GAMES FOR TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNERS

(FIRST FRIENDS 1&2)

This is the collection of games that I often use for students at First Friends levels (Very young learners).
Most of these games are for purposes of helping students have fun while practicing new vocabulary topics or structures at identifying/
memorizing level.
NOTES: Before the game, T remembers to:
- Give clear instructions
- Do the demonstration with some students to make sure the sts understand what to do
- Divide the teams/ groups after sts understand the rules.
- Only give out the flashcards/ pictures/ balls…. after all sts are ready to play
- Get involved the whole. If there is any student who isn’t interested in playing, assign another role for him/ her.
- For movement games that require sts to move/ run around, make sure that you arrange the tables/ chairs again so to avoid the
injuries.
- Also, go through the target vocabulary or structures at once with the whole class before starting the game.

No. Game name Purpose What you need How to play

1 Give me
- Practice new vocab - Small picture cards of - Divide class into 2 – 3 teams (depends on the class size)
- Review vocab from target vocab, or - Put each set of small cards/ or realia in a box. Place the
previous units (with - Realia box in front of the first player of each team.
similar topics) - For the 1st round:
- Practice listening +T says “Give me, give me!”,
and identifying the + all Sts response “What do you want?”
correct picture + T: Give me “a chair/ two bags/..”
 The first player of each team must try to find the
(Stirrer activity) correct pictures/ objects and run as fast as they can
and give it to T and say “Here you are.”
The fastest team with the correct answer get 2pts, the others
get 1pt.

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 - For the next rounds, let one of the students play a role
of T.
- Change players after each round.

2 Dinosaur - Practice saying new - Set of flashcards This game can be played in group of 3- 5 students or group of
words boys/ girls or a mix weak & strong students. It really depends
- Focus on Sts’ on each class and the time allowed. SOMETIMES the whole
pronunciation for class can play all at once.
each new word - All players stand in a row, back to the board, face to
the Teacher.
(Stirrer activity) - T stands about 4-5 steps away from players, face to
them, and keep about 4-5 steps away from the wall in
the back.
- Explain to sts that: They are going to be the
superheroes to fight against a BIG dinosaur to help
their country. This dinosaur likes kids who speak
English well.
- When sts pronounce the word correctly, T has to step
back. On the other hand, if one of any sts in the group
say the word wrong => T steps up towards the sts,
pretend to be hungry and funny.
- Once T reaches the back wall, sts win. Once T
reaches the sts, they will lose.

3 Don’t eat me! - Practice saying new - Set of flashcards This game can be played with the whole class.
words of vocabularies - Ask students to stand up and make a circle
Focus on Sts’ in that topic - T shows the flashcards one by one, Ss call out each
pronunciation for - 1 or 2 Pictures of word when they see the card with vocabulary pictures,
each new word a tiger/ lion/ - When Ss see the Special Card, they must say “Don’t
(Stirrer activity) crocodile or eat me” and sit down quickly.
whatever - T pretends to catch whoever slower in the class to sit
animals that you dwn.

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 think it’s scary – - Note: T should show the cards fast and in different
Special Card . order so that Ss get excited and feel thrilled.
- T can be flexible to change the version of the game so
that Ss don’t get bored after sometime.

4 Mr. Wolf - Practice saying Space in the classroom This game can be played with the whole class.
numbers/ time/ - All Ss stand in a row at one end of the classroom;
feelings - T stands at the other end of the classroom and face to
the wall, back to the Ss and cover his/her eyes.
(Stirrer activity) Rule:
- Ss ask: “Hello, Mr. Wolf, what time is it?
- Mr. Wolf: It’s 3 o’clock. => Ss step up 3 steps.
(Depend on the number called out by the teacher, Ss
step up that number of steps to approach closer to Mr.
Wolf.
- When Ss hear “It’s lunchtime.” => Mr. Wolf will
catch and eat them. Ss have to run back and sit down.
- After 1 round, T can invite one student to become Mr.
Wolf and continue the game.
- Play the game for a few rounds.
Another version to practice feeling words:
- Ss ask: “Hello, Mr. Wolf, how are you today?
- Mr. Wolf: I’m hot/ happy/ cold,etc. => Ss step up one
step. Each time, Ss repeat the question and hear the
answer -> step up one to approach closer to Mr. Wolf.
When Ss hear “It’s lunchtime.” => Mr. Wolf will catch and
eat them.

