In language lessons, one thing is essential: movement, laughter, and plenty of communication!
To keep learning playful, I regularly use different games – some you might recognize from a family game collection, others I’ve adapted especially for my courses or developed myself. Here I’m sharing my favorite games, including small homework ideas. Maybe you’ll find something that works for you too?
🎲 Bargaining – talk, trade, laugh!
These materials are for classroom use only and not for commercial purposes. All content is created for educational use with students.
💡 Perfect for language practice! While bargaining, students have to talk, agree, and stay polite.
🏠 Homework: Bargain Time – only in English!
👑 Who will be the Bargain King or Queen?
🐺 Werewolves – a thrilling language game
A role-play full of suspense: a narrator guides through the night while werewolves, villagers, seers & more carry out their actions. Who will survive until morning?
🏠 Homework: Create your own game!
These materials are for classroom use only and not for commercial purposes. All content is created for educational use with students.
🎨 Draw your own characters and play your very own Werewolf version at home!
Tip: “The confused one,” “The cook,” “The cat” – let your imagination run wild!
🎉 Partytime – creativity on all channels
A multi-round game: words are explained, drawn, modeled with dough, or acted out in pantomime. Perfect for vocabulary review!
🐛 Cheating Games
Whoever manages to “cheat away” their cards wins. But watch out – this only works with a good sense of timing. Boosts attention and fun!
👀 More game ideas for the classroom:
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2 Words trouble – Find two identical pictures among many (see my blog post!)
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Elfer raus – Practice numbers 1–20 playfully
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UNO with special rules – swap hands on “0,” sneak in a card of the same color, etc.
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Snakes and Ladders – Create your own board (see my blog post!)
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Quartet – DIY with animals, jobs, hobbies, or vocabulary fields
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I spy with my little eye... – Language practice in everyday life
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Story dice – One picture = one sentence. Pure creativity!
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Matching Games – Fairy tales, paintings, objects, our flashcards
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Bingo – Always a classic for vocabulary or grammar
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Funny sentences – Pictures combine into a silly / quirky sentence
The green spider is dancing, because it's snowing candy! (Halloween edition)
The present is under the leaf, while the duck is clapping its feet.
These materials are for classroom use only and not for commercial purposes. All content is created for educational use with students.
📌 Conclusion
Of course, this list is not complete – I regularly add to it whenever new ideas come up or a particularly successful game finds its way into my lessons.
What games do you like to play in class?
Do you have activities that work really well or a game that’s especially popular with your students?
➡️ Get in touch – I’d love to hear your ideas!
