67 Free ESL Games for Teaching English

This list of free ESL games will add a bit of fun to your classroom. The best part? All you have to do is: Download. Print. Teach.

If you’re looking for ESL games for children, they’re at the top of the list.

ESL games for adults are at the bottom.

Use it today in your classroom.

Just a reminder that no need to ask for permission is required.

1. Simon Says

“Simon Says” is good for teaching imperatives and filling a class with energy.

• One student gives orders to the class like “touch your nose” or “jump up and down”.
• But only when the leader says “Simon says”, the other students have to follow their orders.

It’s a classic in classrooms. And kids absolutely love playing it.

2. Snakes and Ladders

This game requires a game board and dice:

• Roll the dice and move ahead for the number on the dice.
• If you land on a ladder, you go up. But if you land on a snake, you go down.

The first one to the top wins.

3. Numbers Board Game

For students just learning numbers:

• Students roll the dice and move their game piece forward.
• For every number they land on, they have to say the number.

The first one to the end wins the game.

4. Talking Time Bomb

First, think of a topic. If the topic is “fruits”, they have to think of as many fruits as possible without repeating the same one.

One student starts with the ball. As soon as they think of a fruit, they can pass the ball to the neighbor.

If it takes them longer than 5 seconds to think of a fruit, they are eliminated.

5. Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic-tac-toe is a classic game that all kids eventually learn.

• First, students take turns writing “X” and “O”. One kid is “X” and the other is “O”.
• If you get 3 in a row, you’re the winner.

6. Group Charades Ideas

Charades is a game where you act something out without using any words.

• Choose from a list of topics in the game sheet.
• Rather than one person acting it out, it’s a group of people.

This makes the game easier.

7. Your Dream Dog

What would your dream dog be?

Would it be small, big, loyal, soft, caring, funny, fluffy, smart, energetic, lazy, or playful?

One of the best ESL games for adjectives.

8. Detective Clues

Students pretend to be detectives by walking around the room in search of clues to a puzzle.

• Put students in groups. Assign one as the secretary who writes down the clues relayed by detectives.
• After they solve the puzzle, they have to bring the answer to the teacher.

The first team that solves the puzzle wins.

9. Halloween Maze

This ESL game is designed for Halloween.

Kids have to find their way out of the Halloween made.

But don’t crash into any of the pumpkins!

10. Alphabet Story

Kids have to come up with an imaginative story.

But the only catch is:

The first letter of all their sentences in their story has to be in alphabetical order from A to Z.

11. Einstein’s Riddle

This is actually a pretty tough riddle to solve.

It takes a bit of logic and common sense because it’s believed Einstein himself made it up.

Solve the nationality, color, pet, drink, and hobby.

12. Connect the Dots

For anyone learning numbers, connect the dots is a great game to get started.

• Students have to connect the dots in the correct order from 1 to 52.
• After they draw lines from number to number, the final drawing is a picture of a flower.

13. Cultural Dictionary

• Each student draws a picture of an item that has cultural significance in their country.
• Next, they write a brief definition.
• Finally, the teacher puts it all together as a dictionary.

14. Your Superhero

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Students learn new vocabulary and superlatives.

Best of all, they have fun doing it.

15. What’s in the Box?

This is the equivalent of 20 questions.

• Students ask yes or no questions to try and narrow down what’s in the box.
• Then, the teacher responds until they can guess it correctly.

A twist you can make with the game is when the student guesses correctly, they get the item.

16. Business Cards

This is a nice ice breaker type of game at the start of the school year.

• First, students make business cards of themselves.
• Then, they go around the class and introduce themselves using it.

17. Satisfaction Game

One of the ESL games where you describe emotions.

What makes you angry and sad?

Share with your partner. Then, share with the class.

18. Spot the Difference

There are two pictures that look almost identical. But they’re different.

What are those differences?

Try to find all 10 of them.

19. Rhyming Word Search

It’s a word search puzzle with a bit of a twist.

• Students have to find and circle the rhyming words.
• Make sure they focus on the ending sounds of the words.

20. Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters are surprisingly a lot of fun in the classroom.

• Get students to practice in groups of two.
• Then, put them to the test. Who can say it with the most clarity and speed?

21. Talking Bingo

These Bingo cards have questions on them.

• Students have to ask around class for students who answer yes.
• First one to get a line wins the game.

22. Pushy Salesperson

You have to try and push your partners to buy the item. But the catch is:

It’s something that no one wants to buy.

What are some of its selling features even though it’s obsolete or isn’t working anymore?

23. Ultimate Christmas Present

This is a great Christmas game:

• Students have to think of the best Christmas present for you.
• And why would they buy that gift for you?

But it doesn’t have to be just you. It could be the gym teacher or any of their favorites.

24. Smush It

Minimal pairs are two words that sound the same. But they’re different.

• First, you cut out the cards in the activity sheet.
• Next, put students in groups of two.
• After you say the word, they have to grab the correct card fastest.

25. Maze Directions

One student closes their eyes while the other gives directions.

From start to the end of the maze, can you make it through without touching the lines?

26. Comic Books

This activity is a comic book with empty bubbles.

Students fill in the comic book to their liking.

Check how different everyone’s story is from each other.

27. Dream Job

Students find their dream job by answering questions in the worksheet.

Depending on their answers, one of the dream jobs is a thief.

It’s always funny for students when it’s their dream job.

28. Elephant in the Room

This gets students moving.

• First, the teacher asks a “Have you ever” question.
• Based on their answer, they either have to run to one side of the room or not.

29. Hometown Newspaper

If you’re teaching abroad, kids love looking at a foreign newspaper.

The first thing that surprised them was all the color.

Ask them about the headlines, weather, and sports in your hometown.

