10+ Easy Low-Prep ESL Games You Need To Know -

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Children in an ESL classroom, putting their hands up

Struggling to find engaging activities to liven up your ESL classroom? Look no further! This article provides over 10 easily adaptable ESL games and activities designed to effectively review and practice vocabulary and grammar points. Each game includes clear instructions for classroom use, along with helpful suggestions for adapting them to online learning environments.

Most of these games require minimal preparation, and any necessary steps are explained within each game’s description. Additionally, the appropriate age and proficiency level for each game is mentioned.

While some games can be adapted for younger learners (ages 6+), their success will depend on the students’ specific level, spelling and writing abilities, and familiarity with the alphabet.

Although they are designed for ESL classrooms for children and teens, they can be easily adapted for adult learners as well. For higher levels, you can increase the difficulty by using more complex vocabulary, incorporating grammar structures beyond the basics, or adding time pressure elements. When teaching adults, games often get overlooked, but they’re a fantastic way to break away from traditional worksheets and textbooks, promoting active participation and making review and practice sessions more engaging.

This article provides a variety of comprehensive game ideas, making it easy to find activities that fit your specific teaching and student needs. Don’t hesitate to bookmark this page and return to it as you plan your future lessons!

Using Points in games

Before we delve into the games, let’s explore how points can be used to add a fun competitive element to the activities. While I’ve outlined some scoring options for each game, it’s important to remember that all these games can be played without points!

Points as a Classroom Management Tool:

Using points can be particularly effective with teenage classes. Here’s how:

Teamwork and Competition: Start by dividing the class into teams at the beginning of the class (when playing team games). Keep these teams throughout the lesson and award points for winning games or completing tasks well. This encourages teamwork and a healthy dose of competition.
Positive Reinforcement: Display the points on the board throughout the class. This serves as a constant reminder of the positive behaviour you’re encouraging and allows teams to track their progress.
Behavioural Management: Deduct points for rule-breaking behaviour. This provides a clear consequence for disruptive actions while still keeping the atmosphere positive and focused on earning points.

Benefits of Points:

Beyond classroom management, points offer several advantages:

Increased Engagement: The prospect of earning points can add a fun and motivating addition to classroom activities.
Participation Boost: Students are more likely to actively participate when points are involved, ensuring everyone gets a chance to practice.
Reduced Cheating: The team structure and focus on earning points together can discourage individual cheating, promoting collaboration and fair play.

Word Cards for games

Many of the following games utilize word cards to simplify preparation and game setup. Here’s a quick guide to creating and storing them:

Creating the Cards:

Content: Print or write vocabulary words clearly on card or paper.
Organization:
- Topic-Specific Lists: Create themed lists based on your students’ proficiency level and interests (e.g., food vocabulary for beginners, descriptive adjectives for intermediate learners).
- General Review Lists: Alternatively, create random word lists for broader vocabulary review.

Storing the Cards:

Small Envelopes or Pouches: Organize your word cards by theme or category in small envelopes, plastic pouches, or labeled boxes. This allows for easy retrieval and keeps your cards protected.
Reusable Resource: Store your labeled card sets for future use. Having a collection of pre-made word cards can save you time and effort when planning future vocabulary review activities.

Want free word cards? Check out my FREE resource pack here.

Game Time!

I went to the Supermarket/Festival

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for the whole class.

Preparation: None

Materials: None

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Type: Class Activity

This is a fun and engaging speaking activity that tests students’ vocabulary, memory, and listening skills. It’s perfect for practicing vocabulary related to a specific theme, like shopping at a supermarket or attending a festival.

Preparation: (Optional)

Choose a Theme: Decide on a theme related to vocabulary you want to review. Popular options include “Supermarket,” “Festival Equipment,” “Going on Holiday,” or “Clothes Shopping.”
Review Vocabulary: Briefly review vocabulary related to the chosen theme to refresh students’ memory (optional).

Instructions:

Tell students this activity will test their listening, memory, and vocabulary.
Explain that everyone will take turns building a sentence that starts with “I went to the Supermarket and I bought…” (or another phrase depending on the theme).
Each new item added to the sentence must begin with the next letter of the alphabet. The first person starts with “A,” the second with “B,” and so on.
Example:
- Person 1: “I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple.”
- Person 2: “I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple and bananas.”
The activity continues until all students have participated, someone makes a mistake (e.g., buying something irrelevant to the theme), or you reach the end of the alphabet (depending on your preference).
Decide beforehand how strict you’ll be with vocabulary choices. Can students buy anything, or should it be relevant to the theme (e.g., no cars in supermarkets)?

