Beginning english games

10 Fun ESL Games and Activities for Teaching Kids English Abroad

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Games and fun activities are a vital part of teaching English as a foreign language. Whether you’re teaching adults or children, games will liven up your lesson and ensure that your students will leave the classroom wanting more.

Games can be used to warm up the class before your lesson begins, during the lesson to give students a break when you’re tackling a tough subject, or at the end of class when you have a few minutes left to kill. There are literally hundreds, probably thousands, of games that you can play with your students. EFL games are used to test vocabulary, practice conversing, learn tenses - the list is endless.

This list of ten classic ESL games every teacher should know will help get you started and feeling prepared. Having these up your sleeve before stepping into the classroom will ensure your lessons run smoothly, and, should things get a little out of control, you’ll be able to pull back the attention of the class in no time.

Want to jump right into the list? Here are the top 10 games we think your students will love:

1. Board Race
2. Call My Bluff / Two Truths and A Lie
3. Simon Says
4. Word Jumble Race
5. Hangman
6. Pictionary
7. The Mime
8. Hot Seat
9. Where Shall I Go?
10. What’s My Problem?

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1. Board Race

There isn’t an EFL teacher I know who doesn’t use this game in the classroom. Board Race is a fun game that is used for revising vocabulary, whether it be words from the lesson you’ve just taught or words from a lesson you taught last week. It can also be used at the start of the class to get students active. It is a great way of testing what your students already know about the subject you’re about to teach.

This is best played with 6 students or more - the more, the better. I’ve used it in classes ranging from 7-25 years of age and it’s worked well in all age groups.

• Why use it? Revising vocabulary; grammar
• Who it's best for: Appropriate for all levels and ages

Play Video

How to Play:

• Split the class into two teams and give each team a colored marker.
• If you have a very large class, it may be better to split the students into teams of 3 or 4.
• Draw a line down the middle of the board and write a topic at the top.
• The students must then write as many words as you require related to the topic in the form of a relay race.
• Each team wins one point for each correct word. Any words that are unreadable or misspelled are not counted.

2. Call My Bluff / Two Truths and A Lie

Call My Bluff is a fun game which is perfect at the start of term as a ‘getting to know you’ kind of game. It is also a brilliant ice breaker between students if you teach classes who do not know one another -- and especially essential if you are teaching a small class size.

The game is excellent for practicing speaking skills, though make sure you save a time for after the game to comment on any mistakes students may have made during the game. (I generally like to reserve this for after the game, so you don't disrupt their fluency by correcting them as they speak).

With older groups you can have some real fun and you might be surprised what you’ll learn about some of your students when playing this particular EFL game.

• Why use it? Ice-breaker; Speaking skills
• Who it's best for: Appropriate for all levels and ages but best with older groups

Play Video

How to play:

• Write 3 statements about yourself on the board, two of which should be lies and one which should be true.
• Allow your students to ask you questions about each statement and then guess which one is the truth. You might want to practice your poker face before starting this game!
• If they guess correctly then they win.
• Extension: Give students time to write their own two truths and one lie.
• Pair them up and have them play again, this time with their list, with their new partner. If you want to really extend the game and give students even more time to practice their speaking/listening skills, rotate partners every five minutes.
• Bring the whole class back together and have students announce one new thing they learned about another student as a recap.

3. Simon Says

This is an excellent game for young learners. Whether you’re waking them up on a Monday morning or sending them home on a Friday afternoon, this one is bound to get them excited and wanting more. The only danger I have found with this game is that students never want to stop playing it.

• Why use it? Listening comprehension; Vocabulary; Warming up/winding down class
• Who it's best for: Young learners

Play Video

How to Play:

• Stand in front of the class (you are Simon for the duration of this game).
• Do an action and say Simon Says [action]. The students must copy what you do.
• Repeat this process choosing different actions - you can be as silly as you like and the sillier you are the more the children will love you for it.
• Then do an action but this time say only the action and omit ‘Simon Says’. Whoever does the action this time is out and must sit down.
• The winner is the last student standing.
• To make it harder, speed up the actions. Reward children for good behavior by allowing them to play the part of Simon.