30. Famous Foreheads

Each student writes a famous person’s name on a sticky note and sticks it on their neighbor’s forehead.

They have to ask questions about the person on their head.

Eventually, they can figure it out. But only if they ask the right questions.

31. Would You Rather

Students walk around the class asking questions from the worksheet.

Depending on their response, they mark an “X” on the game board.

The first one to get two lines wins the game.

32. Celebrity Interview

For this ESL game, you put yourself in the shoes of a celebrity.

Get students to pick a celebrity of their choice.

If they can’t think of questions to ask, this worksheet can help guide them through it.

33. Dice Questions

Each side of the dice represents who, what, when, where, why, and how questions.

In groups, they think of questions depending on their roll of the dice.

34. Christmas Crossword

This crossword puzzle has questions related to Christmas.

If they can think of the answer, they fill it in the squares.

This is especially helpful for spelling and vocabulary.

35. Like or Dislike

How well do you know your classmates?

• Each student writes what they like and dislike.
• Then, the teacher reads it out loud.
• Finally, students have to guess who the person is.

36. Famous Politicians

There are 8 historical figures that students have to match in the worksheet.

It’s not just a description and the name.

But they also have to put a name to the face.

37. Talktastic Board Game

This ESL game gets students talking with a board game.

• First, put students in groups of two.
• Next, one student rolls the dice and will land on a word.
• They make a question about the topic and their partner responds.

38. World Record Holders

This is a quiz-style game where students think of superlatives.

The three categories are:

• Animals
• World
• Science

39. Famous Landmarks

This is a twist to the matching game.

• You are given a set of famous landmarks and country outlines.
• Then, you have to connect the lines for which landmark matches the country.

40. Why Learn English?

If you’re teaching abroad, I think “Why learn English” is a question all students have on their minds.

This is why the classroom will have to think about the benefits of learning another language.

Finally, you can go through all the benefits in an open discussion.

41. What’s the Question?

There is a list of topics where you have to make questions for. But it can’t be just any question.

It has to be specific so that the only answer to that question can be that.

42. Roses are Red

A good poem can take someone’s breath away. Let’s see if your students can take yours away too.

They have to finish the classic “Roses are red” poem.

This is ideal for Valentine’s Day.

43. Reverse Quiz Show

Jeopardy is the game show where you come up with answers to challenging questions. But this is the opposite.

• You give the students an answer to a question.
• Then, they have to make up their own questions specific to the answer.

44. Teacher Quiz

Before class, you scatter clues and answers around the clues.

• First, put them in groups.
• One person is the writer. The others hunt for clues around class.
• They relay the clues to the secretary and match the correct clues with the answers.

45. Types of Sushi

This worksheet shows the most popular types of sushi rolls.

Can you think of the varieties of fish in English?

This is great if you’re teaching in Japan.

46. Shout It

You want your partner to shout what’s on your card.

But you can’t show them the card and you can’t say the word on the card.

There’s a word at the top that they also can’t say, which adds to the challenge

47. Rhyme Time

This is a brainstorming activity where you split the class into four groups.

They have to think of as many rhyming words as possible.

The team that can think of the most rhyming words wins. Double-check they are actual rhymes though.

48. Pizza Recipe

Students give step-by-step instructions on how to make a pizza.

Which ingredients would they add?

This also teaches imperatives and transition words.

49. Picture Rhymes

Each picture has two words that rhyme.

Can they find all the rhymes?

If you want to give an extra challenge, can they make their own rhyming picture?

50. Phone Emoticons

There are hundreds of emoticons on your phone, nowadays.

This game is all about describing emotions through emoticons.

Which emoticon best describes how you are feeling right now.

51. Text Messages

Students become a translator for a common text message conversation between them and their parents.

They can have a bit of fun and make their own story if they want.

52. Minimal Pairs Pictures

• After the teacher speaks, the student has to circle the word they hear.
• When they’re finished, check their understanding by going through the answers as a class.

This one includes /r/, /l/ and /th/ sound, which can often be challenging for students.

53. Metropolis Markdown

This is like “pin the tail on the donkey” but with maps. We don’t recommend a blindfold either.

Find the city on the map by marking the number.

How far away are you from the actual location?

54. English Shiritori

This is a popular game in Japanese culture where you have to think of a word that starts with the ending letter of a word.

The only downfall in English is that there are a lot of words that end with “e”.

55. Know Your Flags

How well do you know the flags of the world?

Students have to match the flag with the country.

The first group to finish correctly is the winner.

56. Country Outlines

Students have to think of the country, just by seeing the boundary outline.

Once they have them all complete, they can try and draw a boundary for another country.

57. Compound Words

Each picture shows a compound word. Can students guess what it is?

After they finish the first section, can they draw or a compound word of their own?

58. Christmas Untangle

This is a surprisingly difficult activity where students have to untangle letters to make a word.

Each word is a Christmas word so that’s a good hint.

59. Capital Cities Crossword

This is a crossword puzzle for capital cities.

More specifically, the capital city for that country has to go in the squares.

This is especially useful for geography and spelling.

60. Timeless Timelines

In chronological order, can you put the items in the right order?

Starting from the earliest, kids will learn the history of famous people and inventions.

61. Birthday Match

You have to match the person or event with the correct birthday.

If you want to get them moving, you can even hang the birthdays on the walls and assign students into groups.

62. Blindfolded Directions

Make sure you’re in a safe environment for this one because you don’t want anyone to get hurt.

• Put a blindfold on one student.
• Help them through an obstacle course by giving directions safely to the finish.

63. Cultural Differences

Make a list of all the cultural differences between the West and East.

Then, go through all the differences as a classroom.

Are these differences fading away? It makes a good group discussion topic.

64. Green Screen

This takes a bit of time and setup. But it’s also a lot of fun and gets students talking.

