Concentration
You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game. Place both sets face
down on the floor. Students take turns in turning over 2 cards (saying
the cards aloud). If the cards match then the student keeps the cards.
If the cards are different the cards are turned back over again in their
original places. The student with the most pairs at the end of the game
is the winner.
Charades
Have a student come to the front of the class and show a
flashcard or whisper a word to that student. The student then acts out
that word to the rest of the class and the first student to guess what it is
can be the next player. This works very well with action verbs.
Variation: divide the class up into teams – the first student to guess
wins a point for his/her team.
Pictionary
Good for reviewing vocab. Pick a student and show him/her a
flashcard picture or whisper a word into his/her ear. The student
draws the picture on the board and the first student in the class to
guess the picture gets to draw the next picture. This can also be
played in teams with a point system.
Spin the Bottle
Sit your students in a circle with a bottle in the middle. The
teacher spins the bottle. When it stops spinning the student it is
pointing to is shown a flashcard and asked to say what it is. If the
answer is correct then that student can spin the bottle. This is a good
vocab review activity.
Basketball
Students take a shot at the trash can/box/etc. First show a
flashcard to Student 1. If s/he answers correctly then s/he can have a
shot at the basket. If the student gets the ball in the basket then s/he
wins 2 points. If the student hits the basket without going inside then
s/he wins 1 point. The person who gets the most points is the winner.
This can also be played in teams.
Fish
Before this game you need to have the students in pairs draw and
cut out a picture of a fish for each pair. While they are doing that put
2 parallel lines of tape on the floor a few meters apart. Have students
play in pairs – each student behind a different line, facing each other
with the fish in the middle. The teacher shows Student 1 a flashcard
and asks what it is. If the student answers it correctly s/he can blow
once to propel the fish forward. Next, the teacher asks Student 2 who
can blow the fish back towards S2. The student who blows the fish
over their opponents line is the winner.
Over-under
Line up your student in two teams. Give the two students at the
front each a flash card. When you say go, the first in line says the
word and passes the f/c over their head, the next student says the word
and passes the card under between their legs, the student kid over,
then under, etc. The last student in the line races to the front to hand
the f/c to the teacher and says the word. The first team to do so gets a
point.
Backs to the Board Game
This one is good for higher level kids. Make two teams and
stand one student from each team in front of the board, facing away
from it. Place a flashcard picture on the board (e.g. “hamburger”) and
the students have to explain that word to their team member (e.g. you
can buy it in McDonalds, it’s got cheese and ketchup in it). The first
student out of the two standing in front of the board to guess the word
wins a point for his/her team.
Adverb Action
Teacher writes on the board an activity like "brush your teeth."
S/He picks one student, they come to the front of the class. The
teacher then shows the S a card with an adverb written on it, such as
"slowly". The chosen student then does the activity in the way of the
adverb. The other students have to guess the adverb. The one who
guesses right gets a point and mimes the next action which the teacher
writes on the board. To help them you can give them a list of options,
if you think they need some help.
Alphabet Line Up
This is a good way to teach the alphabet to your class. Give
each S an alphabet flashcard with a different letter of the alphabet on
it, starting at "A" (e.g. if you have 7 , give flashcards A through to G).
Have them move around the room to music. When the music stops,
they must line up in order. You can also play with missing letters
(e.g.. Give a "c", then an "f", a "k", an "o", etc). That way they are
really learning the order, not just memorizing
Alphabet Soup
Place plastic letters in a bowl. Divide flashcards by their
beginning letters. Each student draws a letter from the bowl and then
finds the flashcards associated with that letter.
Alphabet Wave
Divide the a-z flashcards among all your students. Put students
in a line and play the ABC song. As it plays each student must hold
up their corresponding alphabet flashcard.
Catch me if you can
Have students sit in a circle. After reviewing the chosen set of
flashcards, place them in a pile in the center of the circle. Take the
first card and show it to everybody. Have one student walk around the
outside of the circle saying words from the specific subject – like
fruits or days - while touching each student's of the circle on the head.