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4. Word Jumble Race

This is a great game to encourage team work and bring a sense of competition to the classroom. No matter how old we are, we all love a good competition and this game works wonders with all age groups. It is perfect for practicing tenses, word order, reading & writing skills and grammar.

• Why use it? Grammar; Word Order; Spelling; Writing Skills
• Who it's best for: Adaptable to all levels/ages

Play Video

How to play:

• Write out a number of sentences, using different colors for each sentence. I suggest having 3-5 sentences for each team.
• Cut up the sentences so you have a handful of words.
• Put each sentence into hats, cups or any objects you can find, keeping each separate.
• Split your class into teams of 2, 3, or 4. You can have as many teams as you want but remember to have enough sentences to go around.
• Teams must now put their sentences in the correct order.
• The winning team is the first team to have all sentences correctly ordered.

5. Hangman

This classic game is a favorite for all students but it can get boring quite quickly. This game is best used for 5 minutes at the start to warm the class up or 5 minutes at the end if you’ve got some time left over. It works no matter how many students are in the class.

• Why use it? Warming up / winding down class
• Who it's best for: Young learners

Play Video

How to play:

• Think of a word and write the number of letters on the board using dashes to show many letters there are.
• Ask students to suggest a letter. If it appears in the word, write it in all of the correct spaces. If the letter does not appear in the word, write it off to the side and begin drawing the image of a hanging man.
• Continue until the students guess the word correctly (they win) or you complete the diagram (you win).

6. Pictionary

This is another game that works well with any age group; children love it because they can get creative in the classroom, teenagers love it because it doesn’t feel like they’re learning, and adults love it because it’s a break from the monotony of learning a new language - even though they'll be learning as they play.

Pictionary can help students practice their vocabulary and it tests to see if they’re remembering the words you’ve been teaching.

• Why use it? Vocabulary
• Who it's best for: All ages; best with young learners

Play Video

How to play:

• Before the class starts, prepare a bunch of words and put them in a bag.
• Split the class into teams of 2 and draw a line down the middle of the board.
• Give one team member from each team a pen and ask them to choose a word from the bag.
• Tell the students to draw the word as a picture on the board and encourage their team to guess the word.
• The first team to shout the correct answer gets a point.
• The student who has completed drawing should then nominate someone else to draw for their team.
• Repeat this until all the words are gone - make sure you have enough words that each student gets to draw at least once!

7.

Miming is an excellent way for students to practice their tenses and their verbs. It's also great for teachers with minimal resources or planning time, or teachers who want to break up a longer lesson with something more interactive. It's adaptable to almost any language point that you might be focusing on.

This game works with any age group, although you will find that adults tire of this far quicker than children. To keep them engaged, relate what they will be miming to your groups' personal interests as best as possible.

• Why use it? Vocabulary; Speaking
• Who it's best for: All ages; best with young learners

Play Video

How to play:

• Before the class, write out some actions - like washing the dishes - and put them in a bag.
• Split the class into two teams.
• Bring one student from each team to the front of the class and one of them choose an action from the bag.
• Have both students mime the action to their team.
• The first team to shout the correct answer wins a point.
• Repeat this until all students have mimed at least one action.

8. Hot Seat

This is one of my students’ favorite games and is always at the top of the list when I ask them what they want to play. I have never used this while teaching ESL to adults, but I imagine it would work well.

Hot Seat allows students to build their vocabulary and encourages competition in the classroom. They are also able to practice their speaking and listening skills and it can be used for any level of learner.

• Why use it? Vocabulary; Speaking and Listening
• Who it's best for: All ages and levels

Play Video

How to play:

• Split the class into 2 teams, or more if you have a large class.
• Elect one person from each team to sit in the Hot Seat, facing the classroom with the board behind them.
• Write a word on the board. One of the team members of the student in the hot seat must help the student guess the word by describing it. They have a limited amount of time and cannot say, spell or draw the word.
• Continue until each team member has described a word to the student in the Hot Seat.

9. Where Shall I Go?

This game is used to test prepositions of movement and should be played after this subject has been taught in the classroom. This game is so much fun but it can be a little bit dangerous since you'll be having one student in each pair be blindfolded while the other directs them. So make sure to keep your eyes open!

