10 fun games to help children learn English

Learning English doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, for children, the best way to pick up a new language is often through play. Kids are natural learners when they’re having fun—and English games provide the perfect balance between education and entertainment. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or English tutor, incorporating games into your child’s daily routine can dramatically improve their vocabulary, grammar, and confidence in using English.

1. Charades with a Twist: Vocabulary in Motion

2. Simon Says: Listening and Grammar on the Move

3. Word Scavenger Hunt: Vocabulary in Real Life

4. Pictionary: Drawing Out Language Skills

5. Story Cubes: Imagination Meets English Practice

6. Bingo: The Fun of Listening and Matching

7. Guess Who? With a Language Learning Twist

8. Board Games that Talk Back

9. Online English Game Platforms (With Parental Supervision)

10. Role Play: Real-Life English for Everyday Fun

Ready to Take It Further?

Next steps

Do you want to speak English with confidence?

At IELC, we teach English the right way

Our courses

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best games—both classic and creative—that help children learn English in engaging and interactive ways. From board games to backyard adventures, these activities are designed to get kids talking, thinking, and most importantly—laughing. Plus, we’ll show you how games can build not just language skills but also teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Let’s dive in.

1. Charades with a Twist: Vocabulary in Motion

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sick-and-Twisted-Charades-Adult-18-Party-Game/171502457

Charades is a timeless classic, and it’s surprisingly powerful for language learning. The rules are simple: act out a word or phrase without speaking while others guess what it is. For English learners, this game helps with:

Expanding vocabulary
Practicing word recognition
Associating actions with meanings

How to play (English learner version):
Prepare flashcards with nouns, verbs, or simple phrases. You can theme them—animals, sports, classroom items, etc. One player picks a card and acts it out. Others guess the word in English. Add a point system to make it competitive.

Tip: Rotate roles so each child gets a turn acting and guessing. This keeps everyone involved and practicing actively.

2. Simon Says: Listening and Grammar on the Move

https://www.amazon.com/Simon-1897-Electronic-Memory-Game/dp/B00E9YWJOS

“Simon Says” is more than just a way to burn energy. It’s also a brilliant way to reinforce English instructions, verbs, and listening comprehension.

Why it works:

Reinforces understanding of commands and action verbs
Helps children learn sentence patterns and structure
Builds listening accuracy

Example commands:
“Simon says touch your toes.”
“Simon says hop three times.”
“Clap your hands.” (If Simon didn’t say it—don’t do it!)

Children must listen closely, process the instruction, and respond appropriately. For added challenge, use adjectives or adverbs (“Simon says jump quickly”).

3. Word Scavenger Hunt: Vocabulary in Real Life

https://vocabularyluau.com/vocabulary-scavenger-hunts/

Want to get kids off screens and moving while learning English? Try a word scavenger hunt.

Setup:
Create a list of English words based on what’s in your house, classroom, or backyard. Give each child a list and ask them to find the items or take photos of them. For older kids, ask them to write short sentences using each word.

Why this game rocks:

Reinforces vocabulary in context
Encourages active learning
Connects language to real-world objects

Bonus: Let kids draw what they found and label it in English—it turns the activity into a mini writing and art project.

4. Pictionary: Drawing Out Language Skills

https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Pictionary

Pictionary isn’t just for family game night—it’s also an excellent English learning tool.

How to play:
Divide kids into teams. One player draws a word, and their team has to guess it in English within a time limit.

Educational benefits:

Improves vocabulary retention
Encourages fast recall
Builds teamwork and verbal expression

Choose age-appropriate words, and over time, increase the difficulty level. You’ll be surprised how quickly children pick up new terms when there’s a challenge involved.

5. Story Cubes: Imagination Meets English Practice

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ive-used-story-cubes-too-break-ice-between-teams-from-drobniuch

Story Cubes are dice with pictures on them. Players roll the dice and must create a story using the images. If you don’t have story cubes, you can make your own using stickers or drawings.

Why kids love it:

Encourages creativity in English
Improves speaking and storytelling
Reinforces sentence structure and grammar

This is especially useful for children who are shy or reluctant to speak—because the focus is on the story, not on perfection. Over time, they gain confidence expressing themselves in English.

