Games Games Games!

The end of the academic year is fast approaching so I’d like to treat my students to more games. They’ve been working very hard and I think they deserve to relax and have a bit more fun than we usually do. In this post I’d like to write about the games I find very popular among my students, but I’d also like to ask you to tell me what games have worked for you and your students.

This course we've played a lot of games based on role-plays, which my students have thoroughly enjoyed. I was pleasantly surprised to see both my teen and adult students get into their characters and use English in “real” life situations. Even my shyest students were eager to participate! If you struggle with finding ideas for role play activities, I recommend that you get a copy of Role Plays for Today by Jason Anderson . It’s a great book with plenty of interesting ideas for EFL students of all levels.

I’ve also exploited my blackboard a bit more and have played various games such as jeopardy, pictionary, hot seat and other fun games you can read about here.


It’s not a secret that I’m addicted to Amazon. I can’t go a week without ordering something. I usually order books and DVDs, but this year I’ve bought quite a few board games which I’m happy to play both with my friends and my students (teacher’s life can be truly great!).


I’m sure you’ve all played Taboo. It’s a great game and it always gets my students excited. It can be, however, a tad difficult for younger or less advanced learners. In that case I recommend Don't Say It! It’s like the Taboo game, but it’s designed for children and lower level learners of English.

I’m also convinced you’ve heard of Rory's Story Cubes. It’s a very nice and simple game which encourages learners to use their imagination and tell a story. It’s been enjoyed by my younger and older students (including adult learners). I need to warn you though: some kids make an awful lot of noise with these cubes so you might want to use Soft Foam Story Cubes . Just saying… ;)

If you enjoy storytelling games, you’ll like What's up? What’s up? is a card game in which all the players have to create a fun story using the pictures on the game cards. To spice the game up a bit, there are some special cards which make things more complicated, thus more interesting. If you decide to buy this game, remember to have a look at the cards beforehand: there are some pictures which might not be appropriate for the age or cultural background of your students. For example, I decided to get rid of a card with a picture of a condom cause I just didn’t want to deal with my teenage students’ giggles or some possibly awkward questions from my YL.

Another game which has been pretty fun for my students is BrainBox: English.I must say I had been quite reluctant to buy this game, but following a fellow teacher’s recommendation I decided to give it a go and I’m definitely not sorry! It appeared to be quite engaging and my students like how competitive it can get. It’s also a great exercise to improve one’s memory! Definitely worth buying.

I’d like to end this post with my personal favourite…a game which, no modesty here, made me pretty famous at school…kids talk to one another about this game and play it after school with their friends and families. Even my boyfriend got hooked up on this game and wanted to play for hours and hours. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Black Stories. Black stories are mysterious riddles for teenagers and adults. Your students will have to solve crimes by asking yes/no questions. I'm jealous of those of you who haven't played Black Stories yet. There's so much fun awaiting you :)


Well, these are some of my favourite games I like playing with my students. What are yours?