• Students think of a screenplay.
• After creating a dialogue, they roleplay in front of a green screen.
• Finally, you substitute in their chosen background scene.

65. Multi-purpose Items

This is a brainstorming activity where you have to think of the multiple uses of an item.

It’s creative, imaginative, and a bit wild for students to come up with ideas.

66. No Subtitles

This is the most difficult out of all the ESL games on the list.

Basically, you’re a voice-over actor.

After starting a movie on the TV, students will have to say anything at the same time the actor or actress is speaking.

67. Free-Talking Topics From a Hat

This activity sheet has 101 free-talking topics.

• Before class, you cut them out and scatter them on their desks.
• In groups of two, students pick a random topic and talk freely about the subject.

Monitor them closely to make sure they are talking in English.

ESL Games: More Resources from Us

We hope you enjoy these 67 free ESL games that you can use today in your classroom.

We’ve tested them out and they are among the favorites for students.

If you’re looking more from us, be sure to check out our other ESL games, activities and worksheets:

• 43 Free ESL Worksheets for Teaching English
• 13 Free ESL Lesson Plans to Master Your ESL Classes
• 101 ESL Conversation Topics to Break the Silence

ESL Games: External Resources from Other Websites

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, there are more great options out there including:

• British Council (BBC) – Short activities for secondary classrooms
• Easy ESL Games YouTube Channel – A page devoted to ESL and EFL teachers abroad.
• Dave’s ESL Cookbook – It’s an old resource page. But it still has some interesting ESL games and ideas.

Do you have anything to add? Which ESL games do you like that maybe we missed? Or what’s your favorite from our list?

Please let us know with a comment below.

Brainstorming Activities for Ideas

How can you be more creative? Use our brainstorming activities that can really tickle your creative juices. 

Like all our worksheets, they are 100% free to print off and use. Let’s get you started with 10 of our best.

1. Multi-purpose Items

In the “Multi-purpose Items” game, the teacher starts by showing the class an everyday object, like a fork.

Students then have a few minutes to brainstorm as many different uses for that item as possible. They might suggest using a fork to eat, comb hair, open cans, or mix ingredients.

After about five minutes, everyone shares their creative ideas. It encourages out-of-the-box thinking and improves vocabulary.

2. Rhyme Time

“Rhyme Time” divides the class into groups of four. Hand out worksheets to each group.

Set a timer and challenge teams to come up with as many rhymes as possible. The group with the most rhymes wins.

After the game, review the rhymes together. Did you miss any?

3. Talking Timebomb

The teacher picks a topic and starts the music. Students pass a ball. Each says a unique word related to the topic before passing it on. No repeats allowed.

When the music stops, the person holding the ball loses. They might face a challenge, like doing an impromptu speech. But I don’t like putting my students on the spot like that.

4. Compound Words Game Board

Pair up students and give each team a game board and dice. Players roll, move, and write down the word they land on.

As they progress, they create compound words using their collected words.

For example, landing on “BLUE” can match with “PRINT” or “BERRY” for two points. Landing on “FOOT” could match with “PRINT” for another point.

5. Pushy Salesperson

Start by showing a funny infomercial from your home country to set the mood.

Then, demonstrate by trying to sell a silly product to your class. You can really channel your inner pushy salesperson.

Finally, it’s the students’ turn to shine. Give them each an unlikely item to sell, using ideas from the worksheet. Watch as they transform into a salesman.

6. English Shiritori

Shiritori is a fun word chain game that I learned from Japan. Pair up students and start with any word.

The next player must think of a word beginning with the last letter of the previous word. For example, if the first word is “cat,” the next could be “tree,” then “elephant,” and so on.

Players continue building the chain, improving vocabulary and spelling as they go. The game ends when a player can’t think of a connecting word.

7. No Subtitles

Time to try a hilarious speaking activity. Choose an English movie and play it on mute, without subtitles.

Divide the class into pairs and challenge them to become voice-over actors for the characters. 

They’ll need to create dialogue that matches the actors’ lip movements and actions on screen. Just a warning that this is best for advanced classes.

8. Like or Dislike

Each student writes down their loves and hates anonymously. The teacher collects and reads these aloud to the class.

Students then try to guess which classmate each list belongs to. This game adds a personal touch to language learning.

It also encourages students to express preferences and learn about their peers. Get ready for some surprises and laughs.

9. Famous Foreheads

Arrange students in a circle and give each a post-it note. Everyone writes a famous person’s name and passes it left.

Players stick the notes on their foreheads without peeking. Taking turns, students ask yes/no questions to guess their identity.

The first to guess correctly wins. But encourage everyone to keep playing until they figure out their famous person.

10. Cultural Dictionary

Ask each student to write down one culturally significant item from their country. Invite volunteers to share their choices with the class. 

Collect all responses and compile them into a unique “Culture Exchange Dictionary” to keep in the classroom.

You can really promote mutual learning as students share their cultures while learning about others.

Brainstorming Activities for Ideas

If you need some brainstorming activities, then these 10 worksheets will get you half the way there.

Because practice makes perfect, put them into action by printing them off. And then you’ll be 100% the way there.

Have you ever had to brainstorm and think of ideas? Which brainstorming activities did you use?

Free Detective Style Activities

Have you ever wanted to be a detective? Now, you can with 7 detective activities.

Like Sherlock Holmes, you get clues and solve challenging puzzles.

And the best part? You practice English. And it’s tons of fun.

Like all our worksheets, they’re free to use for any purpose.

1. Detective Clues

Divide the class into groups of four, with one secretary and three detectives per team. 

Detectives find clues, memorizing them in English. They report back to their secretary, who writes down each clue.

