Game for kids in english

10 Best English Games to Help Kids Practice & Master the Language

English games are the most popular way to learn a language, especially for children. We bring you the best games to learn English online. Some of them are funny, some can be played offline, and all of them are effective. Here are our top picks:

10 Best English Learning Games for Children

1. Learn Sight Words

Grade: Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2

Language Skill: Learning about the Dolch sight words

Sight words are words that are commonly used in the English language but can’t be easily sounded out. Because of this, kids need to learn them by sight. Dolch was a researcher who identified the 220 most common words in English that makeup 50% of all text. The “I” sight word is one of these words that kindergartners can easily pick up.

Sight words are an important part of reading, but they can be hard to remember. This game will help your child learn sight words in a fun and interactive way. They will have to identify the word amongst other words and then select it. As they progress, the words will become jumbled up and they’ll have to find the word in a sea of letters.

You can also find English language games to help you recognize the sound and practice this sight word here, along with other English learning games for kids.

2. Pirate Alphabet Bubble Popper

Grade: Preschool

Language Skill: Alphabet Recognition

A preschooler can only be engaged with fun English games for so long. That’s why this game is great because it’s short and sweet but still covers all the necessary skills. Kids will listen to the voice instructions and click on the letter that they hear. As they progress, alphabets will fall from the sky and they’ll have to quickly identify and pop them.

With nice, colorful images and catchy music to match, this game is sure to keep your little one engaged while they learn the ABCs!

3. Customized Board Race for ESL Students

Grades: Appropriate for students of all grades and age groups

Language Skills: Vocabulary, Grammar

This is a great game for ESL students of all levels—especially in the classroom. The board game can be customized according to your level and settings. It covers a variety of topics such as grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

In a classroom, divide the students into teams. Write a topic on the blackboard and ask students to write as many words related to the topic as they can (like a relay race). The team that writes the most words in two minutes wins. Do not count the words that are illegible or misspelled.

Related Reading: How To Use Verbal Irony To Enhance Our Vocabulary

4. Blending Sounds Photoshoot

Grades: Kindergarten, Grade 1

Language Skills: Letter Sounds, Decoding Words, Phonics, Grammar, Reading and Writing

In this interactive phonics game, kids learn to break apart words and blend them together. Perfect for early learners, kids practice onsets and rimes as they blend sounds together to match images hidden on screen.

This game is a great way to introduce your child to the concept of blending sounds together to make words. They will be able to see how the individual sounds in a word come together to form the word itself. As they progress, the words will become more challenging and they will have to use their phonics skills to decode them.

5. Animal Words

Grades: Grades 1–3

Language Skills: Animal Words, Spellings

One of the best games to learn English online, Animal Words help children to learn the names of animals and their spellings. Children have to identify the picture of the animal and spell its name by dragging the letters to the right place before they run out of time.

And you can continue to play the game with your child beyond the screen. Show them a picture of an animal (or the real animal if you spot one) and ask them to name it and spell it too. Help them sound out the letters if they need help. Then, move on to other words that they are interested in.

6. Crossword Puzzle Creator

Grades: Grade 3 and up

Language Skills: Theme-based Vocabulary

Crossword Puzzle Creator is a fun and easy way for children to learn new vocabulary words in a fun and interactive way. They can choose any theme they like and create a crossword puzzle based on that theme.

Kids can input answers and clues by typing them directly on the screen or by copying and pasting from a Microsoft Word or Google Docs document. Crossword puzzles can be created in this game using 10–20 words per game. As they input the answers and clues, they will be able to see how the words are related to each other.

7. Story Maker 2

Grades: Grade 4 and up

Language Skills: Reading, Writing

Free for everyone, Story Maker 2 is one of the ideal, interactive language art games for children who love to write stories. It allows kids to come up with a detective story, a fantasy story, or an adventure story. Children have to choose the villain, the protagonist, and other characters of the story, and what will be featured in the chief plot of the story. Once the story is ready, they can read it and print it too.

