Are you looking for a fun ESL game to review vocabulary with kids (or adults too!). Then you’ll need to keep on reading to learn more about the flyswatter game. But, only if you want some ESL awesome in your life and classes.
Flyswatter Game: An ESL Vocabulary Game for Kids
Skills: Listening/Reading
Time: 5-10 minutes
Age: 7+
Materials: Whiteboard, 2 flyswatters
This is one of our favourite whiteboard games for ESL students. Check out some more top picks right here: Games to Play on a Whiteboard.
Here’s What To Do for the Fly Swatter Game
Flyswatter is a fun ESL vocabulary game for kids that can really energize your class at the end of a long day or semester. It makes an excellent way to review any new vocabulary that you’ve taught or as a warm-up at the beginning of the next class. One excellent example is for the ESL clothing unit.
Write the target words on the board in a random fashion. You can use 10-20 depending on the age and level of students. Divide the students into two teams. One person from each team comes up to the whiteboard and each person is given a flyswatter.
Give hints to describe one of the words and the first student to hit the word with the flyswatter gets a point for his/her team. If two students go for a word at the same time, the one on the bottom of the flyswatter stack gets the point. If a student makes an incorrect choice, he/she is out (no second chances).
I usually start with a very general hint and progress to more specific ones where the answer is quite obvious. It’s up to the student whether or not he/she wants to risk it and guess before the answer is apparent to everyone.
Procedure for Flyswatter:
1. Divide students into two teams.
2. Write 10-20 vocabulary words on the whiteboard in random fashion.
3. The first two students come to the board and are each given a flyswatter.
4. The teacher gives hints for one of the words, starting with general ones and getting more specific. I usually aim for about 3 hints before the first student will guess the word. Make it fun by going general at the start with students have a few options.
5. The student hits the word with his/her flyswatter when he/she knows the answer.
6. If correct, his/her team gets a point and the next two students come to the board. If incorrect, the other student is given a chance to guess the word and the teacher can give 1 more hint if necessary. Finally, if both students are incorrect, both will sit down and neither team gets a point.
7. You can erase the word once selected if you like. Or, keep them up there for the remainder of the activity. You can also erase the chosen word and add a new one in its’ place.
Do you Like this ESL Vocabulary Game for Kids?
It’s from 39 ESL Vocabulary Activities: for Kids (7+). There are 38 more vocabulary activities for kids that will make your classes awesome and your lesson planning easy. Happy, engaged students, guaranteed!
The key is to add some variety into your classes. This book will help you do just that.
You can click the link below to get the book on Amazon in both electronic and digital formats. The electronic version can be read on any smartphone, tablet, Mac, or PC by using the free Kindle app.
It’s easier than ever to have dozens of top-quality ESL activities and games at your fingertips anywhere you go. On the bookshelf in your office. At your favourite coffee shop on your phone.
Pick up your copy today. But, only if you’re ready for some ESL awesome in your life:
39 ESL Vocabulary Activities: For Kids (7+) on Amazon
Learn More about Teaching English Vocabulary to Kids
Check out this short video below to pick up some tips for teaching vocab to kids, including some fun games and activities you can use in your class.
Have your Say about English Vocabulary Activities and Games for Kids!
What are some of your favourite ESL vocabulary activities for kids? Or, have you tried out this ultimate fly swatter game? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us. We’d love to hear from you.
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Fly Wwatter Game: One of my favourite ESL vocabulary activities
Clue for all Teachers. When playing games that involve colours best to check the following”
1. You yourself are not colour blind (I am, so that presents a whole new dimension when colours are involved).
2. Your Students are not colour blind.
Testing for colour blindness can be done by Googling, yes it’s not a medical test but so far to date when I use the colour blind tests for my Vietnamese students it gives a basic indication.
So far I have had a near zero result for my female students (keep in mind it is rare for females to be colour blind).
A small % of my male students had varying degrees of colour blindness.
If you are colour blind be prepared for a barrage of “what colour is my T shirt, what colour is that, what colour is this”…I have a lot of fun but it does create a great opportunity to use as a Warm up.
Thanks so much for the game recommendation! It looks like a good one and I’ll try it out with my students.