Top 50 Fun and No Prep Chinese & ESL Classroom Games and Activities

As a Chinese and English teacher, I love fun and no prep classroom games and activities. Classroom games and activities can save teachers preparation time and have flexibility that can be adjusted for students with varying skill levels. They can be used as warmer, cooler, or stirrer. As for students, with fun activities students can be more attentive and would like to participate more in the class.

In this post, you can find 50 classroom games and activities for your Chinese classroom, English classroom or other language learning classroom. You can fit them into different learning styles, student needs, and classroom environments.

Activity 1: Hang-man

• Props: a marker or a chalk (for blackboard use)
• Instructions/Notes: Classic word-guessing game. Draw blank lines on the board. Students guess letters. Incorrect guesses lead to drawing a “hangman.”
• Language Target: English vocabulary, Chinese Pinyin

Activity 2: Spin and Tell (1)

• Props: A marker, a big spinner arrow
• Instructions/Notes: This is a low-prep activity. Draw a large circle on the whiteboard, place an arrow in the center. Spin the arrow and respond according to the segment landed. The segments can be any categories (e.g., animals, food, verbs, adjectives), students spin and say or write a requested number of the words of the category they spin.
• Language Target: Vocabulary
• It is also perfect for quick decision-making during a Chinese or ESL class when you want to decide 1) Who Goes First? Write students’ names or group numbers on the wheel. Spin to choose who starts a game, presentation, or activity. 2) Pick a Team or Group Use it to assign students to teams or pairings randomly.

Activity 3: Spin and Tell (2)

• Props: A printed spinner wheel, a small spinner arrow or paper clip and a pencil
• Instructions/Notes: Write grammar topics or sentence structures on the wheel (e.g., past tense, present continuous, conditionals). Students spin and create a sentence using that structure. Write sentence structures on the wheel. Students flick a paper clip, read aloud, then roll a die to earn points.
• To make it more fun, add points on each segment, at the end of the activity student or team who gets the most points wins.
• Language Target: Grammar, sentence structure.

Activity 4: Roll and Tell

• Props: Dice, questions list
• Instructions/Notes: Students work in pairs or small groups, take turns to roll the dice and answer the question that next to the number that they land on.
• Language Target: Vocabulary, sentence fluency

Activity 5: Roll and Take

• Props: a marker, a die, flashcards
• Language Target: Vocabulary, Pinyin
• Instructions/Notes: Create a grid on the board and write the numbers 1-6 in the first row. Write the category or Chinese Pinyin in the second row. Divide students into two groups. Place the flashcards on the table. Groups take turns rolling the die and saying the words of the corresponding category, and taking the card while saying the word. Play until all the cards are taken.

This activity can also be used for Chinese Pinyin practice.

or

Activity 6: Snowball

• Props: Flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Students sit in a circle or around a table. Spread a group of flashcards, the first student choose a card to read, then the next student repeat the word and add one word from the cards. Continue the game until all the words on the flashcards are read.
• Language Target: Vocabulary recall

Activity 7: Rock Paper Scissors – Vocabulary Review

• Props: A marker
• Instructions/Notes: Assign categories to each choice (e.g., Rock = Animals, Paper = Food, Scissors = Jobs). Write them on the board. Students play rock paper scissors and the winner must say a word from their winning category. For example, a student wins with paper, then he or she must say a word from food category and wins 1 point. Set a timer for the game. Student who gets most points wins. This can be played in pairs or two groups.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 8: Tic-Tac-Toe

• Props: A marker
• Instructions/Notes: It is a low-prep classic grid game. Students must answer questions or use target language before placing an X or O. This activity can also be used for vocabulary practice. Draw a Tic-Tac-Toe grid with 9 squares. In each square, place a vocabulary word. Divide students into two teams. Teams take turns choosing a square. To claim it, they must say the word correctly. If the team is correct, they place their symbol (X or O) in the square. The first team to get 3 in a row wins.
• Language Target: Speaking, vocabulary, grammar