This game can help improve your child’s reading and writing skills as they will be engaged in the process of creating a story. It can stoke their imagination and help them develop their own style of writing.

Related Reading: How to Teach Reading to Kids: Best Strategies for Parents

8. Balderdash

Grades: Grade 6 and up

Language Skills: Vocabulary, Public Speaking

Balderdash means “nonsense” and it is one of the best English games that incites a lot of laughter. The game is ideal for a classroom or a children’s party setting. In this game, one player chooses a chit that contains an unfamiliar word, even people, movies, and abbreviations; and its correct meaning.

The child announces the word and other children try to define it nonsensically and convince others that it is the right definition. The one who fools the most people wins the game. This game develops vocabulary, public speaking, and social skills in children.

9. Princess Presto’s Spectacular Spelling Play

Grades: Grades K-2

Language Skills: Spellings, Phonemic Awareness

Playing Princess Presto’s Spectacular Spelling Play can help children learn how to spell and pronounce words correctly. The game is designed to help young students develop their phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear and identify the individual sounds in words. This skill is essential for reading and writing success.

In the game, kids have to help Princess Presto spell words correctly by popping balloons that contain the correct letter in the word. They need to move quickly as they only have a limited amount of time to complete each level. As they progress, the words become more challenging.

10. The Article Wolf

Grade: Year 1 and up

Language Skills: The use of articles

An adventure-style English game, the Article Wolf is an excellent online english game to help young kids master the appropriate use of articles. They have to quickly build a brick wall to keep the hungry wolf out and save the rabbit. As they place the right article in the sentence, a brick is added to the wall. 

And the wrong article makes a hole in the wall! Two consecutive holes are large enough for the wolf to get in and eat the rabbit. One of the best english grammar games, it helps children understand the use of articles and hone their grammar skills.

English is a difficult language to master, but with the help of these 10 best English games, you can make the learning process entertaining and engaging for your kids. These games will help them improve their grammar, vocabulary, spelling, reading, and writing skills. So go ahead and pick the right game for your child according to their age and level of English proficiency, and let the learning begin!

Related Reading: Best Educational Games for Kids by Subjects & Grades

What are the benefits of playing English games for kids?

There are many benefits of playing English games for kids. They can help improve your child’s grammar, vocabulary, spelling, reading, and writing skills. Games can also stoke their imagination and help them develop their own style of writing.

How do you choose the best games for English learners?

We select the best English learning games based on many factors, including age appropriateness, level of difficulty, educational value, and reviews from other parents and experts.

How long should I allow my child to play an English game?

Ideally, students under the age of five should spend around 20–30 minutes playing an English game. For older kids, there is no hard and fast rule—they can play for as long as they want, as long as they are still learning and having fun. Make sure they take breaks in between to avoid fatigue.

Fun English 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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): nine0003

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. nine0003

15 English learning games for kids

09/18/2021 by Adventure-kids

Funny English games for kids always involve any child in the process! That is why in Adventure classes, play activities make up at least 50% of the lesson. We use the wide possibilities of the game to create an open and friendly environment, help children relax, involve them in the lesson and, of course, encourage them to speak and understand English a lot. nine0003

However, learning games can also be played at home. Such activity will not only develop good speaking skills, but will also strengthen parent-child relationships, as well as give many valuable moments of joy shared with each other.

When playing in English, children do not pay attention to syntax and grammar, which means they are not afraid of mistakes. Such a calm and confident attitude to self-expression in English in the future allows you to communicate without a language barrier while traveling and studying abroad, feel confident when passing international exams and easily enter prestigious universities both in Russia and abroad. nine0003

Content of the article:

• Games you can play with your child
• Games with flash cards
• 5 sites for learning English online
• Conclusion

9009 play together with your child

Many parents are interested in what format of joint games will be the most effective for language learning. We can say with confidence that any game played in English and filled with positive emotions will be an excellent conversational skills training. Use our recommendations, but feel free to come up with something of your own and transform games as your fantasy tells you. nine0003

I spy with my little eye

2 or more people can participate in the game. From the necessary inventory, you will need any pipe (cardboard or plastic) or a sheet of paper twisted into it.