Once all clues are collected, the team works together to solve the puzzle. This activity combines memory skills, teamwork, and English practice in an exciting treasure hunt format.

2. Einstein’s Riddle

Get ready for an Einstein’s Logic challenge. This brain-teaser was supposedly created by a young Albert Einstein.

Using a set of clues, students must determine the nationality, pet, drink, color, and hobby of each homeowner in a neighborhood. 

This will test your students’ deductive reasoning skills. Can your students solve Einstein’s riddle?

3. Spot the Difference

Two pictures look identical side by side. But they’re not. The students’ mission is to find 10 subtle differences between the scenes. 

This activity sharpens observation skills while encouraging students to use English to describe what they see.

Can your students find all 10 differences? It’s a fun way to practice vocabulary related to objects, colors, and positions.

4. What’s in the Box?

This activity is called “What’s in the Box?” The teacher brings a mystery box to class containing a secret object.

Students must figure out what’s inside by asking yes or no questions. They can inquire about the object’s size, shape, color, or function.

The challenge is to guess correctly using only these limited questions. If a student guesses right, they might win a prize.

5. Teacher Quiz

I like to kick off the class with this Scavenger Hunt! Hide clues around the classroom before students arrive.

Divide the class into small teams and give them a list of items to find. Each item corresponds to a hidden clue.

Students must locate the clues, solve them, and match answers correctly. It’s a perfect ice-breaker that combines fun with learning in your first ESL class.

6. Talking Bingo

Everyone stands up with their own Bingo worksheet. Students mingle, asking each other questions from their sheets.

If someone answers “yes,” the asker marks that square. The goal is to complete a line on the Bingo card.

The first player to get a line shouts “Bingo!” Show your worksheet to the teacher and you win.

7. World Monuments

Explore world monuments with a connect-the-dots puzzle. Students will link dots to reveal famous landmarks within country outlines.

Once completed, challenge students to name both the monument and its country.

This activity combines geography knowledge with fine motor skills practice. Best of all, you can learn about global landmarks and their locations.

Free Detective Activities

We’ve revealed 7 of the best detective activities where you either find clues or solve a challenging riddle.

They have worked wonders for our classes. Hopefully, they’ll be challenging for your students too.

Have you ever tried detective-style games in your class? Please let us know what has worked and what hasn’t in the comment section below.

Reading Comprehension Activities

If you want to get better at reading, then it’s best to pick up a book and start reading!

But if you want some targeted reading comprehension activities, then try out some of the activities below.

While some focus on solving a puzzle, others are short stories where you just need to understand what you’re reading.

Let’s get started.

1. Brother Rivalry Short Story

This is a short story about two brothers who love to compete!

Students have to fill in the blanks with a selection of words at the bottom of the story.

This reading comprehension activity is meant to be done individually.

But you can easily adapt it to a whole classroom setting.

2. Einstein’s Riddle

This is a challenging detective-style activity that is believed to be created by Albert Einstein, himself!

The focus is on reading the clues carefully and using logic to solve the riddle.

But the key is figuring out which clues to use first to fill in the nationality, pet, drink, color, and hobby of each homeowner.

This can be a head-scratcher activity even for the brightest students.

3. Famous Politicians

First, students have to read the names of the 8 famous politicians on the worksheet.

Next, they have to read a brief description of each politician on the right.

After they identify the photo of the politician, they can match the leader’s name with the description.

4. Adverbs of Frequency

This is a reading comprehension activity that practices adverbs of frequency.

In other words, it expresses how often an event occurs.

After reading the sentence, students fill in the adverb of frequency that is true to themselves.

How often do you eat breakfast? How often do you go to the library?

5. Stand-Up Bingo

Stand-Up Bingo gets students moving and asking questions.

Students have to read their bingo sheets and walk around asking questions to their fellow classmates.

Only when the student answers “yes”, they can mark an “X” in the square.

After they get a line in their bingo card, they can sit down at their desk.

6. Occupations Matching

This activity is about reading occupations and their job title definitions.

They have to match all 17 careers with the correct definitions.

From farmers to astronauts, can students find the right job titles?

After students finish the first part of the worksheet, can they think of other job titles? In addition, can they create a definition for the jobs they brainstorm?

7. Linking Verbs

Read all 15 sentences in the worksheet. After reading each sentence, they have to circle the linking verbs.

Linking verbs do not show actions. Instead, they link a subject to a noun or adjective in a sentence.

For example, in the sentence “I feel sick”, the linking verb “feel” connects to the adjective “sick”. And the subject in the sentence is “I”.

8. Timeless Timelines

This is just a quick history lesson for inventions and historical figures.

From paper to the printing press, can students identify the chronological order of these inventions?

From youngest to oldest, can students arrange the timeline according to their birth date?

It’s challenging, but students have to read through each name and invention.

9. Helping Verbs

Students read each sentence carefully. Next, they have to circle the action verb and underline the helping verb.

Generally, we use helping verbs to complement action verbs. For the majority of the time, the helping been goes before the action verb.

For example, in the sentence “he should listen in class” – “should” is the helping verb, and “listen” is the action verb.

10. Detective Clues

In the detective clues activity, students have to read clues and remember what they read.

After they read all the clues, they have to solve the puzzle in the worksheet.

It’s not as challenging as Einstein’s Riddle. But it’s still fun for younger students.

And best of all, they can practice reading comprehension.

Reading Comprehension Activities

These targeted reading comprehension activities are great for classrooms of any size.

They add a bit of fun to reading, challenging students to solve a problem or read a short story.

Do you have any other ideas we can add to this list?

Please let us know with a comment below.

How do you teach culture in the classroom?

One of the best parts of teaching English abroad is the culture exchange. Let’s not forget that culture exchange is two ways. Not only do your students learn about your culture, but you can learn about theirs.

