require a 'yes' answer.
When everyone has finished, collect all the questions from the students and put them in a bag.
Next, put the chairs in a circle.
Explain that the students have to move chairs if they would answer 'yes' to a question.
Then read out the first question from the bag, and as the students move, grab a seat and remove it
from the game.
The student left standing is out of the game.
Then, repeat with the next question and so on.
The last player left is the winner.
TWENTY QUESTIONS
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 20 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To guess the name of a famous person or character by asking yes/no questions
In this yes/no question game, students guess the name of a famous person or character by asking
the player 20 yes/no questions. This is an imaginative speaking activity for practicing different
yes/no question forms and should prove useful.
Procedure
A player sits at the front of the class.
Write the name of a famous person or character on a piece of paper and give it to the player.
The other students take it in turns to ask yes/no questions to the player in order to find out his/her
secret identity.
A 'yes' response from the player earns a questioner another chance to ask one more question.
When a student correctly guesses the player's identity, he or she becomes the next mystery person.
Depending on the level of your students, you may need to print or write up some example
questions.
Example questions:
Are you male?
Are you a real person?
Are you an adult?
Are you alive?
Have you written a famous book?
Do you play a sport?
Are you an actor?
Do you come from England?
Do you work in Hollywood?
Do you play a musical instrument?
Are you Japanese?
Have you been on TV?
Are you a scientist?
Are you a cartoon character?
Variation: Animal, Vegetable or Mineral
For higher-level students, you may wish to play this variation. Instead of choosing a famous person
or character, the player's identity is an animal, vegetable or mineral.
This game is slightly different as the first question is always 'Are you animal, vegetable or mineral?'
This is the only question the students may ask, which does not require a yes or no answer.
Apart from that, the game is the same. The type of questions the students ask will depend on the
first answer.
Example questions:
Can I eat you?
Are you made of plastic?
Are you heavy?
Do you have fur?
Are you green in colour?
YES NO LAUGH
Age/Level: Elementary and above
Time: 25 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask and answer yes/no questions
This amusing ESL game is useful for teaching or revising yes/no questions and short answers.
Procedure
Ask the students to write 10 to 15 yes/no questions. Tell the students that they will ask these
questions to one another.
When they have finished writing their questions, write the words, Yes, No, and Laugh on the board.
Then cross them out.
Make a scoreboard for the game. Draw a happy face for the 'winners' and a sad face for the 'losers'.
Seat the students in a horseshoe shape and put a chair in the middle facing the horseshoe.
Explain that you are going to sit in the chair for one minute. During that time, the students ask you
questions going from one end of the horseshoe to the other.
The students' job is to ask you questions that will make you use the words 'yes', 'no' or to make you
laugh.
Your job is to answer the questions without saying yes or no. Smiling is allowed, but not laughing!
Example:
Student: Are you happy?
Teacher: I am.
Next student: Do you have a car?
Teacher: I don't.
Next student: Do you like Vietnam?
Teacher: Sure, I love it!
Next student: Can you play football?
Teacher: A little
Next student: Can you say yes?
Teacher: No. Ah!
The teacher has lost the game. He/She then writes his/her name under the sad face.
In turn, each student sits in the chair and tries to survive for one minute without saying yes or no or
laughing.
If a player can survive one minute, write their name under the happy face.
Virus
Age/Level: Any
Time: 10 minutes
Players: Individual
Preparation: None
Aim: To ask and answer yes/no questions
This ESL game is great for teaching yes/no questions and short answers.
Procedure
First, review the question and answer form that you want the students to ask.
Tell all the students to close their eyes.
Walk round the class and touch one student on the shoulder. That student has the virus.
Now, ask the students to open their eyes.
The students now go round the room asking questions, e.g. Can you...?
The students must answer positively, e.g. Yes, I can.
The student with the virus must answer negatively, e.g. No, I can't.
Any student, who asks the student with the virus a question gets the virus and must also answer
negatively, e.g. No, I can't.