ESL Activities That Always Work with Children (Even on Chaos Days)
If your ESL lesson with kids suddenly goes off the rails, you don’t need more activities — you need reliable ones. These five ESL activities always work because they’re short, flexible, low-pressure, and easy to manage, even with noisy or tired classes.
Table of Contents
Why ESL Activities Fail with Children
Activity 1: Magic Box
Activity 2: Point and Say
Activity 3: Sleep
Activity 4: Pass the Ball
Activity 5: Draw and Guess
Why These Activities Always Work
Teaching Tips That Make or Break Any Activity
Next Steps for New & Developing ESL Teachers
Why ESL Activities Fail with Children
If an activity doesn’t work with kids, it’s usually not the activity itself. The problem is often:
Instructions are too long
Rules aren’t demonstrated
The pace is too slow
The activity runs for too long
With children, short, clear, and repeatable beats clever every time.
Activity 1: Magic Box
How it works
Bring a box or bag to class
Put real objects or flashcards inside (animals, food, toys, classroom items)
Tell students there’s something mysterious inside
Slowly take out one item at a time
Before revealing it, ask:
What is it?
Is it big or small?
What colour is it?
Then reveal the object and say the word together.
Why it always works
Children love mystery and surprise. Curiosity replaces noise and misbehaviour, and students speak without pressure.
Best for:
Vocabulary
Adjectives
Simple sentence patterns
Pro tip:
Let students reach into the box only after answering a question.
Activity 2: Point and Say
How it works
Stick flashcards or pictures around the classroom
Say a word, phrase, or sentence
Students point to or walk to the correct card
After a few rounds, students say the word or sentence themselves.
Why it always works
This activity combines movement with language, keeping attention high and behaviour easy to manage.
Best for:
Vocabulary
Phonics
Basic sentence structures
Pro tip:
Turn it into teams for excitement — without losing control.
Activity 3: Sleep
How it works
Put 6–8 flashcards on the board
Review the words together
Say clearly: “Sleep.”
Students put heads down and close eyes
Quietly remove one card
Say: “Wake up.”
Students shout the missing word
Why it always works
The routine creates calm, focus, and full participation — especially with tired or noisy classes.
Best for:
Vocabulary review
Memory building
Resetting energy
Higher levels:
Remove two cards
Require a full sentence: “The missing word is…”
Activity 4: Pass the Ball
How it works
Students sit or stand in a circle
They pass a soft ball while counting or music plays
When the music stops, the student holding the ball speaks
They might:
Say a word
Say a short sentence
Answer a teacher question
Why it always works
Turn-taking is clear, speaking is low-pressure, and suspense keeps everyone focused.
Best for:
Almost any language point.
Pro tip:
Always model the answer first so no one panics.
Activity 5: Draw and Guess
How it works
One student draws a target word or sentence on the board
No letters, numbers, or gestures
The class guesses by calling out the answer
First correct student becomes the next artist
Keep drawing time to 20–30 seconds.
Why it always works
It’s visual, fast, and low-anxiety. When anxiety drops, language sticks.
Best for:
Mixed-level classes
Vocabulary review
Speaking confidence
Pro tip:
Praise effort, not drawing quality. Fast rounds keep energy high.
Why These ESL Activities Always Work
All five activities share the same strengths:
Clear routines
Short instructions
Built-in classroom management
Low speaking pressure
Easy to adapt for age and level
They’re not fancy — they’re reliable.
Teaching Tip: The Real Secret
You don’t need 100 activities.
You need 5 you trust.
When kids are noisy, tired, distracted, or over-excited, these activities will save your lesson again and again.
If you want to feel confident managing children’s ESL classes — not just surviving them — our TESOL courses (online and in-class in Vietnam) focus heavily on real classroom techniques that actually work.
👉 Download the TESOL course guide (PDF)
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