NOTES: Ss may get too excited to run and fall

5 Crocodile Shore (Stirrer activity) Set of flashcards + a - Draw a big circle on the floor and tell Ss it’s a river.
crocodile card - Prepare a set of cards with pictures of 5-6 new words and
a crocodile card.

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 Rule: All students say out loud each new word, but when
they see the crocodile card, they have to jump to the shore
(out of the circle). Teacher pretends to catch the slower
student and make him/her step in the pool to show the cards.

6 Frog Leap - Practice saying new Set of Flashcards (8 -Put all the flashcards face up on the floor in a line (with a
words cards or more) small space in between)
(Stirrer activity) -Divide the class into 2 teams, each team standing in one line
at the end of one side.
- One student from each team will play at once. They have to
jump, slap on the card and say the word out loud. They must
play as fast as they can until they meet the other player in the
middle of the way.
- Two students play “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, who wins can
continue the game, the other has to run back to the end of
his/her team.
- The NEXT player in the losing team has to START
immediately after the teammate loses so that he/she can stop
the opponent on the way. They repeat the game the same way
as the others do.
- Target: Which team can reach to the end/ the last card in
the line 3 times will win.

7 Gun Shooting - Practice saying new Flashcards -To play this game, teacher and sts have to remember
words or short everyone’s name in the class.
sentences - The whole class sit in a big circle (can be on their chair or
(Stirrer activity) on the floor).
- Teacher starts the game first by calling out a child’s name
with the signal “Shoot ____ (a name)”.
- The child was called out must put both hands on his/her
head and say “Don’t shoot me!”. The 2 students on 2 sides of
him/her must quickly turn to that student and pretend to shoot
the gun.

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 - The slowest among three of them loses and has to read a
flashcard or answer a question from the teacher.
8 Fishing - Practice saying - 2 sets of Fish cards - Divide the class into 2 teams
Alphabet letter/ with a picture or - Draw 2 ovals on the floor (tell the kids to imagine
number/ phonics or words printed on each they’re the ponds)
new words fish and a paper clip - Put one set of fish cards into each ponds.
(Stirrer activity) on each fish - Kids stands in 2 lines, give the fishing rod to the first
- 2 fishing rods (made student of the line.
by a long stick + - They will take turn to catch the fish by using the rod,
magnet) after that student must SAY the words on the fish and
- 2 small baskets put it to their baskets.
- Which team can catch all the fish in their ponds will
be the winner.
(OR teacher also can set the time limit: within 3 minutes,
which team can catch more fish will win.)
9 Basketball game - Practice saying new -Flashcards - Put the flashcards on the floor in a line, the last card will be
words or short - a basket and 2 balls about 1m away from the basket (Teacher can hold the basket
sentences or hang it onto the board or the wall in the class).
(Stirrer activity) - Divide the class into 2 teams => stand in two lines.
- The first student in each line will race to read the cards on
the floor, till they reach the last card => they can throw the
ball into the basket and get 1 point for the team.
- Kids go back to the end of the line. The others continue and
take turn to play
- Within 3-5 minutes, which group scores more points will
win.
Notes: If the player forgets the word, the other can help
remind him/her how to say it, but then he/she must say it
again 3 times.

10 Sticky ball game -Practice listening to Flashcards This game is similar to Slap the board game.
the new words 2 Sticky balls - Teacher sticks the flashcards onto the board and draw
(Stirrer activity) a circle around each card.

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 - Ask kids to stand in 2 lines -> give the sticky balls to
the first student in the line.
- Teacher says a word => 2 Players quickly throw the
balls to the correct pictures.
(OR Teacher can draw some big and small circles on the
boards with different points in each
circles.
 Ask players to read a few cards
first, then they can throw the ball
to the target circle to get points)
- Within 5 minutes, which team
has more points will win the game.