It is also excellent for the adult EFL classroom, or if you're teaching teenagers.

• Why use it? Prepositions; Speaking and Listening
• Who it's best for: All ages and levels

How to play:

• Before the students arrive, turn your classroom into a maze by rearranging it. It's great if you can do this outside, but otherwise push tables and chairs together and move furniture to make your maze.
• When your students arrive, put them in pairs outside the classroom. Blindfold one student from each pair.
• Allow pairs to enter the classroom one at a time; the blindfolded student should be led through the maze by their partner. The students must use directions such as step over, go under, go up, and go down to lead their partner to the end of the maze.

10. What’s My Problem?

This is a brilliant EFL game to practice giving advice. It should be played after the ‘giving advice’ vocabulary lesson has taken place. It is a great way for students to see what they have remembered and what needs reviewing. This game works well with any age group, just adapt it to fit the age you’re working with.

• Why use it? Speaking and Listening; Giving Advice
• Who it's best for: All ages and levels

Play Video

How to play:

• Write ailments or problems related to your most recent lesson on post-it notes and stick one post-it note on each student’s back.
• The students must mingle and ask for advice from other students to solve their problem.
• Students should be able to guess their problem based on the advice they get from their peers.
• Use more complicated or obscure problems to make the game more interesting for older students. For lower levels and younger students, announce a category or reference a recent lesson, like "Health", to help them along.

These games will keep your students engaged and happy as they learn! Remember, these are just ten on the hundreds of different EFL games that you can plat with your students. As you get more confident in the classroom, you can start putting your own spin on games and eventually make up your own.

Whatever the age of your students, they’re guaranteed to love playing EFL games in the classroom. An EFL classroom should be fun, active and challenging and these games are sure to get you heading in the right direction.

This article was originally published in October 2013; we redesigned and updated this article in May 2018.

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10 Fun ESL Classroom Games for English Class (Beginner & Intermediate)

Looking for ideas for ESL classroom Games? Below you can find a list of 10 fun ESL English games for kids for beginners and intermediate English class.

When it comes to teaching English as a second language, we English teachers have a challenging job on our hands. We not only want to make sure our students are learning English, but also that they are enjoying themselves while learning in the classroom.

For this reason English resources are important. While ESL learning books, English apps, and online websites are important, having a set of English games for kids to play for each lesson is also essential in order for our students to leave class with new knowledge, and so they can to go home and tell their parents how fun English class is.

Using ESL classroom games to learn English is a great way to keep students interacting in a positive way as well as continuing to grow their memory, vocabulary and pronunciation.  

Here you can find list of 10 ESL classroom games that I have used in my classroom for beginner and intermediate level classes. These English games for kids seem to work wonders with my students!

Make sure to check out our list of Ice Breaker games. These can also be used for ESL students in a new class.

ESL Classroom Games For Beginner English Class

A list of English games for kids which are perfect for children who are beginner English speakers and still learning the basics of the language. Find 10 ESL games below:

1: Warm up games with Total Physical Response (get up and move)

The best way to start your ESL class is with a warm up game. Warm up games in can come in all shapes and sizes. A lot of these games should include total physical response, that way children are interacting and using language with physical movement. This is a great way to have all the children involved with learning while warming up their brains for the upcoming lesson.

Warm up games can be tailored to whatever lesson you are teaching your class at that time and can expand depending on learning level.

How to play

Playing warm up games using total physical response can be played in many ways but the main game I like to play is get up and move. All the students will stand in front of their desks or form a circle. The teacher will call out a vocabulary word and the students will have to act it out. You can also play the reverse side of this the teacher can act out a vocabulary word and the students have to say what the teacher is acting out.

Examples:

Using basic knowledge in language:
The teacher will call out words such as:
Stand up
Sit down
Open your book
Close your book
Pencil
Crayon
Rubber

The students will act out actions to these words or will hold up their objects of what vocabulary word the teacher is using.

Using routine in language:
The teacher will call out words such as:
Good morning
Good night
Yawn
Shower
Brush your teeth
Brush your hair
Wash your hands

The students will act out actions to these words or say the words to the vocabulary card the teacher is using.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English

Get up and move is a great way to teach English because it is using total physical response and getting the students not only moving but thinking. Students are using both the left and right side of their brains and the more fun they are having the easier it is to remember vocabulary words.

2. Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs is one of my favourite ESL classroom games that can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play

The teacher will make a circle of chairs in the middle of the room, I often like to use 5-7 chairs at a time. Stick vocabulary cards on the back of each chair. This can be words or pictures. Play music, when the music stops all the children have to find a chair, the last student to sit has to say what is on the back of their char.

Pick an English song your class has been practicing and use that to stop and play the music, this is reinforcement of what you have already been learning in the classroom. You can also find a list of recommended nursery rhymes and songs for beginners here.

If you have a large English class, have the students alternate by changing kids when the last one to sit in their chair has answered their question.

Example

Use the alphabet or numbers and have the students say what is on the back of their chair. Those who are advanced learners or if you want to make the game more challenging, you can have the students tell you what letter or number comes before and after.

Use animals or colors and have the students say what is on the back of their chair. Those who are advanced learners or if you want to make the game more challenging you can have the students make animal noises, act out the animal and find the color that’s on the back of their chair in the room.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Musical chairs is a great way to reinforce vocabulary words the classroom is working on. It also makes English more fun and is used as a memory game for students. The background music is an excellent way to use classroom language in a subconscious way for the student as well.

3. Passing the ball

How to play

The teacher will put the students in a circle or place them all around the room. The teacher will start by throwing the ball to a student and asking them a question or showing them a picture of a word that the classroom is learning. Then the students have to throw the ball to each other and ask questions, repeat words, show flashcards or act out actions for the next student to answer.

Examples

Asking questions:
Using basic questions such as:
How old are you?
How are you?
What is your name?
What letter is this?
What number is this?

The students will go around answering and asking each other questions.

Using Categories:
The teacher will pick a topic (clothes) the students will throw the ball and say an item of clothing, that student that caught the ball has to find, point and say the item of clothing that the other student said.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Passing the ball teaches students to pronounce and use language they have been practicing in class. Learning how to ask and answer questions as well as being able find objects or items in the classroom and repeat them. It helps students interact with each other instead of only focusing on the teacher. Every student wants to throw or catch the ball, so it is also keeping them awake and ready for the next throw.

4. Bingo

Bingo can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play
To play bingo, you will need bingo boards with at least 16 squares. The object of the game is to have a student shout out bingo once they have gotten the correct number of squares in a row. If you are using a board of 16 then students need 4 squares in a row, if you are using a board with 25 squares, then the students will need 5 squares in a row.

You can give the students little piece of paper, beads, candy or anything exciting to cover their bingo boards with. The teacher will call out topic words and the students have to find the word or picture on their board and cover it. The first student to have the correct number in a row wins and will then have to repeat all the words or pictures back to you for a prize.

Making bingo boards can be challenging and time consuming. Using My Free Bingo Cards is a great resource to make your bingo boards. You can pick the number of squares, write out the words, or copy the pictures to the design and the website will generate a number of bingo boards for you in all different orders.

Example
For beginners using the alphabet and numbers is perfect. With the alphabet, since there are 26 letters and only 25 squares it is a fun way to have the students find which letter their bingo board is missing. Have the students read back each letter or number that is covered up once they have called out bingo.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Bingo helps students with memory because they are constantly looking for the vocabulary word or picture the teacher is saying. When it is in front of them and they have to look for it, their brain is picking up on the words quicker. Having to repeat the words will also help with repetition and memory.

5. Flash Card Memory

Flash card memory can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play
The teacher puts up flashcards on the board for the topic that week. The students study it for 1 minute. The students then have to “go to sleep” and turn away from the board. The teacher takes away a card and yells “wake up”! Then the students have to find and say which card is missing.

Examples
I use this game for almost every topic for my beginner classes because they love it so much. You can use it for animals, clothing, basic language, colors, letters, numbers and so much more.

To make the game more fun you can have one of the students play the role of the teacher and they are the one that says, “go to sleep”, pulls the card away and then says, “wake up”.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Flash card memory helps students learn English by using repetition in memory through finding words or pictures over and over again. Like most ESL games it creates an interactive learning environment where students are competing against one another and trying to find the missing card at a quick pace.