Tips:

Younger Learners: For younger learners, consider providing a word bank or visuals related to the theme to help them with vocabulary choices.
Lower Levels: Start with shorter sentences like “I saw…” or “There was…” at a festival/supermarket to make it easier.
Variations: You can change the starting phrase to fit the theme
- I went to the festival and I ate…
- I went on holiday and I played/went/did …
- I went on holiday and I brought …
- I went to the shopping centre and I bought ….

Online

This fun speaking activity easily adapts to online learning environments!

You can follow the same rules as above but you may want to consider the speaking order. Here are two suggestions:

Predetermined Order: Announce the order students will go in before starting the game.
Random Selection: Use a random name picker online tool or another method to randomly select students throughout the game. (This option would be better for higher levels.)

Gimmie Five

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for pairs or individuals

Preparation: None (students just need a pen/pencil and paper/notebook.)

Materials: Notebook/ paper and pen/pencil

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults

Type: Pairs or individual.

Instructions

Decide whether students will work individually or in pairs. If working in pairs, only one student per pair will need to write down the answers.
Tell students a topic/ category. For example: “Gimmie five farm animals”
They then need to write down five items from that category. (at this stage you can give a time limit or let the game play out until someone has all five) For example: “Horse, sheep, goat, duck and cow”
The first person/pair to write down five things shouts “Stop!” Everyone stops writing immediately.
The first pair then reads out their answers. You can also check their list if needed.

Points

Award a point to the winning pair/individual
Alternatively, award a point for each correct answer (adjust based on desired game length)

Online:

Follow the above instructions. Checking answers might take more time as students may need to share their screens individually or show their paper/notebook. Playing in pairs might not be ideal online.

Want a free list of “Gimmie Five” topics? Check out my FREE resource pack he re.

Stop The Bus!

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for pairs or individuals

Preparation: None (students just need a pen/pencil and paper/notebook.)

Optional: Pre-prepared PowerPoint.

Materials: Notebook/ paper and pen/pencil

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Type: Pairs or individual.

Instructions

No Prep

On the board, draw a table. Write your chosen categories along the top and leave space down one side for the letters. (see below)
Choose a random letter and tell the students whilst writing the first letter on the board.
When you reveal each letter, students have to write one word for each category which starts with the revealed letter.
The first person to write one word for each category shouts “STOP THE BUS” and everyone then stops what they are doing and puts their pen/pencil down.
Get the person who finished first to give you their answers and write them on the board.
Once that is done, ask the rest of the students what they got and add them to the board (only if the word is different from what’s already listed). This allows students to remember or possibly learn new vocabulary.

Points

Award one point for each correct answer a student writes down.
Award a bonus point to the first person who shouts “STOP THE BUS!”
Option one works well. This is especially true when students give their answers and one isn’t correct. By giving one point for each answer (but not the bonus point), it allows students to continue writing or you can keep asking for answers.

Low-Prep

This variation involves pre-making a PowerPoint slide with a table containing the categories and empty spaces for the letters. You can then add animations to the letters (e.g., fade in, fly in) to reveal them one by one, creating a more dynamic presentation.

Of course, the traditional method of drawing the table on the board also works well!

Online

No Prep: Share your screen and use the online whiteboard or annotation tools (if available) to draw the table as you would in person.
Low Prep: Share your pre-made PowerPoint with the table and use it as you would in person.

Steps 3-6 work the same online and face-to-face.

To write the answers, use a “Textbox” to add each word.

Want a free “Stop The Bus” list of topics? Check out my FREE resource pack her e.

A-Z Challenge

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for pairs, individuals or teams.

Preparation: None (students may need a pen/pencil and paper/notebook.)

Optional: Pre-prepared A-Z blank list.

Materials: Notebook/ paper and pen/pencil or whiteboard pens (or whiteboard pens if using a whiteboard).

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults.

Type: Pairs, individual or teams.

Instructions

There’re a few different versions you can play. Below are explanations for two of them.

However, you’ll always start by writing (or presenting) the letters A-Z on the board and deciding on a topic.

For example

Notebook Race

In their notebook (or on scrap paper), instruct students to copy the A-Z template. If working in pairs, only one person needs to copy the template.
Once everyone has copied the A-Z template, write the topic on the board (e.g. Sports.)
Students then have a set time limit (which can be adjusted based on difficulty and level) or race to be the first to think of a word from that topic for each letter of the alphabet and write them down in their templates.
After the time limit is up (or first group to finish), go through the answers and complete the template on the board with all the unique answers from the students. This allows everyone to see the vocabulary they might have missed.