Activity 9: Bingo

• Props: Bingo cards, Bingo Sheet, pencils, a pouch
• Instructions/Notes: This activity can be themed by unit (food, animals, etc.). With blank bingo sheets, teacher shows the bingo cards one by one and have students write the words randomly in the bingo grids. Then put the bingo cards in the pouch, teacher or student draws out a card from the pouch and show it to the students. Students read and circle the word in their grid. The student who circles three square in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally wins.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 10: RPA Battle

• Props: Flashcards, a die with number 1 to 3 （Check out our free dice templates)
• Instructions/Notes: Place a group of flashcards in a row on the floor. Divide students into two groups. Have each group line up at opposite ends of the row of flashcards. The game starts. The first students from the two groups play rock-paper-scissors. The winning student starts to toss the die. They step to the corresponding card and say the word. Then the first student from another group does the same. When two students meet on the same flashcard, have them play rock-paper-scissors. The winning student continues, while the student who lost goes to the back of their group’s line. Another student from that group takes over. The first group to reach the other end wins the game.
• Language Target: Vocabulary/phrases

Activity 11: Quick Point

• Props: Flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Spread a group of flashcards on the table. Students put their hands on their head. Game starts. The teacher says a word on one of the flashcards aloud. Upon hearing the word, students put their index finger on the flashcard quickly. The student who puts their index finger on the flashcard first takes the card. Do it until all the flashcards are taken. This game can be done by pairs or small groups.
• Language Target: Listening and recognition

Activity 12: Ear to Ear

• Props: Flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Students line up or form a Circle. The teacher whispers a sentence to the first student. Or alternatively, the first student select three words from the flashcards. Then the first student whispers it once only to the next student, and so on. The last student in the line says the sentence out loud. Then, compare it with the original.
• Language Target: Sentence, vocabulary

Activity 13: Pictionary

• Props: Markers
• Instructions/Notes: Use flashcards or slips of paper with words from recent lessons (e.g., animals, jobs, actions, idioms, etc.).Choose one student comes to the front as the “artist”. The teacher shows the word to the artist (privately). The artist has 30–60 seconds to draw clues on the board—no writing word or talking! The other students guess the word aloud. The student who guesses correctly gets one point. Switch artist and continue.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 14: 20 Questions (Yes/No)

• Props: None
• Instructions/Notes: One student (or the teacher) thinks of a secret word (e.g., “a cat”, “Minion”, “amusement part”). The class (or team) takes turns asking yes/no questions: Is it a person?/ Can it fly?/ Is it something you eat?/ Is it famous? They get up to 20 questions to figure it out. If the student guesses correctly, they win! For lower levels, reduce it to 10 questions.
• Language Target: Grammar, question formation

Activity 15: Stretch Step

• Props: Flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Place a group of flashcards on the table or on the floor. Have two students play Rock-Paper-Scissors, the winning student reads a word on the flashcard and get the card. The student who lost stretches one step. It ends when one of the students falls. The student with more flashcards wins.
• Language Target: Vocabulary, speaking

Activity 16: Concentration

• Props: A set of matching cards
• Instructions/Notes: It is a classic memory game. Match pairs of related cards such as word-word, word-picture, or picture-picture; opposites (big–small, happy–sad), question + answer. Lay all cards face down. Mix them up and lay them in a grid pattern (e.g., 4×4, 5×5). Students take turns to flip over cards. On each turn, a student flips over two cards. If the cards match (e.g., apple + picture of an apple), they keep the pair and get another turn. If not, turn both cards back over and move to the next player. Continue until all pairs are found. The student/team with the most pairs at the end wins.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 17: Toss the Ball

• Props: A soft ball (or any safe object to pass), flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: It is perfect for vocabulary review and ice-breaking. As ice-breaker, I always do this activity at the beginning of a new school year, or when a new student joins the class. Have students stand or sit in a circle. Toss the ball to a student (avoid tossing the ball to a new student at the beginning in case he/she feels shy or embarrassed) and ask questions about his/her name, age, hobby, favorite food etc., then ask the same questions to the next student and so so.This say, students can get to know each other well and meanwhile to practice their listening and speaking. As for vocabulary review, Have students stand or sit in a circle. Toss the ball to a student, randomly draw a flashcard from a group of flashcards, have the student who has the ball say the word. Then ask the student to pass the ball to another student and repeat the activity until all the students have participated. This activity can also be used for grammar practice, for example, “What is your favorite…?” “Can you …?”
• Language Target: Self-introduction, vocabulary, grammar