Here are some other games to play with flashcards to help teach languages.

ESL Classroom Games for Intermediate English Class

A list of English games for kids perfect for children who are at an intermediate level of English.

6. Warm Up Games (hands on head)

Just like for ESL beginner level classes, using warm up games is the perfect way to get the class moving. I like to use total physical response warm up games for intermediate level classes to help stimulate their brains.

How to play
The teacher breaks the class up into two groups and gives them each a category. The teacher then says a word or sentence from the category and the students correlating with that category have to put their hands on their heads.

Example
Give one team a category of household items and the other a category of food. Shout out words from each category. To make it more challenging use sentences involving the selected category.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Hands on head is awesome for using listening skills while learning English. Students will also have to think about current and past words they have learned in order to know when to put their hands on their heads.

7. Secret Box

Secret Box can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play
The teacher will have a box full of objects or items relating to the current lesson. Each student will come up and put their hand into the box, they have to try and guess what’s inside by using describing words. After they have done this, the student then pulls the object out of the box and have to say what it is, shape, color, sound ect.  

Examples
I often times like to use this game for my food lesson. I will categorize the box using fruits for one game and vegetables for another. The students love to feel the foods and guess what’s in the box. I have the students guess which food is inside and tell me what color they think it is then after they pull the food out, they have to tell me what the food is, what category it belongs to, the color, shape and if they like it.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Secret box helps students practice current, past and new language. Having to use describing words as well as practicing how to categorize words. Students are also learning by using their 5 senses as it relates to English.

8. Telephone

Telephone can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play
The teacher puts the students into a line or circle and says a sentence to the first student in the line. The students have to whisper the sentence to the next student until it gets to the final student at the end of the line.

The final student then tells the class what they think the teacher’s sentence was. You can switch up the line so the students all have a turn being at the beginning and the end of the telephone.

Example
Telephone is a great game to use when practicing sentence structure and pronunciation. If the topic is, I like/I don’t like, then I will use phrases or sentences using those words. To make it harder I will add in and/or/but to challenge the students. “I like apples, but I don’t like pears ect.”

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Telephone is a great game for pronunciation of current words as well as new words. If the sentences are funny or the students mess up it makes the words more memorable because it is being learned in a fun and interactive way. It is also a great time for the teacher to ask follow up questions to the phrase or sentence that was being used in the game, this helps with student interaction as a class.

9. Board Race

Board race can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught.

How to play
Students are put into two groups. The teacher says a category and the students have to run up to the board and write as many things belonging to the category as they can think of. Students have to use correct spelling and work as a team to come up with the most words before the timer runs out.

Example
I like to use this game for many topics. Animals, colors, shapes ect. You can make the game more challenging by having the students use sentences. For example, the teacher would say “Use Blue in a sentence”, then the student would have to create a small sentence using the word blue.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Students love this game because they get to race against one another and have to win. They are practicing grammar and often times will repeat the words in the categories to look back to see which words are missing. When they use it to write sentences they are again focusing on grammar and sentence structure as well as reading and writing.

10. Hot Seat

Hot seat can be tailored to whatever topic or lesson is being taught, but is one of my favourite ESL classroom games.

How to play
The teacher will put the students into two groups and a chair in front of the board. The teacher holds up a flashcard behind the hot seat, this can be a picture or a word. The students have to try and get their teammate to guess what’s behind the hot seat using describing words. This can also be played in reverse by using actions without being able to speak.

Example
I use this game as a warm up game a lot of times because it gets the students brain moving. You can use any category of flashcards, I like to use this game for foods and animals. The students will have to use describing words about both categories and it is fun to switch it up and have them act it out with no sound.

How this ESL classroom game teaches English
Hot seat is perfect for students to have to use their words and think quickly on the spot. They are practicing memory of vocabulary words as well as pronunciation and having to think back to the English vocabulary they already know in order to get their classmate to guess what is behind them.

What is your favourite ESL Classroom Game?

I hope you have found this list of English games for kids helpful for your future classes! If you have any recommended games for ESL Classroom games for beginner or intermediate classes please comment them below. Make sure to also check out our ESL conversation topics for further English learning.