To start the game, you will need to choose a “spy” among the participants, who, using the “spyglass”, will select one object in the room, saying about him: “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with . ..” (I spy with my little eye for those that start with...). Next, the "spy" names the first letter of the selected object, and the other players must guess the object and name it in full. The one who guesses correctly becomes the next "spy". nine0003

This exciting "guessing game" will be interesting for children from 4 years old. You can make it more effective if you focus on learning specific words and topics: for example, guessing words from the category of animals, clothing, etc.

The game is not only very fun and informative, but also useful for general development, because the task allows you to develop memory, attentiveness, speech, listening comprehension, vocabulary.

Please Mr. Crocodile

Color games in English for kids are perfect for a big noisy company, and "Crocodile" is just one of them. We recommend starting it when at least 5 players are recruited.

According to the rules of the game, one person is selected from the whole company - this will be our "Mr. Crocodile". He stands in the center of the room, while the rest of the participants sit side by side on one side and say: “Please Mr Crocodile may we cross the river?” (Please, Mr. Crocodile, can we cross the river?), he replies: "Only if you are wearing something ..." (and names any color). Players wearing this color can safely walk to the other side of the room. But players without a named color in clothes must run across to the other side so that they are not caught by Mr. Crocodile. The one who is caught becomes the new crocodile leader. nine0003

Some additional ideas on how to effectively learn English words every day are collected in our article. Perhaps among them you will find the most convenient format for self-study.

Such a game helps to develop speaking skills, listening comprehension, and also requires great attention. And of course, this is the best version of the game for learning colors in English.

Save from crocodile

This game can be played by 2-3 players and all you need is a piece of paper and a pen. Completing tasks helps develop memory, logic, creativity, as well as easily and fun to replenish vocabulary and learn the English alphabet in a playful way. nine0003

The game is based on a story about a man who swims across a river on a raft of logs, the number of which corresponds to the number of letters in the hidden word. It is this plot that will need to be drawn on the sheet. Draw a crocodile next to it, and below - squares for each letter in the hidden word. The task of the team is to alternately name the letters and guess the word, as in the "Field of Miracles". If the children name the new letter incorrectly, then one log is erased from the raft. The task of the team is to guess the word faster than all the logs disappear, and the little man falls into the mouth of the crocodile. nine0003

Snaw Ball

The game is suitable for a team of 2 to 8 people and will require a ball or other object to act as a relay.

According to the rules of the game, children stand in a circle. Each participant in turn names a word in English according to the chosen general topic. The difficulty lies in the fact that each new speaker, when passing the ball, must also name all the words spoken by previous participants. With each new circle, it becomes more and more difficult to complete the task, and the mistaken participant is eliminated from the game. nine0003

Snaw Ball perfectly develops attentiveness and memory in general, and thanks to the large number of repetitions of words, it replenishes the child's vocabulary.

Bubble Bubble Pop

This is a great English game for preschoolers ages 2+ that will develop your toddler's creativity and musical ear, fine motor skills and speech skills.

The main task of the game is to teach your child to sing an English song with you. In order to improve the memorization of words, we use gestures that correspond to the meaning of the song:

One little red fish swimming in a water,

Swimming in a water, swimming in a water.

One little red fish swimming in a water,

Bubble bubble bubble bubble Pop!

Two little blue fish swimming in a water,

swimming in a water, swimming in a water.

Two little blue fish swimming in a water,

Bubble bubble bubble bubble Pop! nine0003

Three little green fish swimming in a water,

swimming in a water, swimming in a water.

Three little green fish swimming in a water,

Bubble bubble bubble bubble Pop!

Four little yellow fish swimming in a water,

swimming in a water, swimming in a water.

Four little yellow fish swimming in a water,

Bubble bubble bubble pop!

Five little black fish swimming in a water,

swimming in a water, swimming in a water.

