Printable Materials
FREE materials for ESL lessons!
Categories List
A mega-huge list of categories just for you…
Unleash a world of engaging activities with our dynamic Categories List Handout! Elevate your lessons and transform your classroom into a hub of excitement with captivating games like Name 5 Things, Stop the Bus, Category Bingo, and more. Tailor activities to suit different proficiency levels, boost vocabulary and grammar, and foster collaboration. Embrace interactive learning and watch your students thrive in an invigorating classroom environment.
Class Mingle / Ice Breaker
This Class Mingle Ice Breaker Activity provides a fun and engaging way for students to practice grammar structures in a meaningful context. Students begin by writing two questions along the top of the template, focusing on a specific grammar structure or vocabulary. Then students can then mingle with their classmates to find the answers and complete the chart.
Machine Gun Grid Game
Machine Gun Grid Review Game is an exciting activity that keeps students on the edge of their seats. To play, students answer questions to choose a square on the grid, which reveals an icon that affects their score. The goal is to have the highest score at the end. Each guess is a chance to win, lose, swap, or steal points. To play, the teacher will draw a grid on the board, and students will answer a question or do an activity to choose a square, the teacher then writes the symbol on the board from the corresponding square on the answer key. The Machine Gun Grid Game is a great way to motivate students to learn and to help them improve their English skills in a fun and engaging way.
Opposites Quiz
Organize the class into teams. Say an adjective, the first student to call out the opposite wins a point for his/her team. The team with the most points at the end wins.
Pronunciation Grid
Put students into teams. Draw a 4 x 4 grid on the board, get one student from each team to copy the grid and stay at the board (you will have several grids on the board, depending on the number of teams, so size them accordingly). Give the other students in the each team a grid completed with minimal pairs (each team has a different grid, or they’ll cheat!). The teams stand at the back of the classroom and must shout their words to their team-mate who writes the words in the grid on the board (see the Activity Materials Page for a word grid). The following restrictions apply:
Students cannot use native language.
Students cannot spell the word.
Students cannon mime the word or point to it
The students cannot move any closer to each other – they must stay at the board and the back of the class respectively.
Shout It Out!
Divide the class into teams. Have one student from the first team come to the front of the room and draw a card. The student tells their team the topic and the students have 30 seconds to shout out as many things on the list as possible. The number of words on the list they get is the number of points they get for that round. You can let the other teams have a 15 second chance to come with any more they can think of for extra points. Then have another student from the next team come to the front and draw a card. The team with the most points wins.
Sticker / Stamp / Reward Chart
This sticker or stamp chart is a fun and effective way to use positive reinforcement to motivate all students. The grid is formatted to track progress by week, month, or as you go, and there are three versions to choose from: Sticker Chart, Stamp Chart, or Reward Chart. This allows you to select the chart that best aligns with your classroom management system.
Taboo Cards
Divide the class into teams. Call up one student from each team. Show the two students the same word e.g. in-line skates. They have to stand in front of their teams and try and describe the object without actually saying the word (or any words that are in the word) or using any actions. The rest of the team has to try to guess the word. The first team to guess what is being described wins a point. If a student describing the word actually uses the word, they lose a point. Make sure you monitor the teams closely for any blatant cheating. Repeat the game with new students and a new word. The team with the most points wins.
Tongue Twisters
Engage your students in a tongue-twisting challenge to enhance their pronunciation precision! This fun and interactive activity is perfect for practicing pronunciation, fluency, and vocabulary, and is able to target specific pronunciation challenges. Great for warm-ups or game breaks throughout the lesson, your students will be laughing and learning as they improve their English language skills. Encourage your students to increase their speed while maintaining accuracy, and even making a game adds an extra element of fun and competition, while the focus on accuracy ensures that students are truly mastering the pronunciation of challenging sounds. So, what are you waiting for? Start twisting those tongues today!
Verb Lists
A long list of irregular verbs for use with many activities, such as 'Irregular Verb Challenge':
Have students stand in a circle. Start by saying a common irregular verb e.g. to eat. The class follows your lead: ‘eat’ , ‘ate’ , ‘eaten’ . Then demo another verb that doesn’t change all three parts, e.g. think , thought , thought . Do one more to make sure the students get it e.g. drink , drank drink . Then the student standing to your right has to say a verb and the students say and perform the actions. If a student messes up, they are out. Continue going faster and faster. If a student shouts out a verb already said or a regular verb they are out as well. The shorter the time limits to say and do, the harder it is.
Download Regular Verbs Here! --- Download Irregular Verbs Here!