When the "magic" word is said, the student whose head is touched at
that time, must stand up and chase the student who touched them
around the circle. The first one to sit in that spot remains seated and
chooses the next "magic" word. The student standing begins again;
"Sunday...Monday…"
Concentration
You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game. Place both sets face
down on the floor. Students take turns in turning over 2 cards (saying
the cards aloud). If the cards match then the S keeps the cards. If the
cards are different the cards are turned back over again in their
original places. The S with the most pairs at the end of the game is
the winner.
Concentration 2
Level: requires basic reading. Make a set of cards. On half of
them put a picture of a theme related subject (for example body parts,
food, furniture etc) on the other half put the word relating to each
picture (ex. nose, mouth, lips, eye...). Laminate if possible. Place all
cards face down on the table. The first player turns two at a time (or
three for the very young) over to match the word to the picture. If it
matches the player can keep the pair if not, the cards are returned and
then next player goes. These cards can also be used so that a child or
team simply matches the words to the pictures.
Cross the River
Place flashcards on floor in winding manner. Each represents a
stepping stone in the river, as students must say
word/phrase/question/etc in order to step on it and cross the river!
Easy Hard
You need at least 20 cards to play which you divide into 2 piles
face down: An Easy and a Hard pile. Give each team 50 points from
beginning. Pick a student and ask if they would like an easy or a hard
card, also ask how many points they would like to risk on knowing the
answer: Easy 1-5 and Hard 5-10.
Fast as rabbits
Teacher puts some flashcards on the board. Then a pair of
students go to the board facing the flashcards. Teacher says words
(from the flashcards) and the 2 children must touch the correct
flashcard as fast as they can. The winner is who touches more
flashcards first.
Flashcard Fun
Hold up a flashcard and elicit the answer from a S. Students can
win the flashcard if they answer correctly. The S with the most
flashcards at the end is the winner.
Four Corners
Teacher hangs a flashcard (4 in total) in all 4 corners of the
room. One S is chosen to stand in the middle with his/her eyes closed
and counts to ten while the other students scramble to one of the four
corners. At the count of ten, the S in the middle shouts "STOP" and
picks one corner by naming it's corresponding flashcard. The students
in that corner are "out" and must sit down. Continue game until only
one student remains; he/she is then "it"
Give Me Game
You can use with flashcards or objects. Elicit the different
flashcards you have. Then place all the flashcards around the
classroom. Once the students have collected the flashcards (they'll
probably do their best to hide them in their pockets, etc.) teacher says
"Give me a (bus)". The S with the (bus) flashcard should approach
the teacher and hand it to him/her: "Here you are". Avoid having the
flashcards thrown back to you as they can go anywhere and takes a
long time to finish this game.
Guessing Question Game
This is good practice for asking simple questions. Teacher hides
any flash card behind his/her back and students try to guess what the
object is by asking questions: "Is it a dog?", "Is it a ball?", "Is it a
book?", etc. until they guess the flashcard.
Hint Animal Game
As a review of animals flashcards, teacher holds some cards
without showing any to the students. Then the teacher tells the kids
that they are going to receive 3 hints, so they need to listen carefully.
For example: 1. I am yellow. 2. I have long hair. 3. I am strong. Who
am I? Well, a lion of course! You can make it in deferent levels
depending on how much English you use or which vocab you use.
Jump On It
Spread out flashcards on the floor and have students stand at one
end of the room. Shout out a card and the students have to find the
card and jump on it. The first S to do this wins a point. Variation:
Make 2 teams for a relay race. The first 2 students try and jump on
the flashcard first to win a point for their team.
Keep the in Order
Each student has a set of cards (pictures with names) similar to
the teacher. The teacher places his/her cards in a particular order in
two or three rows, and so do the students following instructions.
Teacher starts calling the cards in pairs so that the two cards named
change positions. Make a few changes in this way (don´t let students
see the changes, they must follow them only by listening carefully).