Activity 18: Pass the Bomb

• Props: A soft ball, a timer
• Instructions/Notes: Set a category (e.g., animals, fruits, verbs). Students pass the ball “bomb” around, saying a word in the category. When the timer goes off or music stops, whoever has the “bomb” is out or loses a point!
• Language Target: Vocabulary or grammar fluency

Activity 19: Beat the Clock

• Props: Timer, flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Give a set of disordered flashcards to the student or group. The set of cards can be days of the week, months of the year, Alphabet etc., Students put the cards into correct order as quickly as they can. Time each student or group, the fastest student or group wins.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 20: Quiz Questions

• Props: Question list
• Instructions/Notes: The quiz master (teacher or game leader) reads a question aloud. then give 3 answer choices (write A,B,C three answers on the whiteboard/blackboard if needed). Students can say their answers aloud. The quiz master then says the right answer.
• Language Target: Grammar, general review

Activity 21: Missing Card

• Props: Flashcards
  • Instructions/Notes: Lay out several flashcards (depends on students level, I usually do 5-8 cards), let students close their eyes, then secretly remove one flashcards. Students guess which one is missing. To make it more difficult, you can remove two flashcards and let students guess.
• Language Target: Vocabulary recall, memory

Activity 22: Slowly Revealing

• Props: Picture or word card
• Instructions/Notes: Reveal a picture or word slowly, bit by bit. Students guess what it is as more is revealed.
• Language Target: Vocabulary prediction

Activity 23: I Spy

• Props: Classroom objects or pictures
• Instructions/Notes: One student says “I spy with my little eye…（in Chinese: 我看到……/Wǒ kàn dào…) ” other students take turns guessing what the object might be by asking questions like “Is it red?” “Is it triangle?” etc..
• Language Target: Descriptive language, adjectives

Activity 24: Snakes and Ladders

• Props: Game board, dice, tokens
• Instructions/Notes: Each square has a task (sentence, vocab, Q&A). Each player places their token at square 1 (the start). Players take turns rolling the dice. Move their token forward the number of spaces shown on the dice. If student lands on the bottom of a ladder 🪜: Climb up to the square at the top of the ladder. If student lands on the head of a snake 🐍: Slide down to the square at the snake’s tail. Student who reaches the goal square first wins.
• Language Target: Vocabulary, sentence building, quizzes

Activity 25: Count Up Stand Up

• Props: None
• Instructions/Notes: 5 or more (works best with a whole class). Students can practice numbers, alphabets, or rhythms etc. with this activity.
• Everyone starts seated. Without taking turns or going in order, players randomly stand up and say the next number in sequence (starting from 1). One person stands and says “One.” Another stands and says “Two,” and so on. If two players stand and say a number at the same time, both sit down. Continue until the group successfully counts to a target number (like 10, 20, or more).
• Language Target: Numbers, rhythm, attention

Activity 26: Word Association

• Props: None
• Instructions/Notes: This is a no prep activity. The first student says a word (e.g., “yellow”). The next student quickly says a related word (e.g., “banana”). The next student says another related word (e.g., “fruit”), and so on (e.g., “sweet”, “sugar”, “cake”, etc.). No repeating words and no long pauses (e.g., more than 5 seconds). If someone hesitates, says something unrelated, or repeats — they’re out (or lose a point, depending on your rules).
• Language Target: Vocabulary, quick recall

Activity 27: Spin and Tell

• Props: A spinner wheel ( it can be a printed version, check out free spinner wheel templates)
• Instructions/Notes: A spinner divided into sections. Each section has:
  • A question (e.g., “What’s your favorite food?”), or
  • A topic (e.g., “Family” or “Hobbies”) or
  • A task (e.g., “Tell a story,” “Describe this,” “Give 3 examples”)
    One student spins the spinner. The spinner lands on a prompt or topic and the student responds by speaking for 20–60 seconds (depending on age/level).
• For Young Learners: Use pictures instead of text on the spinner (e.g., 🍕 🐶 🏀 🏫), and have students name, describe, or make a sentence with it.
• Language Target: Grammar, vocabulary, speaking, story telling

