Top 10 simple flashcard games & activities for ESL teachers
Simple, quick & easy flashcard activities to teach ESL vocabulary
In this article we will look at some simple flashcard games & activities teachers can employ in their ESL lessons to teach and review vocabulary.
There are so many things we can do with flashcards and having a number of quick flashcard games and activities up your sleeve really helps when going through your vocabulary teaching routine. All of the ideas below can be thrown in as you are teaching new words or phrases. They are all meant to be quick, easy and fun, so don’t spend much time on them and vary them for each new flashcard word and each lesson so students don’t grow bored with the same activities.
In order of ease to play (No.1 is the easiest) …
1. Pass
Sit the students with you in a circle. Teacher holds up a flashcard or object and says its name (e.g. “Pen”). The teacher then passes it on to the next student who also says its name and passes it on to the next student.
Variations: change directions, speed rounds, have many objects going round at the same time.
2. Quick peek
Teacher holds a flashcard with the picture facing towards him/her. The teacher quickly shows it to the students for a quick peek. The student who guesses the card wins a point.
3. Slow motion
Teacher holds a pack of flashcards with the pictures facing towards him/her. The last card should be turned around so it is facing the students but is hidden as it is behind the pack. Slowly pull the flashcard up inch by inch so the students can only see part of the flashcard. As the picture is slowly revealed the students try and guess what it is. The first student to guess correctly keeps the card (for 1 point).
Variation: To make it a little more difficult turn the flashcard upside down.
4. Slam
Sit your students in a circle and place some flashcards in the middle of the circle. Tell the students to put their hands on their heads. Teacher shouts out the word of one of the flashcards and the students race to touch it. The student who touches it first get to keep the object. The student who has the most flashcards at the end of the game is the winner.
5. Touch
Place flashcards around the room and have students run around the classroom touching the flashcards that The teacher orders them to do (e.g. “Touch the car”, “Touch the bicycle”, “Touch the bus”).
6. Vanishing flashcards game
Place a number of flashcards in front of your students. Give them a few moments to memorize the pictures and then tell them to close their eyes. Take away one of the flashcards and then tell the students to open their eyes again. The first student to guess the missing flashcard can win that flashcard (for 1 point) and take away a flashcard in the next round.
7. Up and down
You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game. Give each of your students a flashcard from one set. The teacher keeps the other set. Arrange the students so that they are all sitting down. Teacher holds up one flashcard and the student with the same flashcard stands up and says the word and then sits down again. Play the game at a fast pace so that students are standing up and sitting down rapidly.
Variation: Give each student 2 or 3 flashcards.
8. Bean bag toss
Lay out flashcards face down up the floor. Students toss the bean bag and identify the flashcard it lands on.
9. Jump on it
Spread out flashcards on the floor and have your students stand at one end of the room. Shout out a card and the students have to find the card and jump on it. The first student to do this wins a point.
Variation: Make 2 teams for a relay race. The first two students try and jump on the flashcard first to win a point for their team.
10. Give me game
Elicit the different flashcards you have. Then place all the flashcards around the classroom. Tell your students to collect as many flashcards as they can. Once the students have collected all the flashcards (they’ll probably do their best to hide them in their pockets, etc.) the teacher says, “Give me a (bus)”. The student with the (bus) flashcard should approach the teacher and hand it to him/her, saying “Here you are”. Avoid having the flashcards thrown back to you as they can go anywhere and takes a long time to finish the game.
Variation: instead of having your students collect the flashcards have them stand around the room. Then the teacher says, “Give me a (bus)” and the students rush to be the first to find and give the card to the teacher.
If you need flashcards we have over 1,500 flashcards in over 80 categories.
Do you know any simple and easy games & activities for using flashcards not mentioned in our list above? If so, please let us know in the comments below!
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