Afterwards, the teacher calls a student to say the cards in order. If all
the cards are well placed the student can lead a new game. Students
love the game and learn a lot of vocabulary
Lightning Flashcards
Teacher stands at front of class with flashcards. Students form
two teams standing in a line. Two students go first and face away
from the teacher. Teacher says 1.2.3. What is it? and students quickly
turn around and the first S to call out the correct answer wins a point
for their team
Line True or False
Put a line of tape on the floor and designate one side "True" and
the other "False". Hold up a flashcard or object and say its word. If
students think that you have said the correct word they jump on the
True side, if not they jump on the False side. Incorrect students sit out
until the next game.
Musical Flashcards
Students walk around some flashcards in a circle as some music
is playing. When the music stops teacher shouts out a flashcard and
the students must race to step on that card. The first S to step on it
keeps the card (1 point) and the game continues.
Musical Chair Alphabet
Place chairs in the form of musical chairs with alphabet
flashcards placed on them. Start the music when the music stops the
students pick up their flashcards and have to read the sound on the
flashcard. The child who is unable to read is out of the game.
Paper Rock Scissors
A good vocabulary game. Teach students the new vocabulary
(E.g. clothes, colors, animals, etc.). Spread the flashcards in a row on
the floor. Divide students into two teams. Have students walk on the
cards from the opposite sides repeating the vocab just learned. When
they are standing on the last card from their end the teacher says "1...
2.... 3" and the students have to put their hand in front in the form of
paper or scissors or the rock. Scissors cut the paper, paper covers the
rock and rock break the scissors. Repeat the activity with each student
from different teams. The winning students can play again
Pass
Sit the students with you in a circle. Teacher holds up a
flashcard or object and says its name (e.g. "Pen"). Teacher passes it
on to the next S who also says its name and passes it on to the next S.
Variations: change directions, speed rounds, have many objects going
round at the same time.
Picture Recognition Game
Have all the students stand at one end of the room and the
teacher in the middle. Hold up one picture flashcard and students
come forward and whisper the word in the T's ear. If correct they can
go over to the other side of the room. Students can have as many
guesses as they like.
Quick Peek
Teacher holds a flashcard with the picture facing towards
him/her. Teacher quickly shows it to the students for a quick peek.
The S who guesses the card wins a point.
Race Track
Lay out the flashcards like a race track with a start and finish
line. Students play in pairs or teams. S1 rolls a dice and moves a
counter along the track. The S must say the flashcard landed on and if
wrong must move back to the original position. Variation: put in
some 'throw again' cards (e.g. brightly colored cards) and a nominate a
'crash' number on the die (e.g. if a student throws a 6 they crash and
must stay where they are and miss a turn).
Shopping
This can be used with a wide range of flashcards (food pictures
work well). Gather all the students and show them all the flashcards
you have. Ask a S "What do you want?" (or maybe "What would you
like?" to higher levels). The S should reply (e.g. "a hamburger,
please"). Teacher then says "Here you are" and the S finishes with
"Thank you". At the end collect the objects by playing the 'Give Me'
game.
Slam
Sit the students in a circle and place some flashcards in the
middle of the circle. Tell students to put their hands on their heads.
Teacher shouts out the word of one of the flashcards and the students
race to touch it. The S who touches it first get to keep the object. The
S who has the most flashcards at the end of the game is the winner.
Slow motion
Teacher holds a pack of flashcards with the pictures facing
towards him/her. The last card should be turned around so it is facing
the students but is hidden as it is behind the pack. Slowly pull the
flashcard up inch by inch so the students can only see part of the
flashcard. As the picture is slowly revealed students try and guess
what it is. The first S to guess correctly keeps the card (for 1 point).
Variation: To make it a little more difficult turn the flashcard upside
down.