Activity 28: Bowl of Fun – Vocab Review

• Props: A bowl (or a jar, a box etc..), slips of paper (or with words or phrases on it), a timer (e.g., 1 minute per round)
• Instructions/Notes: Each student writes 3–5 words or phrases on slips of paper and puts them in the bowl. Examples:
  • “Banana”
  • “Singing in the shower”
  • “Superhero”
  • “Doing homework”
• There are 3 rounds for this game.
  • Round 1 – Describe Freely: One team member pulls a slip and describes the word/phrase without saying it. Teammates try to guess. Skip if needed.Count how many correct guesses the team makes in 1 minute. Then the other team goes. All slips go back into the bowl after round 1.
  • Round 2 – One Word Only: Same words, but you can say only ONE word as a clue! No gestures, no sounds — just one word. Teammates guess based on memory + that word. All slips go back into the bowl after round 2.
  • Round 3 – Act It Out (Charades): No words at all! You must act out the word or phrase. Teammates guess based on your miming. The team with the most correct guesses wins!
• Language Target: Vocabulary review

Activity 29: Scramble Sentences

• Props: Cards
• Instructions/Notes: Students rearrange jumbled words to form a correct and meaningful sentence. Teachers prepare a list of 1-3 scrambled sentences. Give the scrambled sentence to the players on flashcards/on paper/on the board/say it aloud. Players rearrange the words to make a grammatically correct sentence.
• Language Target: Spelling, sequencing, grammar

Activity 30: Paper ball

• Props: Paper balls
• Instructions/Notes: Students write answers or questions, crumple, and toss. Others open and respond.
• Language Target: Writing and Q&A

Activity 31: Card Tower

• Props: Blank cards (suggest thicker paper), markers or pens, a list of vocabulary words or target grammar structures
• Instructions/Notes: Write one vocabulary word or grammar target on each card. Fold each card in half to make it easier to stack and build. The goal is to work together to use all the cards and build a tower cooperatively. Students must take turns reading the word aloud as they place it on the tower. To make it more challenging, they can use every card in a sentence. Suggested at least 12 cards for this activity.
• Language Target: Speaking fluency and confidence, plus: peer support and cooperative learning
• Language Target: English, Chinese Pinyin

Activity 32: Say and Clap at a Quick Pace

• Props: List of vocabulary or flashcards
• Instructions/Notes: Say and clap hands at a quick pace is a high-energy activity. It is a fun language learning exercise that helps students practice vocabulary and pronunciation. Teacher leads with a word/phrase and clap rhythm.
  • Example: teacher says “apple, apple” then clap twice. Students repeat both the word “apple, apple” then clap twice. Keep the rhythm going and go through all the words/phrase you would like the students to practice.
• Language Target: Pronunciation, fluency

Activity 33: Back to Back Pictures

• Props: Pictures
• Instructions/Notes: Partners sit back to back. One describes a picture, the other draws it.
• Language Target: Descriptive language, listening

Activity 34: Charades

• Props: Word list
• Instructions/Notes: Divide the Class into Teams. 2 teams usually works well, but you can adjust for class size. One player acts, the others guess. A student draws a word card and silently acts out the word or phrase. No speaking, mouthing words, or pointing to classroom objects. Set a time limit (e.g., 1 minute) per turn. If the team guesses correctly, they earn a point. Then it’s the other team’s turn.
• Language Target: Vocabulary, verbs

Activity 35: Barrier Game

• Props: Two identical sets of picture cards, vocabulary cards, or symbol cards, a barrier (file folder, large book, standing notebook) to put between the students.
  