Team Race

For an alternative variation, students work in teams. They can use a single notebook for the team or designate someone to write down the answers. Make sure everyone in the team has a chance to contribute ideas! Follow the same instructions as above regarding time limits and completing the template on the board.

For another variation, ditch the notebooks! This version of the A-Z Challenge uses the board instead, encouraging active participation from all team members. This version works by either projecting the alphabet template twice or writing it out twice on the board, though this does take time. Students work together as a team to come up with a word for each letter. Here are a few ways to manage this:

Numbered Teams: Assign a number to each team member. When you call out a number, the student allocated that number races up to the board and writes down a word for the next letter in the alphabet. Repeat this for all letters. This ensures all team members contribute.
Time Limit: Set a time limit for the entire team to complete the alphabet together. Students can brainstorm and strategize as a team, then take turns running up to the board to write down their answers.
Rotating Scribe: Teams can designate a “scribe” who stays at the board and writes down words suggested by other team members. This scribe position can rotate throughout the game to give everyone a chance to participate actively in suggesting and writing vocabulary.

A-Z Challenge - Board Play example (teams)

Remember! Leave enough time to go through the answers. Take some time to discuss the answers as a class. There may be more than one acceptable word for each letter. This discussion allows everyone to learn new vocabulary and see different perspectives.

Points

Award one point for each unique answer a team/pair/individual writes.
If a team/pair/individual manages to complete the entire alphabet within the time limit, award them a bonus of, for example, 5 points!

Pre-game difficulty check

Remember that this is a fun and engaging vocabulary review, not a spelling test (although spelling can be incorporated). If students get stuck on a particularly difficult letter (like ‘X’ or ‘Z’), don’t hesitate to let them know they can skip it and move on to the next letter.

Before starting the game, you might want to quickly scan through the alphabet and check for any particularly difficult letters (like ‘X’ or ‘Z’). If there aren’t any familiar vocabulary words for those letters at this level, you can simply let students know upfront that they can skip those specific letters during the game. This helps avoid frustration and keeps the focus on vocabulary they can actively use. The goal is to encourage participation and explore new vocabulary, not to stress over every single letter.

Online

The ‘Team Race’ version, where students physically compete to write answers on the board, isn’t as easily adapted for online learning.

For online collaboration, use breakout rooms! Pair or group students together and follow the same instructions as the face-to-face ‘Team’ version. This allows them to brainstorm and strategize together while working on their A-Z lists.

The individual version, where students work independently on their A-Z lists, also translates smoothly to online environments following the same instructions as above.

Heads Up

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for pairs adapted from the mobile phone game “Heads Up!”

Preparation: Create (or download) and cut out word cards

Materials: Word cards

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Type: Pair activity

See “Word Cards” section above for preparation needed.

Want free word cards? Check out my FREE resource pack he re.

Instructions

At the beginning of the round, deal three or four cards face down to each student. You can give them more cards later once they’ve used their starting set. Alternatively, you can swap cards with students who have already guessed their words.

There are two ways to play “Heads Up,” each offering a different level of challenge:

Classic “Heads Up” Style: This is how the original mobile game is played. Students hold the word card against their forehead so they can’t see it. Their partner then has to give clues (without saying the word itself) to help them guess the word.
Looking at the Card: This variation is well-suited for younger learners or lower levels. Students look at the word on their card and try to explain it to their partner using clues and descriptions, but they cannot say the word itself.

Points

Although not completely necessary for this game, you can enforce a point system.

Award one point to the team for each word their partner guesses correctly.

Online

There are two ways this game could be adapted to be online.

Option 1: Breakout Rooms

Move each pair to a separate breakout room. In each breakout room, type a unique list of vocabulary words into the chat box for each student. This ensures they can’t see each other’s words. Students then take turns explaining their words to their partner, following the same rules as the in-person version.

Option 2: Whole Class Activity

Privately send a single vocabulary word via the chat box to each student. Students take turns explaining the word they received (without saying the word itself) to the entire class. The rest of the class can then guess the word publicly or in the chat.

Taboo

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary review game for pairs adapted from the popular board game “Taboo”

Preparation: Create (or download) and cut out Taboo cards

Materials: Taboo cards

Type: Pair activity

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Preparation

See “Word Cards” section above for preparation needed.