We love being able to add new and fun English games to our list. Looking for more ideas on games to play?  Check out our list of English word games for kids.

Children's games for learning English

In the modern world, the popularity of the English language has reached its peak for a long time. The language is considered international, and in many European countries locals speak English. This is a huge advantage for those who love to travel the world.

Many parents today want their children to study at the most prestigious international universities in Europe, the USA, and for this, at least, you need to know English. That is why children have to learn a foreign language from an early age. Of course, on the one hand, this is very good, since kids absorb much more information than adults, but on the other hand, it is quite difficult in terms of learning. When an adult plans to learn a foreign language, he does it consciously, he has a motivation, an incentive. Kids, on the other hand, do not yet realize why they need it and whether they need it at all. But in this situation there is a way out. The most important thing in teaching English to kids is the ability to interest them, involve them in the process, and the most interesting process for little children is a game. That is why this article discusses the main types of children's games for learning English.

It can be said that English learning games for children are the main form of learning a foreign language. They create a relaxed environment in which learning is easier compared to forced teaching methods. During the game, children not only memorize new words, expressions or rules, but also develop attention, memory, thinking, observation and, of course, creativity. The use of games in teaching helps to maintain interest in the English language, and also helps to more easily learn, consolidate and master the lesson material.

Now let's take a closer look at English games for children. They can be used individually or in small groups.

1. Simon says.

A very simple game that is better and more fun to play in a group. The teacher acts as a leader and must give instructions to the guys so that they perform some action. For example, "Simon says: touch your ears!" - “Simon says, touch your ears!”, “Simon says: put your hands on your shoulders!” "Simon says put your hands on your shoulders!" There may be many options here.

2. "Countable - uncountable."

This game was invented on the principle of the game "edible - inedible". The players throw the ball to each other and shout out nouns, and the one who catches the ball must answer whether the object is countable or not. For example, the first player throws the ball and shouts "book", the one who caught the ball must say "countable" or "uncountable". If the player who caught the ball answers correctly, then now he throws the ball and says his word, but if he made a mistake, he simply leaves the game.

3. Crocodile.

Everyone knows this game. Its essence is to explain with gestures the words of the topic that are being passed or have already been passed. Different parts of speech can be used as displayed words, but with babies it is better to try only nouns and verbs to begin with.

4. "Try and guess."

A variation of the game "crocodile", but in this case the children need to explain the word. You can play the game in two ways. The first way is that the student takes one card out of several offered and tries to explain to other students what the word is on the card.

Let's say the word "chair" is written on the card. This concept can be explained as follows: “It’s a piece of furniture” (this is a piece of furniture). "It's not big" (it's small). "It is wooden" (it is wooden). "You can sit on it" (you can sit on it). The explanation doesn't have to be long, complex sentences, on the contrary, it will be more interesting when the student pauses between sentences so that others think a little and scroll through the information in their heads.

The second way is as follows. One student takes a card and looks at what word he came across. His task is only to briefly answer the questions of other guys - yes / no (yes / no). That is, the guessers will try to find out for themselves what is hidden, asking leading questions that can only be answered with “yes” or “no”. For example, the word "ball" (ball) is guessed. To guess this word, you can make the following questions: “Is it big?” (Is it big?), "Is it brown/red/green etc.?" (Is it brown? Red? Green?), "Can you eat it?" (it can be eaten?) and so on. Questions must be asked until the word is guessed.

5. "Guess what I'm doing?"

Another type of Crocodile game, which has a more grammatical focus. The student who guessed the action should depict some process as accurately as possible, and the other guys need to guess what he is doing and say the sentence in English in a certain tense form. For example, the student must show that he is dancing, and the guys need to make a sentence in Present Continuous, therefore, the following will turn out: "He is dancing." - "He is dancing". Which of the students correctly guesses the movement and correctly composes a sentence will be the next one to depict the action.

6. "As much as possible."

This educational game in English will help children learn a large number of new words more easily. It is best for her to divide the students into two teams. The essence of the game is to name as many words of a given topic as possible. For example, the theme "Weather" (weather). Students can name different words and phrases that relate to this topic, and the part of speech can also be any. Such words may include "sunny" (sunny), "wind" (wind), "clouds" (clouds) and so on. The team that will name more words related to this topic will be considered the winner.