Here are some ideas for ESL activities you can undertake with your students in these culture lesson plans.

1. Cultural Dictionary

The fine line between cultures across the globe is thinning because of globalization. However, some key cultural differences still remain. What are they?

Culture exchange goes both ways. Not only do your students learn about your culture, but you can learn about theirs. Ask students to write down one culturally significant item about their country and put them all together in a dictionary.

2. Hometown Newspaper

Bring newspapers from your hometown and have your students look through them. How are they different from newspapers in their home country?

From the sports section, which sports are more popular? From the weather section, is it colder or warmer than the average temperatures there? There are endless ESL conversation topics to bring up.

3. Cultural Differences

The fine line between cultures across the globe is thinning because of globalization. However, some key cultural differences still remain. What are they?

For example, how do business people greet in both countries? Is it with a simple handshake or bow? Or maybe both. Compile a list of cultural differences and uncover customs that no longer seem so different.

4. Teacher Quiz

This activity gets your students moving around and is more suitable for children. Around the classroom, tape clues around the class. Students have to walk around and find each clue. Finally, they match answers with clues.

I like to make groups of 2 and appoint one as the secretary and one as the detective. If you want to add an extra challenge set a timer or give prizes to the team that finishes first.

5. Sushi Menu Quiz

If you like eating sushi, then this makes this the #1 choice of all culture worksheets. In this cultural activity, you have to connect the sushi roll with the word.

It’s the classic word association that tests your knowledge of sushi. Can you identify each type of sushi – the popular Japanese cuisine?

Culture Lesson Plans

Learning the different customs in different cultures is extremely rewarding and educational.

These culture lesson plans help foster and embrace culture exchange in the classroom.

Do you have any ideas on how to teach culture in the classroom?

Let us know with a comment below.

ESL Exercises for English Education

These ESL exercises are a controlled way to practice a particular language aspect. Ready to get started? And don’t forget that all our worksheets are 100% free to use in your classroom today.

1. Countable Nouns vs Uncountable Nouns

Plural nouns indicate more than one person, place, or thing. You can specify countable nouns numerically (e.g., 5 carrots), while uncountable nouns cannot (e.g., rice).

This worksheet tests students’ knowledge of plural nouns. This includes countable and uncountable nouns.

2. Daily Routines – Present Verb Tense

This “Daily Routines” worksheet explores present tense verbs through everyday activities.

Students work in pairs to review routine examples. They discuss their own daily, weekly, or monthly habits.

The exercise encourages students to think about their personal schedules. The goal is to expand their vocabulary for describing regular activities.

3. Prepositions of Location

Students practice prepositions by identifying and writing down the position of an apple in relation to boxes in various scenes.

They use prepositions like under, on top, next to, behind, and in front to describe the apple’s location. This worksheet focuses on prepositions of location.

4. Adverbs of Frequency

In this activity, students fill in sentences with adverbs that describe their habits. You want them to focus on adverbs of frequency, which express how often something occurs.

Common adverbs include “never”, “sometimes”, “often”, “usually”, and “always”. Try to use the sentence structure as “Subject + Adverb + Verb”.

5. Emotions Vocabulary: Personality Adjectives

The worksheet provides an in-depth exploration of various emotions. It uses a spinner to randomly select emotions for discussion.

Students work in pairs to share experiences related to the chosen emotion. It aims to help students better express their feelings.

6. Singular and Plural Nouns

Learn simple plurals by adding “-s” or “-es” to the singular form. For example, “balloon” becomes “balloons”. 

This plural worksheet practices forming regular plural nouns from singular ones. You can work in groups or as a classroom.

7. Irregular Past Tense Verbs

Students conjugate 10 verbs in the irregular past tense. Then, they match sentences with corresponding images.

After completing the worksheet, students work in pairs to list other irregular past tense verbs. Encourage peer learning to help grasp the concept.

8. Opposite Adjectives: Find the 2 Opposites

This opposite word worksheet focuses on antonyms for young learners. Students identify and circle two opposites within groups of three words.

The activity progresses from start to finish, covering various antonym pairs. Upon completion, instructors verify the answers.

9. Comparative Adjectives Worksheet

Comparative adjectives describe differences between two or more subjects. Our worksheet requires students to write sentences based on given images and words.

The typical sentence structure is: Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object). Improves your understanding of comparative structures in English.

10. Compound Words: The Matching Game

Students match words to form 10 compound words. After completing the matching, students brainstorm additional compound words. Finally, the class then reviews all the examples together.

Along with 3 compound word worksheets and activities, this will put students on a solid foundation for forming compound words.

11. Minimal Pairs: Pronunciation Pyramid

Sharpen your phonological awareness with the minimal pairs pyramid. Students start at the top of the pyramid by circling words the teacher says.

As the teacher says minimal pair words, the exercise ends at a specific endpoint. After completion, the class reviews where everyone lands.

12. Picture Rhymes Worksheet

For most students, this is one of their favorite rhyming worksheets. In this activity, students identify rhymes based on pictures.

It’s not only good for rhyming, it’s also perfect for pronunciation. Can students identify all the rhyming words? Give it a try.

13. Compound Nouns in Pictures

Students write the compound word for each image. Then, they create their own in an empty box for peers to guess.

The exercise encourages creative thinking about word origins. We’ve provided answers at the bottom of the worksheet for reference.

14. Common and Proper Nouns Worksheet

This common and proper nouns worksheet challenges students to generate proper nouns for given common nouns.

It highlights the capitalization rule: common nouns are lowercase, while proper nouns are capitalized.

15. Irregular Plural Nouns Worksheet

This irregular plural nouns worksheet focuses on nouns that don’t follow the standard -s or -es pluralization rule.