In addition to the “Word Cards” instructions, each card must include three or more words that are related to the main word that students aren’t allowed to say during the game. These “taboo” words can be synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, or other closely associated words that would give away the main word easily.

Want free taboo cards? Check out my FREE resource pack here.

Instructions

At the beginning, deal three or four cards face down to each student. You can give them more cards later once they’ve used their starting set. Alternatively, you can swap cards with students who have already guessed their words.
Students take turns looking at their word card and explaining it to their partner without using any of the listed taboo words. Their partner tries to guess the word based on the clues.

Optional Timer: For an extra challenge, you can use a timer to limit the amount of time a student has to give clues for each word.

Points

Although not completely necessary for this game, you can enforce a point system. Here are two options:

Option 1: Simple Points System:

Award one point to the team for each word their partner guesses correctly without using any of the taboo words on the card. This encourages clear and creative clue-giving.

Option 2: Honesty System (combine with points):

Award one point to the team for each word their partner guesses correctly. However, if the clue-giver accidentally uses a taboo word, they should deduct one point from their team’s score. This encourages honesty and careful vocabulary selection.

Online

Similar to Heads Up, Taboo can be adapted for online learning through breakout rooms or whole class participation (see Taboo’s online section above for details).

Charades

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary or grammar review game for whole class participation, pair or team work.

Preparation: Create (or download) and cut out word cards

Materials: Word cards

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Type: Class, Team or Pair activity

Preparation

See “Word Cards” section above for preparation needed.

Want free word cards? Check out my FREE resource pack here.

Instructions

Pair Version

Students take turns acting out words from their cards while their partner guesses silently. No speaking allowed!

Team Version

Divide the class into teams of about five students (depending on your class size). In the center of each team’s area, place a pile of word cards.

Students take turns going to the front of the class (or standing up if in a circle) and choosing a card from their team’s pile. They then act out the word silently, and their team tries to guess the word.

Optional Challenge: For an extra layer of excitement, you can use a timer to limit the amount of time a student has to act out each word. This can be used for both Pair and Team versions.

Class Version

In the class version, students take turns individually coming to the front of the classroom and choosing a word card. They then need to act out the word silently.

Students can either shout out the answer or raise their hands when they think they know the word.

Managing Participation (Optional):

Fairness: To ensure everyone has a chance to participate, you can implement one or both of these options:
- Points: See below.
- Random Selection: After someone guesses correctly, randomly select another student to come up and guess the next word.

Points

Award points for correct answers in all versions of the game.

Grammar Version

This variation of Charades is a fun way to practice specific grammar points, particularly for beginners or lower-level students. Here’s how it works:

Choose a specific grammar point you want to review (e.g., present continuous tense, past tense verbs, prepositions of place).
Students take turns acting out situations or concepts that demonstrate the target grammar point.
Instead of simply guessing a single word, students respond using a complete sentence that incorporates the target grammar point.

Example:

Grammar Focus: Present continuous tense (“going to”)
Acting Out: A student acts out visiting a doctor.
Grammar Answer: “She is going to the hospital.”

Preparation Tip:

There are two main approaches to preparing cards for the grammar version:

Word Cards: Create cards with single words that represent the target grammar point (e.g., “hospital” for practicing “going to”). Students act out the word, and their classmates respond with a complete sentence using the grammar point.
Sentence Cards: For more explicit practice, write full sentences on the cards that demonstrate the target grammar point. You can choose to include or exclude pronouns in the sentences depending on your learning goals. Students act out the situation or concept described in the sentence.

Online

Similar to Heads Up and Taboo, Charades can be adapted for online learning through breakout rooms or whole class participation (see Taboo’s online section above for details).

Pictionary

Quick Overview: A fast-paced vocabulary or grammar review game for whole class participation, pair or team work.

Preparation: Create (or download) and cut out word cards

Materials: Word cards

Suitable for: A2+ Young Learners and Adults. Adaptable for younger learners or lower levels (as explained in the introduction).

Type: Class, Team or Pair activity

Preparation

See “Word Cards” section at the beginning.

Want free word cards? Check out my FREE resource pack here.

Instructions

Pictionary is similar to “Charades”, therefore you can follow the above instructions,

Instead of acting out the words, students draw a picture to depict the word.

The different pairs, teams and class versions all work in the same way.

Points

Award points for correct answers in all versions of the game.

Grammar Version

This variation of Pictionary is a fun way to practice specific grammar points, similar to the Charades grammar version.