7. Compound Word

This game in English is suitable for children who already have a certain vocabulary. The essence of the game is that you need to make a word from three to five words of the same topic, and the next word must begin with the same letter as the previous word ends with. Let's say the teacher asked the topic "Colors" (Colors). The option that can be accepted as an answer is gre Y ello W hite. That is, gray (gray) ends with the letter "y", and the next word "yellow" begins just with the same letter "y". In this way, you can make other words from three to five words, but these words should be of the same subject.

8. "Colors"

The game is very simple, but at the same time interesting. It is better to play it if there are six to eight people in a group. Its purpose is to promote the development of attention and memory, and with the help of it it will be easier for children to remember the names of colors. So, if there is a small variety of colors in the classroom or office where classes are held, then before the game the teacher will need to arrange multi-colored objects. Moreover, the number of items of different colors will be different. Let's say there are 6 people in a group, so you need to choose 6 colors - red (red), blue (blue), white (white), green (green), orange (orange), yellow (yellow). But the number of items of each color should be different, for example, red items can be taken six pieces, blue - five, white - four, green - three, orange - two, and yellow - one. That is, the game is designed for the reaction of children, so that after the teacher’s command to choose an object of a certain color, the guys grab the right thing as quickly as possible, and the one who did not have time is out. As a result, the course of the game will look like this: the teacher gives the command: “Children, take red pencils! Children, take blue balls! Children, take white paper! Children, take green apples! Children, take orange stamps! Children, take yellow books!” The winner is the one who has all six items of different colors.

9. "Get everyone together."

This educational game in English is designed to consolidate words on a specific topic. For example, you can take the themes "At the Zoo" and "On a Farm". The task for the students will be as follows: In one large pile there will be animal toys that need to be distributed into groups - some to the Zoo, others to the Farm. Each student must choose a toy and put it in the right box or box, while naming the animal in English. Let's say he took a cow and said: "It's a cow" (This is a cow). The task can also be slightly complicated by having the student add a sentence about where the animal lives. For example, like this: "It's a cow. It lives on a farm ”(This is a cow. She lives on a farm). And so on until the last toy is in its place.

There can be many variations in this game. You can also distribute the animals according to the countries where they live, or you can choose the shapes and have the students distribute the objects according to their shapes. It all depends on the topic that the students are going through.

10. Snowball.

One of the most popular games in English for schoolchildren, which will force students to be as attentive as possible. At the same time, it is recommended to conduct it when the number of students does not exceed eight people. Words are better to choose one topic so that it is not so difficult. So, the first student says his word, the second repeats this word, then he says his own. The third student needs to first say the word of the first student, then the second, and then add his word and so on. To complicate the task, you can spend two circles. It will look something like this (let's say the theme is "Vegetables" (vegetables):

First student: tomato…
Second student: tomato, potato…
Third student: tomato, potato, cucumber…
Fourth student: tomato, potato, cucumber, cabbage…
Fifth student: tomato, potato, cucumber, cabbage, onion…
Sixth student: tomato, potato, cucumber, cabbage, onion, carrot…

To make the game meaningful, you can introduce a rule: whoever makes a mistake is out of the game. Then the most attentive will remain at the end.

So, we looked at examples of English games for schoolchildren and toddlers that can be used in teaching English. Remember: the more lessons the teacher conducts in a playful way, the more interest in learning the language appears in children. And the more interest, the easier the learning process is given.

English games, or what the British like to play

Have you ever wondered if English games differ from those popular in Russian-speaking countries? Do English people play Scrabble and Monopoly, and what do English children play? We have prepared for you a small list of games and fun that are very popular among our friends in the UK.

Attention! It's not just about games for your kids. I assure you that the most popular English board games and series of "adult games" will fit perfectly into your social life. Happy reading and inspiration!

Let's start with the classics that everyone should know and recognize.

Croquet (croquet) is one of the most famous traditional English games. The essence of the game is to roll a croquet ball as quickly as possible with a wooden mallet from one side of the field to the other and back. The game appeared in England around the 13th century (!). It is worth noting that this is one of the oldest team games in the world! It plays an important role in the lives of British residents and is popular to this day.

