ESL games for kids
A hand-picked shelf of free ESL games for children 3–11: memory, bingo, flip cards, word scramble and more. Play on screen or print — no accounts, no ads.
Collections for teachers
Hand-picked shelves of games, printables and reading — sorted by what you need today: a goal, an age, a season or a theme.
- 30 collections
- Free
- no accounts
- no ads
14 collections
By goal
What do you need the game to do today — teach words, get them talking, calm them down, fill four minutes?
Classroom games
Games for a room full of children: pick a name, make teams, keep score, roll dice, play bingo. Big on a projector, free, and ready when you open them.
Vocabulary games
Word games that make vocabulary stick: memory, bingo, flip cards, word scramble and odd one out — with 55 topic packs of pictures, audio and printables.
No-prep games
For the lesson that starts in four minutes: games with nothing to print, cut or set up. Pick a name, roll dice, run a timer, name three things.
Online games for Zoom lessons
Screen-share games that survive a slow connection: memory, flip cards, draw it, two doors and the name wheel. Big buttons, clear pictures, nothing to send.
One-on-one games
Games that work with exactly one child — because the teacher is the other team. Memory, flip cards, draw it, scramble and campfire conversation cards.
Speaking games
Games that need a voice, not a worksheet: name three, draw it, the wheel with your own questions and campfire chat cards. For shy kids and loud classes.
Listening games
Listening practice that looks like play: bingo you call out loud, flip cards with tap-to-hear audio, and picture quizzes children can do at home.
Spelling games
Letter-by-letter games children ask to replay: word scramble, balloon words and memory in word mode — plus printable tracing sheets and word searches.
Brain breaks
Two-minute resets for the moment attention runs out: a visible timer, dice challenges, act-it-out cards and a spin of the wheel. In class or over video.
Quiet games
For the ten minutes after the loud ten: a quiet meter that listens, memory, a calm countdown and tracing sheets. Lowers the volume without a telling-off.
Team games
Split the class fairly, keep the score visible and let the competition teach: team maker, a scoreboard with a crown, group bingo, dice and the name wheel.
Flashcard games
More to do with flashcards than showing them: flip cards with audio, memory, bingo and draw it — plus free A4 cut-out sheets for 55 topics.
Interactive whiteboard games
Built for the big screen: huge tap targets, high contrast, one clear action per screen. Draw it, the name wheel, the scoreboard, two doors and a timer.
4 collections
By age
The same games behave very differently at three and at nine — these shelves are sorted by what actually lands.
Games for 3–4 year olds
Picture-only games for the very youngest: flip cards, memory, draw it, dice and the wheel. No reading needed, big targets and very short rounds.
Games for 4–5 year olds
Preschool games with a bit more challenge: memory, bingo, flip cards, draw it and the wheel — colours, shapes, animals and food, with pictures and audio.
Games for 5–6 year olds
Kindergarten games for the year letters start to matter: memory with words, bingo, word scramble, flip cards and draw it. Numbers, colours, shapes.
Games for elementary students
Games with enough bite for 7–11 year olds: balloon words, word scramble, team bingo, two doors and the scoreboard, with topics like jobs and town.
8 collections
By season
September, Halloween, the winter holidays, Easter and the long summer — the lessons the calendar plans for you.
First day of school games
Icebreakers for a room of strangers: the name wheel with your class list, name three, draw it and a first team game. Learn twenty names before the bell.
Back-to-school activities
The September restart: classroom vocabulary, colours, numbers and shapes, played as bingo, memory and flip cards — plus printable packs to put on the wall.
Christmas classroom games
Winter-holiday vocabulary as bingo, memory, flip cards and draw it — trees, snow, presents and treats. Printable cards and a poster included, all free.
New Year games
Countdown to midnight, fireworks, presents and snow: New Year words as bingo, memory, word search and more. Free, with printables for the party.
Easter classroom games
Eggs, chicks, bunnies and spring flowers as bingo, memory, flip cards and draw it — with printable cards, a poster and a word search. Free, no preparation.
Spring activities
Rain, rainbows, flowers, bees and baby birds: six spring topic packs played as memory, bingo, flip cards and draw it, with printables for the wall.
Summer activities
Beach, camping, sea animals and summer weather: topic packs for end-of-year lessons and summer camps, played as bingo, memory, draw it and word puzzles.
Winter activities
Snow, warm clothes, hot drinks and winter holidays: quiet indoor games and printable packs for the darkest, longest term of the year. Free to use.
4 collections
By theme
The vocabulary worlds children ask for by name: animals, food, numbers and colours, and a party.
Animal games
Six animal packs — the big set, pets, farm, wild, sea and birds — played as memory, bingo, flip cards, draw it and word games. Pictures, audio, printables.
Food games
Five food packs for English lessons: the big food set, fruits, vegetables, sweets and the kitchen — as bingo, memory, flip cards, draw it and odd one out.
Numbers and colours games
The first two topics every young learner needs: numbers, colours and shapes as bingo, memory, dice games and flip cards, with printable packs and audio.
Class party games
For the last lesson before a break, a birthday or a celebration day: dice challenges, the name wheel, group bingo, draw it and a scoreboard with a crown.