10 Best Free Printable Board Games for ESL Classrooms
Free Printable Board Games
Imagine a classroom where even the quietest students are eagerly chatting away in English. Sounds impossible? Not with the secret weapon of printable board games. Download them today for free.
1. Snakes and Ladders Board Game
Climb, slide, and count your way to English fluency with this classic Snakes and Ladders game! All you need is a die and our free printable game board.
As players ascend ladders and tumble down snakes, they’ll be too caught up in the fun to realize they’re mastering numbers in English.
This makes it a sneaky yet effective learning tool for students of all ages.
2. Talktastic Board Game
Turn those final minutes of class into a language-learning goldmine with the Talking Gameboard.
In pairs, students roll dice and move around the board. They ask and answer questions to reinforce English skills.
While it requires some prep work, the payoff is immense: a classroom buzzing with English dialogue.
3. Talking Bingo
Get ready for Stand-up Bingo, a clever spin on the classic game. This game will have your students out of their seats and chatting it up.
Players roam the room, asking questions from their bingo sheets. They mark off squares when they get a “yes,” turning a simple game into a social language challenge.
The first to score a line wins. But the real win is how this activity breaks the classroom ice. It gives students the freedom to move and mingle while practicing their English skills.
4. Dice Questions
Roll, ask, and score in this dynamic language game. This free board game turns question-forming into a competition.
The small die dictates the question type (who, what, when, where, why, or “have you ever”). Whereas the big die determines the point value.
As students craft questions, they rack up points. At the same time, they’re unknowingly sharpening their English skills in a high-energy, low-pressure environment.
5. Would You Rather
“Would You Rather” Tic-Tac-Toe turns simple choices into a language-learning showdown.
Players stand and fire off “Would you rather” questions. They’re aiming to complete tic-tac-toe on their game boards.
With only two possible answers, it’s a fast-paced, low-stress way to get everyone talking.
6. Reverse Quiz Show
Get ready for the ultimate classroom crowd-pleaser: Reverse Quiz Show! This game flips the script on traditional quiz formats
Picture a Jeopardy-style board with five categories. Each contains five cards of increasing difficulty and point value.
Teams of four duke it out to be the fastest to create questions based on the revealed word. The twist? Speed is key, and hesitation could cost you points!
7. Detective Clues
Break free from desk-bound boredom. This ESL detective game turns your classroom into a crime scene! Here’s how it works:
Teams of four transform into detective squads. Three are sleuths and one secretary. The detectives prowl the room, hunting for clues and committing them to memory
But here’s the catch – they can’t write anything down! Instead, they race back to their secretary, relaying the clues in English. It’s a test of memory, communication, and teamwork all rolled into one.
8. Top 10 Jobs
This is a Family Feud-inspired ESL activity! Students team up to guess the top 10 dream jobs for North American kids.
They get a glimpse into another culture’s values and ambitions. The real eye-opener? Comparing these results to their own country’s top career choices.
This board game encourages students to reflect on their own goals. Who knew discussing future jobs could be so eye-opening and fun?
9. Game of Geese
Ready for a number-crunching adventure perfect for little learners? This board game is a simple way to get Grade 1 and younger kids practicing their numbers while having a blast!
Here’s how it works: Grab a partner, a die, and you’re set! Players take turns rolling and moving their piece
But there’s a catch – you’ve got to say the number you land on out loud. It’s a race to the finish line that turns counting into a fun challenge.
10. Classic Tic-Tac-Toe
It’s now time to take the timeless game of tic-tac-toe. But we’re going to give it an educational twist.
Students pair up and alternate between going first and second. As they plot their Xs and Os, they’re aiming for three in a row.
It’s the perfect blend of playground classic and classroom smarts. Download it for free and get started.
What’s Next?
Today, we’ve listed our 10 best free printable board games.
Now, it’s up to you to decide which ones are the perfect fit for teaching.
Do you know of any free printable board games to help students learn?
Please let us know with a comment below.
These games are wonderful and can be used during classroom activities
My students absolutely love these games and your speaking practice ones too.
I also have my intermediate/upper intermediate students ‘teach’ these as though they were the teacher. Their confidence had grown exponentially and the range and variety of lexis astounds me.
I often implement, with a little modification, these ideas for young learners too with similar results.
The best game you can have free (well you need to make some effort) – chess. You can create it with everything! You can print board, you can draw it, you can print figures, you can create figure with plasticine or whatever! If you need an easy access to this game, which is not so complicated.
These are very useful games but I don’t understand them well. How do I play them. Videos are needed!!
Best regards
Please help me to know these games by using videos
Thank you
Very interesting games even for kids and adults, to keep them away from gadgets and adults from feeling bored and sleepy.
Very useful for me as an ESL teacher.