Tiddlywinks (fleas) - game, the meaning of which is to get into the box with small circles (fleas) using larger circles-bits. The winner is the one who quickly throws the fleas into the box. The game has its origins in the Victorian era. It used to be played mostly by adults. After 1890, the English people were seized by a massive passion for this game. Everyone knew and played Tiddlywinks. Today the game is considered one of the most popular English traditional games.

Snakes and Ladders (snakes and ladders) - an ancient Indian board game that is considered a world classic today. In England, it gained popularity in Victorian times. The game is played between two or more players on a game board with numbered squares. Players, moving forward on the field in the order of throwing the dice, periodically fall on "ladders" and "snakes", which either carry them forward or lower them back. The historical version was based on morality lessons, where the player's progress on the board represented a life path filled with virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes).

English games for children are also largely known in Russian-speaking countries. Children play hide-and-seek, dodgeball and various catch-ups. The list of the most popular English games also includes those that are less known to us. Adding them to our kids' list of daily games would be a great change. The rules are usually very simple.

Pin the tail on the donkey (Pin the tail on the donkey) - The first mention of this English game dates back to 1899. The game is intended for a group of several people. Among English children it is a very popular form of entertainment at birthday parties ( birthday party ). An image of a donkey without a tail is attached to the wall. The child is blindfolded. They untwist it as in the game Zhmurki. The task is to attach the missing tail as close to the target as possible, i.e. on the donkey's back. In the adult version, we can change the donkey for another character and designate any missing element (the choice depends on your imagination).

Simon Says (Simon says) - English game, which is designed for at least three players. One player acts as "Simon" and gives orders to the others, for example:

Simon says - touch your ears! Simon says touch your ears.

Simon says - clap your hands! Simon says clap your hands.

Players only execute a command if it is preceded by the words "Simon says .. . and only if it matches what "Simon" shows. Otherwise, the participants in the game do not move. The winner is the one who does not make mistakes the longest. This game is an excellent method of learning English with young children.

British Bulldog (British Bulldog) - one, two or more players act as bulldogs (the number depends on the venue and the number of participants). Bulldogs stand on one side of the site, and everyone else on the opposite side. The goal is to move from one end to the other without getting caught by the bulldogs. Caught automatically become catchers.

The first mention of this English game appears in the 19th century. The game is very popular in English schools, but this was not always the case. In the 1960s and 1970s, the game was banned and severely punished due to the numerous injuries sustained by the participants.

What’s the time Mr Wolf 900

2

Chinese Whispers -damaged phone

- stone, scissors, paper, paper, paper, paper Game in Sonk

Charades - Sharades

Hangman - Viselitsa

- Maskets/Street

Duck, duck, goose - Duck, duck, goose

Dodgeball - Dodgeball

What do English adults play?

Many games popular in English houses are also known to us in Russian-speaking countries. The English, of course, know and love such games as Monopoly, Twister and Scrabble. To the classics we can also add games such as:

Cards Against Humanity is a card game that is considered very controversial and risky. Filled with vulgarity, sarcasm, sexism and political commentary, it allows you to add more and more shocking expressions. The rougher the better. The game is won by those who are masters of black humor.

Very British Problems - is a game based on an English television program. It is also a card game whose rules are similar to those of Cards Against Humanity. In this case, the expressions are comments on English stereotypes and shortcomings.

Concept - new level of word games for adults. We don't say anything, we don't show anything. We give hints to the rest of the team members only with the help of symbols on the board. An interesting alternative that does not get bored even after repeated use.

Of course, the list of popular English games is much longer. We could list them for hours. One thing is for sure, in England board games, as well as in Russian-speaking countries, are of interest today. More and more people are interested in this type of entertainment, so there are many new offers on the market.

Drinking games, that is, English drinking games for adults

At the beginning of the text, we mentioned games for adults. So don't drop this thread. Is it true that the British are strong leaders in the world market in this matter? There are a lot of ideas for games at parties. We will list only the most popular ones here:

Beer pong (beer pong) - in other words, beer in the spirit of sports rivalry. The essence of the game is throwing ping-pong balls into glasses of beer located at the other end of the table. A successful throw means that the opposing team must drink the contents of the glass.