Speed lines
Have the students in two lines facing the teacher. The first
students in each line are the players. Show a flashcard and the first
student to correctly name it is the winner. These two students then go
to the back of their respective lines and you repeat the process with
the next two students. If both students say the name of the card
together let them quickly Janken to decide the winner. A very
important ingredient is the speed. Have lines of unequal number so
that on progressive rounds the students are playing with different
people. This way you don't have to worry about pairing slower
students with quicker ones.
Tic Tac Toe
Place 9 flashcards (representing words, phrases, questions, etc)
face down and numbered (or letters of alphabet) on a large taped grid
on the floor. Students call out number or letter to see flashcard. S or
team with correct response claims that space with an X or O.
Touch
Place flashcards around the room and have students run around
the classroom touching the flashcards that teacher orders them to do
(e.g. "Touch the car" "Touch the bicycle" "Touch the bus").
Tornado
flashcards (pictures or questions on one side, numbers on the
other), 'Tornado Cards' (flashcards with numbers on one side and a
tornado picture on the other). Stick the numbered cards on the board
with either pictures or questions on the back (depending on the age
group) facing the board. Also include 6 Tornado cards and mix them
in with the picture cards. Students then choose a number card. If they
answer the question correctly then their team can draw a line to draw a
house. If they choose a tornado card then they blow down their
opposing teams part drawing of a house. The first team to draw a
house wins.
Up and Down
You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game. Give each of your
students a flashcard from one set. Teacher keeps the other set.
Arrange the students so that they are all sitting down. Teacher holds
up one flashcard and the S with the same flashcard stands up and says
the word and then sits down again. Play the game at a fast pace so
that students are standing up and sitting down rapidly. Variation:
Give each S 2 or 3 flashcards.
Vanishing Flashcards Game
place a number of flashcards in front of the students. Give them
a few moments to memorize the pictures and then tell them to close
their eyes. Take away one of the flashcards and then tell the students
to open their eyes again. The first S to guess the missing flashcard
can win that flashcard (for 1 point) and take away a flashcard in the
next round.
Vocabulary Tunnel
Make a tunnel for students to crawl through. Teacher stands at
one end and holds up a flashcard for the first S to say. After the S
says the correct word, s/he can go through the tunnel. Then hold up a
flashcard for the next S
Zoo Game
This is a fun activity for young learners on the topic of animal
noises. After teaching the animals and their noises sit each S in a
different part of the classroom and assign them as different animals (to
make it clearer you can give each S a flashcard of the animal they are
representing). Walk around the room and talk to each S, who can only
reply as an animal. E.g. Teacher: "Hello Yumi", S1:"Moo! (cow).
Teacher: "What's your name?" S2: "Roar!" (lion). Teacher: "How are
you, Kenta?" S3: "Bow-wow!" (dog).
Carnival Cups
Your students will have fun trying to trick one another with that game,
but instead of a ball under the cup there’ll be a flashcard.You’ll need
three cups and a set of vocabulary flashcards for every two players.
This is where those index card flashcards come in handy. One player
puts a card in one cup and does their cup switching as best they can.
When they stop, their partner chooses a cup and looks underneath it. If
they find the card, they don’t automatically win. They’ll have to prove
they know the word—they should provide the definition on the other
side of the card, and you might also ask them to pronounce the word
correctly, give a synonym or antonym or use the word in a sentence.
Playing by Ear
Then play a song or movie clip that uses the target words. When
a student hears his or her word, they should stand and hold their card
above their head.This game makes listening skills relevant and creates
some personal motivation for students to listen carefully. They’ll have
fun not only keeping an ear out for their own words, but also policing
their classmates who might just miss a chance to show off their own
giant flashcard.
Flashcards at Dawn
Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team
comes to the front of the class. Have the two students stand back to
back and give each student a flashcard containing the target language.
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 (similar to the pistols at dawn
scenario).The two students then race to call out what's on the other
student's flashcard. The first student to correctly call out what's on the
flashcard scores a point for their team.Play until all the flashcards
have been used. The team with the most points at the end of the game
wins.