11 Tornado game - Practice saying Marker + board - Divide the class into 3 teams
Alphabet letter/ Flashcards - Draw a grid of 16-20 numbers/ Alphabet letters on the
number and new board (depends on the number of sts in the class).
words or short 1 2 3
sentences 4 5 6
(Settler activity) 7 8 9
10 11 12
- For each number, assign one info (1 brick, some
numbers with x2 bricks, 2-3 numbers with a thief (*),
one number with a tornado (*).
- Target of the game: The team has to answer the
questions from the teacher or read the flashcards ->
choose a number and get the bricks to build a house (a
simple house which is built by 9 lines)
- When the pick the special card like: (*) a thief -> they
can steal a brick from the other teams; (*) a tornado -
> their house will be collapsed and they have to build
again.
- Which team finishes building their house first will
win the game.

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 12 My Kingdom - Practice saying new Marker + board - Divide the class into 2 teams. Each team chooses a
words or short Flashcards name for their Kingdom.
sentences - Play music and pass the ball to choose a KING/
QUEEN for each Kingdom.
(Settler activity) - Assign the role of Captains/ Soldiers/ Servants, etc.
for the other members in the Kingdom.
- The KING/ QUEEN can call any Servant/ Soldier/
Captain in their Kingdom to go to the battle field.
- Two combatants will quickly answer the teacher’s
question or read the flashcard. Then they play “Rock,
Paper, Scissors”, who loses will be considered
wounded and cannot continue to fight.
- Teacher draw the wounded soldier of each team on
the board.
- The Kind & Queen of each country will play the last
battle. At the end of the game, which team has less
wounded soldiers will win.
13 Snatch game Practice listening to Many set of mini cards - Give each pair of group of three students a set of mini
the new words (one set for 2-3 cards.
(Settler activity) students) - Students put all the cards face up and sit around them.
- Teacher say out loud any word among those
flashcards => Whoever in the team or pairs can get
the card first will keep it.
- At the end of the game, which students have more
cards will win.

14 Zombie game Practice listening to Flashcards for the whole - Before playing, review through all the cards at once.
the new words & class - Give each student a flashcard. They have to hold it in
saying them (one for each student) front of them so that everyone can see it.
(Stirrer activity) - The whole class stand in a circle.
- Teacher pretends to be a Zombie, steps inside the
circle and call a word which a child is keeping.
Then teacher walks slowly to approach that child.

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 - To be safe, that student must say another word that
his/her friend is holding (not the one next to him/her).
- As students understand the rule and be familiar with
the cards around, the teacher can speed up and walk
faster.
- When a student can’t say another word within
5seconds, he/she will become the Zombie and
continue the game.
Notes:
Each student can’t say the same words twice, can’t
say the card from the friend that just called them
earlier.

15 Rescue the - Practice saying new Marker + board - T draws two stairs that leads to 2 different castles.
princess words or short Flashcards Tell the students that a beautiful princess is kidnapped
sentences in the castle.
(Settler activity) - The two teams take turn to overcome the challenges
(say the words or answer Teacher’s questions) and
climb up the stairs step by step.
- Which team can reach to the castle and rescue the
princess first will win.

16 Lucky Number - Practice saying Marker + board - Draw a grid of 16-20 numbers on the board (depends
number and new Flashcards on the number of sts in the class).
words or short 1 2 3
sentences 4 5 6
(Settler activity) 7 8 9
10 11 12
- Among those numbers, T secretly choose 3-4 lucky
numbers.
- After the student picks a number, he/she must answer
the question or say the word. If it’s a normal number,

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 the team scores 1pt, but if it’s a LUCKY number, the
teams get 5pts.
- At the end of the game, which team has more points
will win.

17 Listen and run Practice listening to Flashcards + blue tack - Prepare 4 sets of cards. For each turn, let 4 students play.
the new words They will listen to choose the correct picture and stick it
(Stirrer activity) on the wall around the classroom.
Use the audio to get Ss be familiar with native’s voice.

- After sticking all pictures on the wall, 4 students will

listen and run quickly to the correct picture (max 2 sts at 1
corner)

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