Students convert singular nouns to their irregular plural forms. This might involve vowel changes or different endings.

It’s Time to Shine

These ESL exercises have structure and teach a particular aspect of language learning.

Because when you guide students with these ESL exercises, all the pieces of the teaching puzzle start fitting together.

And students go from just good towards greatness.

Which ESL activities do you like most in this list. Please let me know with a comment below.

Free ESL Worksheets to Engage Students

Today, we’re going to share with you 43 free ESL worksheets.

They’re free to use, easy to get started, and help engage your students.

No permission is required to use any of them in your classrooms.

Let’s get started.

1. Emotions in Emoticons

Emotions are a key theme in ESL worksheets due to students’ difficulty expressing themselves.

This activity has students match emotions with emoticons.

It’s a simple and effective way to practice emotional vocabulary and expression.

2. Pronunciation Pyramid

This pyramid activity starts at the top and progresses downward.

The teacher says a word, and students circle it on their sheet.

Students follow the path created by their choices to see where they end up at the bottom of the pyramid.

3. Sounds of English

This ESL worksheet focuses on precise pronunciation and the sounds of English.

It shows students exactly where to place their tongue for challenging sounds.

The activity emphasizes proper articulation for improved speaking skills.

4. Top 10 Jobs

Students guess the top 10 jobs desired by North American students.

The results might surprise them and start discussions about career aspirations.

This Family Feud-style worksheet helps kids reflect on future careers.

5. Occupations Match

This worksheet explores students’ future by having them associate jobs with pictures.

Make sure their focus is on English and don’t get off track.

It’s a visual way to learn and discuss various occupations. Level is easy to moderate.

6. Minimal Pairs

As an ESL teacher, clear pronunciation should be your main focus.

This activity has students circle words you say aloud with common minimal pairs.

It also reinforces listening skills and sound recognition. This one is perfect for a warm up to the topic of minimal pairs.

7. Rhyme Time

This timed group activity challenges students to think of as many rhymes as possible.

How many rhyming words can you think of? The group with the most rhymes wins.

Once finished, try to think of any rhymes that you might have missed in the worksheet.

8. Picture Rhymes

This fun ESL worksheet combines pronunciation practice with rhyming skills.

Students identify rhymes based on pictures. Some are hard so don’t be afraid to give some hints.

I find that some can be challenging but it enhances both their vocabulary and phonetic awareness.

9. What is Halloween?

Our October-themed worksheet teaches students about Halloween.

It’s an opportunity to introduce cultural vocabulary and customs associated with this holiday.

Plus, you can remember some of your best childhood memories.

10. Halloween Emotions

This Halloween-themed worksheet uses jack-o-lantern faces to teach emotions.

It helps students understand and express the mix of scary and fun feelings associated with Halloween.

Try this ESL activity out for your youngest students because it’s not that challenging.

11. Christmas Crossword

Crosswords are valuable ESL activities, contrary to some opinions.

They improve vocabulary and spelling skills, particularly with holiday-themed words.

You’ll be and to see how this activity combines language learning with cultural awareness.

12. Christmas Untangle

This activity requires students to decipher words from a jumble of letters.

Answers are provided at the bottom of the worksheet for reference.

Even with my top students, this one can be challenging. Especially, the Christmas vocabulary!

13. Jingle Bells Order

Students listen to the classic Christmas song “Jingle Bells”.

As they listen to it, they order sentences when they hear them. You might have to replay it once or twice.

Get a bit festive while sequencing a song about the holidays.

14. What’s the Question?

Question formation is key in any classroom.

In this ESL worksheet, students create questions for each word in a given list.

You should encourage them to think creatively and generate additional questions.

15. Einstein’s Riddle

This worksheet presents Albert Einstein’s childhood riddle.

Students must use logic to solve the puzzle, enhancing critical thinking skills.

Give them hints if they can’t figure it out. It can be challenging so come prepared before class.

16. Your Dream Dog

Our memory-style game involves asking questions about something the student is thinking of.

It features cute dog pictures as prompts. Students get to practice question formation and descriptive language.

What dog would you pick in the group? And why would you pick it as your pet?

17. Spot the Differences

Students must find 10 differences between two almost identical pictures.

This activity can help with observation skills. Plus, they can build vocabulary for describing scenes.

Make sure to find all the differences before class because they can be tough to see.

18. Similar Sentences

This listening exercise tests students’ attention to detail.

The teacher reads a sentence, and students must circle the correct one from similar options.

It’s more challenging than it initially appears. May the force be with you. Or “May the Fourth be with you”?

19. Maze Directions

This maze activity involves pair work. One student gives directions and the other follows them blindfolded.

It’s challenging but effective for practicing giving and following directions.

It’s rare to see anyone finish this perfectly. In fact, I’ve never seen it happen!

20. Compound Words

Compound words are a fun way to improve vocabulary.

In this worksheet, students identify compound words from the pictures.

Once they’ve completed the worksheet, they create their own and must be creative.

21. Preposition Practice

This ESL worksheet focuses on prepositions through a visual exercise.

Students identify and write down the apple’s location in various scenes.

Students practice spatial vocabulary with a focus on location.

22. Comic Book Creation

Our comic strip activity combines visual storytelling with creative writing.

Students fill in empty speech bubbles in a comic strip (in English, of course).

They use their imagination while practicing dialogue writing.

23. Charades for Kids

This worksheet adapts charades for pairs, making it less intimidating for shy students.

The worksheet provides a list of words for acting out in charades.

The activity enhances vocabulary and non-verbal communication skills.

24. Emotions Spin

Ready for an emotion vocabulary worksheet that expands students’ emotional lexicon?

It helps students better express their feelings in English with a wider range of emotions.

Look at all the emotions in the wheel. The activity triples their emotional vocabulary arsenal.