Mr Wolf
You are the wolf. You stand at one end of the classroom with a
flashcard. The other students line up at the other end of the classroom
next to the wall. Show the students your chosen flashcard, e.g. a
flashcard of a car. Ask the students questions about the flashcard that
would get a 'no' response, e.g. 'Is it a motorbike?' Every time the
students answer no (e.g. No, it isn't.), they take one step forward.
When the students are close to you, ask them a question about the
flashcard that would get a 'yes' response, e.g. 'Is it a car?' When the
students answer yes (e.g. Yes, it is.), you chase the students and try to
tag them out before they reach their wall. Whoever is tagged is out of
the game. Repeat the game with a new flashcard and so on. The last
student left in the game wins.
Sumo
Divide the students into two teams (A and B). Have the students
form a large circle. Choose one student from each team to play first.
The two players stand facing each other in the centre of the circle.
Stick a flashcard to the back of each player.Tell the two players to
place their hands behind their back. Then, have the two players
perform a 'Sumo stomp'. When you say 'go', the two players move
around and try to see what flashcard is on their opponent's back. The
two students are not allowed to touch each other and they must keep
their hands behind their back at all times.The students who form the
circle must not help the players in any way. Award a point to the other
team if this happens.Then, two new players enter the centre of the
circle and the game continues with new flashcards. Continue the game
until all the students have had a chance to play. The team with the
most points at the end of the game is the winner.
The Flashcard Exchange
Arrange the students' chairs in a circle (minus one chair). Ask
the students to sit on a chair. The student without a chair stands in the
middle of the circle. Give each student sitting in a chair a flashcard
based on a topic, e.g. sports. Call out two words based on the topic,
e.g. football and tennis. The two students who have those flashcards
must then swap places.The student in the middle has to try to sit in
one of their seats while the two students are swapping places. 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.
Jump and Say
Line the flashcards in a straight row with space in between on
the floor. Depending on your class size, you can either have one
student or one student on each side of the line. Have students jump
and say the flashcard they land next to. Students hop along saying
each card. You can change things up by making it a race or laying out
a circle instead.
Slow Reveal
Opposite to Fast Flash is Slow Reveal. Use a blank or piece of
coloured paper to cover the flashcard. Slowly slide the cover paper to
reveal only a small part of the flashcard at a time. Students can shout
out and guess what it is.
Pass and Say
This one is simple but effective. Have students sit in a circle.
Show them a flashcard and say the word. Pass it to the kid sitting next
to you and encourage him/her to say the word and pass it to the next
person. For larger groups, you could have two or three cards going
around at once.
Roll the Dice
This works well if you have a giant die. (You can make one out
of cardboard and tape to use for different activities in all your classes.)
Put the numbers 1-6 on the board and a different flashcard or the
vocab word next to each number. Each student gets a chance to toss
the die up. The number it lands on is the card they say out loud.
Musical Circle Pass
Have students sit in a circle. Give random students a flashcard:
one for every 3 or four students you have in your group. Play some
music. As it plays, students pass the cards around. When you pause
the music have the kids who have the flashcards stand up and say
what they have.
Say It Fast, Say It Slow, Say It High, Say It Low
If you are a kindergarten teacher, then it’s assumed that you
aren’t afraid of being silly. Play with your voice as you say the
flashcard word. Students should repeat the word how you say it. They
will have a ball!
What’s Missing?
Lay out flashcards on the floor, or display them on the board.
After going over them, ask students to close their eyes. Remove one
card. Students open their eyes and say which card is missing.
Musical Chairs
Put chairs in a circle facing outwards. Tape a flashcard to the
back of each chair or put them on the ground underneath each chair.
Have students make a circle on the outside of the chairs. At this age,
there is no need for there to be one less chair than the number of
students. Some groups will have more fun if it is not as competitive.
Play music and have students walk around the chairs. When you pause
the music, students find a seat to sit in. They say the flashcard word on
the chair. If the students know actions and movements, make it more
exciting by telling them to jump, tiptoe, walk, swim, etc. around the
circle of chairs.