6. Bingo: The Fun of Listening and Matching

https://www.carousell.ph/p/match-it-listen-and-play-at-home-bingo-jigsaw-books-1320653894

English Bingo is a quick, easy game that can be adapted for any language level. Instead of numbers, use pictures, letters, or words on the Bingo cards.

How to use it for English learning:

Listening Bingo: The teacher says the word, kids mark the corresponding picture or word.
Reading Bingo: Kids read the words aloud before marking them.
Spelling Bingo: Use the game to reinforce letter recognition and phonics.

Bingo encourages attentive listening, recognition, and sometimes even spelling—all key to strong English skills.

7. Guess Who? With a Language Learning Twist

https://authentic-teaching.com/breaking-ideas/who-are-you/

Guess Who? is a classic game where players ask yes/no questions to identify a mystery character. You can DIY this game with flashcards of animals, jobs, or even classmates.

What kids practice:

Forming questions in English
Using descriptive adjectives
Critical thinking and elimination

For example:
“Does your person have glasses?”
“Is your person a teacher?”
“Is it a dog?”

The repetitive questioning structure helps build fluency, especially when children learn to use new adjectives or professions.

8. Board Games that Talk Back

https://www.flipkart.com/united-toys-talk-back-strategy-war-games-board-game/p/itmdrcs5gmdmddey

Many popular board games can be adapted for English learning. Try these tweaks:

Monopoly: Use only English, add vocabulary challenges to properties.
Snakes & Ladders: Each square has an English word the player must define or use in a sentence.
Memory/Matching Games: Use word-image cards to match vocabulary terms.

Board games build concentration and encourage structured communication. When everyone is using English to play, it becomes second nature over time.

9. Online English Game Platforms (With Parental Supervision)

https://www.eslgamesplus.com/

A little screen time can go a long way if used wisely. Many websites offer fun, interactive English games for children, such as:

Starfall
PBS Kids
British Council LearnEnglish Kids

These platforms feature songs, animated games, storytelling, and more. They work best when paired with adult guidance—so a parent or tutor can help children stay focused and reinforce learning points.

10. Role Play: Real-Life English for Everyday Fun

https://eslinfo.com/role-play-scenarios-for-real-life-conversations/

Kids love pretending. Set up situations where they role-play everyday conversations:

At the grocery store
Ordering food at a restaurant
Visiting the doctor
Buying toys

Create simple dialogues and switch roles. Use props or costumes to make it even more engaging.

Skills practiced:

Speaking and listening
Social English expressions
Situational vocabulary

Role play teaches children how to use English in real-life settings—building confidence and preparing them for actual interactions.

Why games work:

Reduce pressure and fear of making mistakes
Increase repetition without boredom
Turn English into a tool for fun, not just a subject to study

By embedding English into their favorite activities, children begin to see it not as a foreign language, but as a normal part of communication.

Ready to Take It Further?

If you’re looking for a structured but fun way to boost your child’s English skills, games are the perfect start—but they’re even more powerful when paired with professional guidance.

That’s where IELC comes in. At IELC, we believe English learning should be effective and enjoyable. Whether your child is just starting out or already has a solid foundation, IELC offers courses tailored to every age and ability. So why not turn game time into language growth—and give your child the gift of English fluency?Join the IELC community today—where English is fun, friendly, and full of possibilities.

Next steps

Do you want to speak English with confidence?

Most people lack confidence when they speak English. They are afraid to make mistakes and are embarrassed to speak in front of others.

This is because they have been taught English the wrong way!

Most English courses waste your time and money on useless exercises that don’t bring results. Even worse, they teach you bad habits that are very difficult to unlearn.

As a result, you become confused and lack confidence. This is wrong!

At IELC, we teach English the right way

Our goal is to get you speaking in English with fluency and confidence as fast as possible. We want to give you the skills you need to fulfil your potential!

Our experienced teachers will guide you along every step of the learning process to ensure that you are not wasting your time, money, and energy on useless language exercises & wrong methods.