Five little black fish swimming in a water,

Bubble bubble bubble bubble Pop!

In this English learning game for kids, you can use your imagination and replace words with new ones to build up your vocabulary. At the same time, it is important not to rush and pay attention to each word, carefully pronouncing and showing it. nine0003

Flashcard games for kids

English flashcard games are a great way to learn English in a fun and visual way. You can download them and print them yourself or buy ready-made flash cards.

What is missing? (“What's missing?”)

This mindfulness game usually involves 2 to 5 players. To begin with, arrange 5-6 cards in a row and name each item depicted with the children. Then ask them to turn away and remove one card from the row. The task of the children is to guess which card with which word disappeared. Whoever guesses first gets the missing card and scores a point, and the game continues until all the words on the table run out. nine0003

Run and touch

A team of 2-5 people is required to participate. To complete the tasks of this interactive game in English for children, you will need the attentiveness and speed of reaction of all participants.

Prepare for the game by spreading word cards around the room where the action will take place. On command, the children begin to run randomly until the leader calls some card and the action associated with it. For example, "touch the bus", "jump on bus", "pick up bicycle". Children must quickly find the corresponding card and perform the action given by the leader. nine0003

Such an active and mobile game will defuse the situation and help children switch.

Spin the bottle

The bottle with English cards is a great idea to have fun with company. It is similar in principle to the famous party game of the same name, but much more educational and will require high reaction speed and attentiveness from the participants.

To play, you need to prepare the field by laying out 8-10 cards in a circle with the picture up, and place a bottle in its center. Having untwisted the bottle, the child must name what is shown on the card that has fallen out. If he makes a mistake, the turn passes to the next player. If he guesses correctly, he takes the card from the field and spins the bottle again. nine0003

Show and tell

This is a great activity to pass the time with your child in any circumstance while working on your English speaking skills and listening comprehension.

Simply draw cards one at a time and ask the appropriate questions for each picture: “Is it big or small?,” “What is it made of?”, “Do you like it?”, “What color is it?”. Cards will be a great opportunity to start and develop a dialogue. nine0003

Classify the words

This activity can be done with a child using cards and a large piece of paper. On it you have to draw three circles and sign the theme of each, for example, Animals, Food, Clothes. Let the child draw a card from the deck, naming the pictured object and distribute the card among three groups. Thus, you will not only repeat and learn English words, but also train your logic and attentiveness. nine0003

5 Websites with English Learning Games for Kids Online

Another great way to learn English with fun is to play English learning games for kids online. Here are some of the most interesting resources:

PBS Kids

Here you will find games in English for teenagers and school children. The site presents a large selection of walkers that will immerse the child in a foreign language. A captivating story and exciting tasks in English will help you learn and use the language very quickly, as well as improve your listening skills and increase your vocabulary. nine0003

Games to learn English

This resource contains a huge number of games focused on learning English through visual perception, hearing, reading. English games for kids cover a variety of tasks from vocabulary building to mastering grammatical constructions, but still more suitable for beginner level learning. A large number of tasks for logic, attentiveness, quick wits are involved here, so in addition to knowledge of English games, related skills are also developed. nine0003

Conveniently, individual games can be downloaded to your own PC and played offline.

Starfall

The site presents educational games for both the smallest and older children. The selected games are aimed at learning new words, developing listening skills, as well as general attentiveness and quick wits. In addition to games on the site, you can find a library of popular English-language stories for kids.

Look at English

An excellent resource for learning vocabulary. Words are presented in sections - each topic is devoted to a separate lesson. It is very convenient that each word is illustrated with a picture and presented in audio accompaniment.

Learn more

• 
  Kids 2 inc
• 
  Dramatic play area preschool
• 
  Early maths skills
• 
  Lowercase fancy g
• 
  Letter links for names free
• 
  Vowels sounds words
• 
  Simple reading for kindergarten
• 
  Guided reading level look up
• 
  Activities for social skills
• 
  1St grade kid
• 
  Math help for first graders