Free ESL Classroom Games

Discover free, interactive ESL games designed to make learning English fun and effective! Perfect for teachers seeking engaging classroom activities for students of all ages. Start playing today!

Featured Game - Counting 1-10 in English

  • Explore over 365 free ESL and EFL games for preschool, nursery, and kindergarten students. Written and tested by professional teachers working in Japanese kindergartens, IB schools, and international classrooms, these fun activities are organized by theme, including phonics, animals, numbers, and more. Perfect for enhancing English learning through interactive play! © The Magic Crayons

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To Play

    • To play requires a softball.
    • Introducing Numbers 1-10 with numbered flash cards.
    • Stand in a circle holding hands
    • Kick the softball to, not at, each other counting aloud together as you do.
    • Restart the count if the ball goes outside the circle.
    • Praise students for counting aloud with you.
    • Be sure to emphasise you are looking for succesful counting. Do not be afraid to stop the game if language is not being produced.

  • Extension & Tips

    • This activity can work equally well with counting by 2, by 5, or the alphabet.
    • Ham it up when the ball goes out side the circle.
    • Celebrate counting to 10!
    • As with all games it best to stop a game before they get tired of it so that the students will want to play it again.
    • Teach the students the name of the game too so that they may ask for it.
Numbers & Counting Games

Teaching Tips

  • How to Teach ESL Classroom Games

    As when setting any new task it's essential to clearly model what you require the children to do. The phrase Show Don't Tell couldn't be more applicable than for school games. Choose your brightest and best students to come up front and help you model the game. Don't let the classroom be the first time you attempt to model a game either. Doing so aloud at home or to a fellow teacher will help you keep things clear and simple once you are Teaching. I used to think spending time modelling simply reduced the amount of play time for the children. The opposite is true. A well modelled game will run smoothly and be a lot more fun for your students.

  • Introduction

    The Magic Crayons have been teaching ESL English in Japan for many years in kindergartens and preschools. One sunny afternoon they wrote up all the tried and tested games that they use within their classes. To their surprise they use over 365 ! We have organized them here for you by theme. Note that our music, flash cards, and crafts are also organised by theme. We hope you and your students enjoy our free classroom games and activities too.

  • Be organised

    Keep a note book of games the children enjoy playing and repeat them a few months later. Some games can be repeated more often but by using different flash cards or props can feel completely different to the students, yet your modelling time is significantly reduced.

    As with singing songs for the first time a big enthusiastic smile will really help convince the students how fun these games are and what a great teacher you are! The Magic Crayons are all teachers at kindergartens and preschools in Japan. The lesson plans, crafts and games you find in these pages will sometimes use the Japanese terminology when describing the suitable age for the students.

  • How are Japanese Kindergarten classes named?

    In Japanese Kindergarten, classes are named based on the children's ages at the start of the school year:

    • Nen Sho (年少): Youngest, for 3-year-olds
    • Nen Chu (年中): Middle, for 4-year-olds
    • Nen Cho (年長): Older, for 5-year-olds

  • Essential Japanese-English Vocabulary for Educational Settings

    • Kindergarten (幼稚園, Yōchien)
    • Preschool (保育園, Hoikuen)
    • Principal (校長, Kōchō)
    • Teacher (先生, Sensei)
    • Student (生徒, Seito)
    • Classroom (教室, Kyōshitsu)
    • Homework (宿題, Shukudai)
    • Lesson (授業, Jugyō)
    • Parent-Teacher Conference (保護者面談, Hogosha Mendan)
    • Library (図書館, Toshokan)

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  • 365 FREE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

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