Interactive Game
Deck of Wonders
A magician's deck in a curtained study: brass filigree backs, a true 3D flip, and a horn that says the word out loud. Keep what you know; the rest returns.
- Ages 3–11
Games for 4–5 year olds
Four and five is the age when a child can hold a rule for a whole round, wait for a turn (mostly), and be genuinely proud of winning. Bingo starts working here, and so does a scoreboard.
Reading is still optional: keep the games in picture mode, and let the written word sit under the picture where a curious child will notice it on their own.
Games in this collection
Interactive Game
Garden of Pairs
Every card is a seed packet in a walled garden. Turn one and it blooms; find its twin and the pair stays in flower, with a butterfly to prove it.
- Ages 3–11
Interactive Game
Seaside Bingo
A boardwalk bingo parlour at dusk: the wire cage tumbles its wooden balls, the drawn word rolls down to the rack, and you stamp your card till the sign lights up.
- Ages 4–11
Interactive Game
Painter's Attic
A secret word arrives on a painter's palette and you draw it on a real easel canvas — brush sounds, paint-blob colours and a skylight for a timer.
- Ages 5–11
Interactive Game
Wishing Dice
Tip the leather cup and one to four ivory dice tumble out onto the velvet. The total is stamped into the felt in wax.
Interactive Game
Fortune Wheel
A painted carnival wheel with your class on its slices. Spin it, hear the ratchet slow, and a ticket prints with the lucky name.
Interactive Game
Coral Deep
A word is spoken and the fish swim past carrying pictures. Tap the one that matches, and a pearl drops into the shell.
- Ages 3–11
Interactive Game
Jungle Jump
A monkey shows the move, the ring counts it down, and the next card flips up. Every deck ends calm enough to sit back down.
- Ages 3–11
Printable packs
Print & go
Send as homework
Five joyful minutes at home: the child listens, taps the right picture and collects stars.
Read next
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How to teach English online to a 4-year-old (and stay sane)
A realistic playbook for online lessons with 3–5 year olds: lesson length, activity rhythm, props, parents and what success actually looks like.
- 8 min
Teaching preschoolers
Attention spans by age: planning lessons around real children
How long kids can actually focus at 3, 5, 7 and 10 — and how to slice lessons, games and explanations to fit inside it.
- 6 min
Teaching preschoolers
Puppets and props: the co-teacher that never gets tired
Why a sock puppet outperforms most edtech with small kids, what belongs in an online teacher's prop box, and five puppet routines.
- 6 min
25-minute lesson plans
Colours — a ready 25-minute lesson plan
A ready 25-minute Colours lesson for young learners: warm-up, six new words, a game block, real speaking and a calm landing.
- 4 min
Questions teachers ask
My four-year-old cannot read yet. Is that a problem?
Not at all, and it should not be rushed. Speaking and listening come first; the written word is there as decoration until the child asks what it says.
How do I handle a child who cannot bear losing?
Play cooperatively for a while: you and the child against the clock, or against the teacher's silly puppet. The scoreboard can count 'us', not 'me versus you'.
Which topics work best at this age?
The ones the child can see from where they are sitting: colours, shapes, animals, food, family, body. Abstract topics like jobs or the town land better a year or two later.
More collections
Related resources
Presentation
Animals Vocabulary Presentation (Free PPT)
Free animals vocabulary presentation for ESL kids: 26 picture slides with audio, a quick check and a review grid. Present online or get PPT.
Flashcards
Animal riddles
10 easy animal riddles for kids learning English, with answers. Guess from 3 pictures, hear each one aloud, print the cards. Free.