• Instructions/Notes:
  • Pair Up Students
  • Each student receives the same set of cards.
  • Have them sit facing each other with a barrier (eg. a book, file folder, or other standing object) in between so they can’t see each other’s cards.
  • Student 1 silently arranges their cards in a line (or in a grid) behind the barrier. When finished, describes the Layout. Student 1 gives step-by-step verbal instructions to Student B to help them recreate the layout.
  • Example:
    • “First/No.1 is the blue cat.”
    • “Next to it/No.2 is a red car.”
    • “The third card/No.3 is a yellow banana.”
  • Student 2 Follows and Places Cards. Student 2 listens carefully and tries to recreate the layout exactly based on Student 1’s descriptions.
  • Check and Switch Roles
  • Once finished, remove the barrier and compare layouts.
• Language Target:
  • Prepositions: next to, between, on the left, at the end;
  • Colors, shapes, animals, objects;
  • Ordinals: first, second, third…;
  • Descriptive sentences: “It’s a big, green apple.”

Activity 36: Guessing Game

• Props: An object (realia) from around the classroom or themed to a lesson, a piece of tissue, handkerchief, small towel, or scarf to cover each object
• Instructions/Notes: Set the Rules: Students can/cannot touch the object—only ask questions or make guesses. You (or a student leader) answer the questions.
  • Start the Guessing. Students ask yes/no questions to gather clues:
  • “Is it made of plastic?”
  • “Can you eat it?”
  • “Is it round?”
  • “Is it bigger than your hand?”
• You answer yes, no, or give hints as needed (you can allow a few open-ended questions for higher levels). After a few clues, students try to guess what the object is. You can allow one guess per person or team, or open it up freely. Lift the cloth and show the object. Talk briefly about it (e.g., what it’s used for, describe its parts, where you find it).
• Language Target:
  • Yes/no question formation
  • Descriptive adjectives: soft, metal, small, bumpy, colorful
  • Categorization: Is it a tool? A toy? A kind of food?

Activity 37: Hidden Picture

• Props: Covered picture or slides
• Instructions/Notes: Reveal hidden parts of an image gradually. Students guess what it is.
• Language Target: Visual vocabulary, predictions

Activity 38: Relay Race

• Props: Two identical sets of word cards or picture cards
• Instructions/Notes: Divide students into two or more teams. Have each team sit in a row. Place a set of the cards at the front of the class. Teacher shows a card to the last student (student 1) in each row. Student 1 whispers the word to student 2, and so on until the word reaches the first student. This student races to the front of the class and picks up the corresponding card and read the word. The fist team to reach the correct card wins.
• Alternatively, category race game: Only take cards from a certain category (e.g., “Only animals!”), and explain why.
• Language Target: Speed vocabulary, competition

Activity 39: Word Puzzles

• Props: Blank sheets of paper, Scissors, Markers or pens, (Optional) Envelopes or small bags to store puzzle pieces Puzzle pieces of words/Chinese characters(Hanzi)
• Instructions/Notes: Put together pieces to match letters with pictures or words.
  • Preparation: Each student (or pair/small group) writes a word or a Chinese character (Hanzi) in large, clear writing on a piece of paper.
    • Note: For younger students, teachers should prepare the puzzle pieces in advance by doing the cutting themselves to avoid any safety hazards.
  • Cut the paper into four pieces, dividing it creatively (e.g., diagonally, into quarters).
  • The cut pieces become puzzle pieces.
  • Mix and Match:
  • Collect the puzzle pieces and mix each word puzzles up.
  • Exchange the mixed pieces randomly with other group.
  • Students work to find and reassemble the full word or character.
  • Extension Options:
    • After reassembling, students can:
    • Read the word/Hanzi aloud.
    • Use it in a sentence.
    • Translate it or give its meaning.
    • Draw a picture related to the word.
• Language Target: word recognition and character structure awareness
  

Want some print-and-go Chinese Character jigsaw puzzles? Check it out 👇

Activity 40: Matching Game

• Props: A set of word cards and a set of corresponding picture cards (or definition cards)
• Instructions/Notes: Match word to images (or definitions). Distribute the picture flashcards to the students evenly. The teacher draws a word card from the word card set and show it to the students, and the student who has the matching picture card stands up, shows it to the class, and reads the word aloud.
• Language Target: Alphabet, vocabulary

Activity 41: Category Bubbles

• Props: A marker
• Instructions/Notes: Teacher draws a bubble and writes a category word on the blackboard/whiteboard (eg: fruit ), then students say the names of fruit (eg: apple, orange, banana, etc.). It can be done one by one. Or to make it more fun and competitive, you can divide class into groups.
• Language Target: Classification, vocabulary grouping

Activity 42: Big Soft Dice with Questions

• Props: Blank paper, a pen/marker, big soft die
• Instructions/Notes: Roll the dice and answer the question on top.
• Language Target: Q&A practice

For the below activities of using images ( Activity 43-activity 47) in class, I learned them from a blog post Unlocking the power of images: Practical strategies to promote visual literacy in class published 23 February 2025, by Viviane Kirmeliene, Author at World of Better Learning, Cambridge.

