Flashcard Games

Whether your classroom is equipped with a computer and
projector or not, laminated flashcards are a simple, old-school,

and excellent tool to get your students engaged and learning.
Perhaps the best thing about them is the unlimited ways you
can use them!
If you think flashcards are boring or if you are looking for some new games to spice things up, then
you have come to the right place. Flashcards are very versatile and don’t have to be used solely for
drilling, as you will shortly see. With this age group, as long as you are excited, they will be too!
Jump and Say

Line the flashcards in a straight row with space in between on the floor. Depending on your class
size, you can either have one student or one student on each side of the line. Have students jump
and say the flashcard they land next to. Students hop along saying each card. You can change
things up by making it a race or laying out a circle instead.
Lip Reading
Use the flashcards so that you know which word to say and to show students if they are correct.
Silently mouth the vocabulary word. Make it as exaggerated as needed.
Fast Flash
Having the flashcards facing down and away from you, start low and raise the flashcard above you
head quickly so that the image shows but only for a second. Students try to guess what it is they
saw. You can do this in different ways to make it more exciting, such as from side to side and a
simple flash turnover.
Slow Reveal
Opposite to Fast Flash is Slow Reveal. Use a blank or piece of coloured paper to cover the
flashcard. Slowly slide the cover paper to reveal only a small part of the flashcard at a time. Students
can shout out and guess what it is.
Want some more games for young learners? Active Games for Young Learners
Quiet-Loud
A personal favourite, this game will liven up any class. Hold the flashcard in front of you and squat
down. Whisper the vocabulary word. Rise up slightly. Say the word quietly, Rise up more. Say the
word in a regular voice. Continue on until you when you hold the card over your head and are
standing straight up the students shout the word.
Under Over
Have students make a line with an arm length’s space in between each child. Two lines work well
after the kids are used to the game and therefore can do it as a race. Give the flashcard to the first
person in line. Still facing forward, he/she passes the card over his/her head to the child behind. That
child then passes the card through his/her legs to the next person in line.
Pass and Say

This one is simple but effective. Have students sit in a circle. Show them a flashcard and say the
word. Pass it to the kid sitting next to you and encourage him/her to say the word and pass it to the
next person. For larger groups, you could have two or three cards going around at once.
Roll the Dice
This works well if you have a giant die. (You can make one out of cardboard and tape to use for
different activities in all your classes.) Put the numbers 1-6 on the board and a different flashcard or
the vocab word next to each number. Each student gets a chance to toss the die up. The number it
lands on is the card they say out loud.
Musical Circle Pass

Have students sit in a circle. Give random students a flashcard: one for every 3 or four students you
have in your group. Play some music. As it plays, students pass the cards around. When you pause
the music have the kids who have the flashcards stand up and say what they have.
Duel
Have two students stand back to back. Give them each a different flashcard to hold facing out and
away from them. When you say go, they walk three steps, turn to face each other and say what the
other student has. You can make it competitive with older kids in your other classes.
Memory
You will need the picture flashcard and the written word card for this game. This will only work if you
have worked on word recognition with your kindergarteners. If you aren’t already familiar with
Memory this is how it works: Lay all cards facedown on the floor. Students take turns to flip over two
cards in hopes that they get a match. If not, they are flipped back down for the next person to try.
Say It Fast, Say It Slow, Say It High, Say It

Low
If you are a kindergarten teacher, then it’s assumed that you aren’t afraid of being silly. Play with
your voice as you say the flashcard word. Students should repeat the word how you say it. They will
have a ball!
What’s Missing?
Lay out flashcards on the floor, or display them on the board. After going over them, ask students to
close their eyes. Remove one card. Students open their eyes and say which card is missing.
Musical Chairs
Put chairs in a circle facing outwards. Tape a flashcard to the back of each chair or put them on the
ground underneath each chair. Have students make a circle on the outside of the chairs. At this age,
there is no need for there to be one less chair than the number of students. Some groups will have
more fun if it is not as competitive. Play music and have students walk around the chairs. When you
pause the music, students find a seat to sit in. They say the flashcard word on the chair. If the
students know actions and movements, make it more exciting by telling them to jump, tiptoe, walk,
swim, etc. around the circle of chairs.
Slap the Board/Floor

Another oldie but goodie. Lay out the cards on the floor or put up on the board so the kids can reach
them. Decide whether to call one or two students up at a time. When you shout out a word, they
should hit it with their hand.
Want more like this? Visit our Teaching Tips blog. Or if you want to share some helpful hints with
your students, check out our Language Learning Tips.
About the Author
Yvette Smith is an English teacher currently in Vietnam. She has taught in China and Mexico as
well. She enjoys writing about the ESL field and thinks everyone should take the chance to travel
abroad at least once in their lives.

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Flashcard Games

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Whether your classroom is equipped with a computer and

projector or not, laminated flashcards are a simple, old-school,

Jump and Say

Pass and Say

Musical Circle Pass

Say It Fast, Say It Slow, Say It High, Say It

Slap the Board/Floor

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