25. Word Chain

This pair activity connects words by their last and first letters.

It’s similar to the Japanese game “Karuta”. It improves vocabulary and quick-thinking skills.

The game also encourages friendly competition and word association.

26. Teacher Quiz

Get ready for a scavenger hunt activity that gets students moving around the classroom.

Students find clues and match them with answers. It’s an engaging icebreaker for the first class.

I find it’s always nice to combine physical activity with language practice.

27. How’s the Weather?

This ESL activity focuses on weather vocabulary and recent memory.

Students recall and discuss the weather from the past few days. Doesn’t everyone agree on the weather?

You can do this exercise in pairs or as a large group discussion.

28. Why Learn English?

This worksheet explores the benefits of learning English as a global language.

Students discuss how English proficiency can help their future prospects.

It encourages critical thinking about language and career opportunities.

29. Your Superhero

Combining art with language learning, this activity is ideal for classes with artistic students.

It focuses on describing superheroes using superlatives like “strongest”, “fastest”, etc.

Students design and describe their ideal superhero, practicing descriptive language.

30. Text Message Translations

For this one, students translate text messages from the students’ native language to English.

Alternatively, students can create fictional messages.

Learn casual English and modern communication styles in one simple worksheet.

31. Pizza Recipe

This activity centers on pizza-making instructions.

Students use imperatives and transition words to explain their pizza creation process.

It enhances vocabulary related to cooking and practices giving step-by-step instructions.

32. Valentine’s Day Cards

I love Valentine’s Day, especially in the classroom.

Students complete the classic “Roses are red, violets are blue” poem.

It’s a holiday theme worksheet that gets your students rhyming in no time.

33. Phone Emoticons

This activity explores the meaning of emoticons in text messages.

Students associate emoticons with emotions. There are 50 in the worksheet!

Finally, they use them in written conversations, which is something they can make up.

34. Birthday Match

Scavenger hunts combine physical movement with English learning.

Students search for clues about historical figures’ birthdays around the classroom.

Encourage teamwork and memorization to complete this ESL worksheet.

35. The Obstacle Course

A classroom obstacle course can really improve direction-giving skills.

One blindfolded student is guided by another through the course.

Students provide real-time practice in giving and following directions. Remember, safety first!

36. Cultural Differences

Students identify and discuss key cultural distinctions that exist despite globalization.

The focus is to enhance cultural awareness and critical thinking.

This worksheet is good for exploring cultural differences in a globalized world.

37. Country Outlines

This geography-focused activity involves matching countries to their outlines.

Students also attempt to draw country shapes from memory.

You’ll find this one combines visual recognition with geographical knowledge.

38. Your Satisfaction Level

Are you ready to learn about emotional self-awareness?

Students explore what makes them happy or sad on a spectrum of emotions.

They can also practice self-expression. This is not an easy task for some.

39. Connect the Dots

Looking for a quick time-filler for the end of class?

While light on educational value, you can use it in emergencies to keep students engaged.

It’s similar in value to tic-tac-toe. But this worksheet is here to save the day.

40. Minimal Pairs Listening Test

Minimal pairs test students’ ability to distinguish similar English sounds.

The teacher mixes up each minimal pair five times. Students identify the correct sound, and the teacher corrects their papers.

Sharpen your students’ ears to subtle phonetic differences in English.

41. Alphabet Story

This creative writing activity challenges students to create a story using words that start with consecutive letters from A to Z.

Some letters will prove more challenging than others, like the last ones in the alphabet.

The exercise definitely stretches vocabulary and sentence construction skills. It’s one that I even did in elementary school.

42. Halloween Bingo

Our Halloween-themed Bingo game combines vocabulary practice with listening skills.

Students arrange Halloween words on their Bingo sheets.

As the teacher reads words, students cross them off. The first to complete a line wins.

43. Simon Says

Practice imperatives through the classic game “Simon Says”.

Students follow instructions only when prefaced with “Simon says”.

For an added challenge, a student familiar with the game can lead, giving instructions to the class.

What’s in your free ESL Worksheet arsenal?

We’ve shared our ESL resources.

They’re 100% free to use when you teach English abroad.

Now, it’s time for you to put on your thinking caps.

Which ESL activities work in your classes? Is it a wide range of ESL discussion topics?

Let us know with a comment below.

Here’s more from us:

• 67 Free ESL Games to Teach English Like an All-Star
• 13 Free ESL Lesson Plans to Master Your ESL Classes
• 101 ESL Conversation Topics to Break the Silence

Here are some external websites with great worksheets:

• British Council (BBC) – Short activities for secondary classrooms
• Easy ESL Games YouTube Channel – A page devoted to ESL and EFL teachers abroad.

10 Halloween Coloring Worksheets

These Halloween coloring worksheets help motor skills, stimulate creativity, and build focus and dexterity. Just like our list of spooky Halloween worksheets, they are all free to use for any purpose and ready to print for your classroom.

1. Tombstone Coloring Page

Tombstones belong in graveyards and are where the dead rest. But on Halloween when the dead rise, they rise from tombstones like in this Halloween coloring page.

These stone slabs that mark the final resting place of the deceased come alive with a new purpose. Kids can color this tombstone with scary details of gravestones or add their own touches, such as a skeleton climbing out of a grave to join the trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

2. Ghost Coloring Sheet

Speaking about the dead, ghosts are spirits of past lives. Instead of as zombies, the dead can rise as ghosts as you see in some of these Halloween coloring worksheets.

These coloring printables are great for kids of all ages. You can use them to keep your kids occupied during the holiday season and keep them entertained for hours.

3. Pumpkin Coloring Worksheet

On Halloween, people carve pumpkins with frightening faces to scare away ghosts and goblins. To this day, we still follow the tradition.