I adopted these activities in my class and found that students really enjoyed and engaged. They made my classes more effective. And meanwhile, I enjoyed preparing the image materials and activities, and as a teacher I enjoyed the class as well!

Activity 43: Using Images –(1) Describing Images: Who am I?

• Props: Pictures from books, internet, etc.

• Instructions/Notes: Students create a role for a person (eg. a traveler, from the textbook, or any other image you bring.  Teacher can prompt them with different questions,  according to their language level:

What’s my name?

Where am I?

Why am I here?

What’s happening?

How am I feeling?

…

Students can then work  in pairs or individually to share their personas and ask questions to understand each other’s choice.

Language Target: Critical thinking while reinforcing vocabulary for descriptions, emotions, and settings.

Activity 44: Using Images – (2) What’s missing

• Props: Pictures
• Instructions/Notes: Teacher displays an image to students with an important part or two covered by sticky note etc.. Then have students guess what could be missing and explain their reasoning.
• Language Target: Descriptive phrases, vocabulary

Activity 45: Using Images – (3) Describing images: Points of view

• Props: Pictures
• Instructions/Notes: Describe image from different perspectives, open to multiple interpretations. Write related questions and choices. For example:
  • Image: A photo of a crowded city street during rush hour, with cars honking and people walking quickly.
  • Triggering Question:
    • “How do you feel about the noise and busyness of this street?”
  • Possible Roles:
    • An elderly resident who has lived on this street for 40 years
    • A tourist visiting the city for the first time
    • A street vendor trying to make a living
    • A child walking home from school
• Language Target: Descriptive language in different roles, story telling

Activity 46: Using Images – (4) Odd one out

• Props: Picture sets
• Instructions/Notes: “Odd one out” – pick which image doesn’t belong the category and explain why.
• Language Target: Vocabulary

Activity 47: Using Images – (5) Interpreting Images: What does the bag “say”?

• Props: Picture of bags, suitcase or other belongings with item images
• Instructions/Notes: Guess and describe what the bag or suitcase “says”—what’s inside or what it represents.  Speculate about its owner and talk about their life based on what students see in the bag and how the items are placed.
• Language Target: Descriptive  vocabulary for personal belongings and personality traits

For detailed instruction and notes on using images in class, check out Viviane Kirmeliene‘s post-Unlocking the power of images: Practical strategies to promote visual literacy in class.

48. Where is the Puppy?

Props: A small toy dog or puppy cutout

Instructions/Notes: A desk, a box, a chair, or a small classroom area (e.g: reading area with bookcase). One student (or the teacher) hides the puppy somewhere in the pre-agreed area (e.g., under the chair, behind the box). Other students ask yes/no questions to guess where it is.

Language Target: Preposition vocabulary, questions.

49. Scavenger Hunt

Props: A list of items or clue cards, optional: picture clues for lower levels

Instructions/Notes: Give students or teams a list of things to find (e.g., “Find something blue,” “Find a round object”). Students search the classroom. They bring or point to each item. They then put a check mark on the list after each item. Review as a class and have students name or describe what they found.

Language Target: Vocabulary

50. Visual Memorization

Props: Choice 1: A set of 5 to 10 flashcards; or choice 2: a tray with 5 to 10 objects and a cloth or towel to cover the tray

Instructions/Notes:

Choice 1: Lay five flashcards on the table (numbers of flashcards can be adjusted), give students 30 seconds to memorize the cards in order, then turn the flashcards over, let student say the word of each card in the correct order.

Choice 2: Show the tray with objects for 30 seconds. Cover it up. Students list or write the objects from memory. You can uncover the tray to check together.

Language Target: Vocabulary retention, descriptive language, and memory skills.