You can print these out and let your little one color in their favorite characters or create scary designs to display on your porch as decoration. They are sure to be a hit with all of your friends and family members.

4. Halloween Landscape

In this Halloween landscape, you see bats flying around. And you’ll see other Halloween coloring worksheets, bats, and vampires go hand-in-hand.

In this case, you have a silhouette of a bat with a tree in the background. You can color in the bat or tree in any pattern you like and add to the Halloween scene.

5. Vampire Coloring Page

Vampires only go out at night and drink blood from the necks of living humans. As seen in other Halloween coloring sheets, vampires can transform into bats making them stealthy in the sky.

If you want to try something a little different, this vampire coloring page is a great option. This is a great activity for kids who love to color, and it’s likely to keep them engaged for quite some time.

6. Owl Coloring Worksheet

The cooing owl is the nightcrawler of the Halloween bunch. And we’re not talking about the Online Writing Lab (OWL).

This owl coloring worksheet is perfect for helping your child or student focus and relax through coloring. Help them practice their skills as they color in this Halloween picture of an owl.

7. Witch Hat Coloring Page

One of the key features of witches is their long noses and pointy hats. In this Halloween coloring activity, learners color a witch’s hat.

Doing this activity on Halloween gives kids something to do while they are waiting for the trick-or-treaters to arrive. It’s a nice way to keep them occupied and let their creativity shine.

8. Witch’s Cauldron

When a witch brews potions to cast spells, they use a cauldron like the one you see below.

You can use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to fill in the cauldron with your favorite shades. It is a fun way to spend time with your kids and let them express themselves creatively.

9. Haunted House Coloring

On Halloween, a haunted house can be a scary place to live or stay the night. This haunted house coloring page is the perfect activity for young kids on Halloween.

It is fun and creative, and it can also be used to practice basic colors. Kids can draw the characters from the haunted house on the page and color them in.

10. Scary Cat Coloring Sheet

The scary, black cat is a Halloween classic just like the bat, werewolf, and frog. Just kidding about the frog, they’re not scary at all.

This cat coloring page is perfect for kids who love cats or enjoy drawing animals. But they may need to get creative for adding features to its face.

What’s Next?

From pumpkins to ghosts, we have provided you with 10 Halloween coloring worksheets.

They are free to use for any purpose, especially in a classroom or daycare type of setting.

If you need any more resources, we have coloring worksheets for Christmas and more to come.

If you want to see anything more, let us know with a comment below.

Christmas Coloring Worksheets

If you need Christmas coloring worksheets, we have ten activities that are free and printable for you to use. While you’re at it, check out our list of 5 Christmas Worksheets.

1. Christmas Tree Coloring

This Christmas coloring page has a traditional Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and a star at the top.

This is a fun activity to do with the kids during the holidays. They will enjoy the creative process, from filling in the outline of the tree and adding the decorations, to the finished product.

2. Reindeer Coloring

This Christmas coloring sheet has two reindeer flying in unison. You can color them any way you like. There are no rules when it comes to these activities.

You can make these reindeer one of a kind by adding your favorite features. Maybe you like to draw a long scarf around one of their necks. You can also color one of the reindeer red, green, or any other color. You can even add a Santa hat to one of the reindeer. There are no rules when it comes to these activities.

3. Snowman Coloring Sheet

Frosty the snowman type of Christmas coloring page with surrounding snow falling to the ground.

Kids can use their own imagination to make this scene come to life. With a little bit of snow and a lot of creativity, you can make this a holiday scene too.

4. Christmas Present Coloring

This Christmas coloring page has a neatly wrapped present and a bow tightly tied. The focus is on the gift, and everything else is out of focus.

It’s not surprising that this is one of the most popular Christmas coloring pages. Even if you’re not an artist, you can create a beautiful piece of artwork by filling in the lines of this image.

5. Bear Coloring Page

For young children, they will love to color this Christmas bear wearing a Santa’s hat. It is a great activity for them to put their creativity skills to use and will keep them entertained for hours.

It is a great activity for kids on a rainy day or snow day, and they will love to color in this bear. After they are done, they can hang it on the wall to show their friends.

6. Jingle Bells Coloring

Christmas is a time to sing all the classics and this includes Jingle Bells. You can color each one a different color or make a pattern with several colors.

You can use markers or crayons to color the bells and make sure that you let each child pick which color they want to use so that they can feel ownership of the project. Once the bells are colored, string them up and hang them from the tree.

7. Ice Skating Coloring

During the Christmas season, ice skating is always a popular activity for the kids.

Color these skaters with your children in mind and add some holiday flair. It’s a fun activity that’s sure to keep them active and engaged.

8. Rudolph Coloring Sheet

Of all Christmas coloring worksheets, this one always is a crowd favorite. This is because kids can color Rudolph’s glowing, red nose.

This is a great activity to keep kids occupied during the holiday season. It also is a great way to help them focus their energy and creativity.

9. Autumn Leaves Coloring

Before Christmas arrives, the leaves fall and snow behind to fall. Then, the snow falls and Christmas arrives.

It’s time to put away the sunscreen, and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage without getting a sunburn. Use this autumn leaf coloring sheet to get ready for fall.

10. Santa Coloring Sheet

This Christmas coloring page features Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Kids can color in this festive holiday scene with your favorite characters from the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

his is a great activity for kids of all ages and a fun way to get into the holiday spirit.

Christmas Coloring Pages

During Christmas, kids love to unwrap their toys and spend time with their family and friends.

It’s a time of joy and fun. If you bring these Christmas coloring worksheets to class, the kids will love them.

Just like our Halloween coloring worksheets, these all printable and free to use for any purpose.

How has been your experience using coring activities in your class?