Have you got a kindergarten or young learner class that really needs to let off some steam? Or maybe you’re in charge of an EFL gym class or outdoor activity time? Try these 15 fun games for TEFL class while getting young learners up and running around outside, at recess, or in gym.

Note: Many of these games can be turned into team games and the teacher can keep track of points, but for very young students, I often choose to skip the competition element of these games because little kids are happy enough to run around with their friends and don’t really need any extra motivation.

1. Duck, Duck, Goose

In this classic game, students sit on the ground in a large circle. One student stands outside of the circle. This student walks slowly around the outside of the circle, touching his classmates on the head. Each time he taps a classmate, he says, “Duck.” He repeats this several times, until finally he taps a student and says, “Goose!” The classmate who has been tapped with “Goose!” must jump up and try to tag the classmate who tapped him. They run around the circle until either (A) the first student has been tagged, or (B) the first student has made it back to the second student’s spot and sat down. If the first student successfully sits down, then the second student is now “it” and must take the first student’s place to say “Duck, Duck, Goose.” If the second student tags the first student, then the first student is “it” again and must repeat the procedure.

To use this game to practice English vocabulary words, play the normal version a few times to make sure students understand the rules. Then change the words from “Duck, Duck, Goose” to something you’ve been learning in class, such as “Apple, Apple, Pear” or “Scooter, Scooter, Bicycle.”

2. Flashcard Shuttle Run

Have two students stand on one side of the gym or playground and put a row of flashcards on the other side. The teacher then calls out a flashcard. The two students must run and touch that flashcard with their hand, then run back to the teacher. The first student back is the winner.

Then repeat the shuttle run with two new students until everyone in the class has had a turn.

This game can be a team game and the teacher can add up points for which team has the most wins, but it can also just be a good way for students to run off some energy without any real competition.

3. 4 Corners

Get four different flashcards and put them into four corners of the court/gym/room. The teacher stands in the center of the room. Instruct the students to all choose a different corner to go stand in. Now the teacher closes his or her eyes and counts to ten. The students run around the room for ten seconds until they find a flashcard to stand next to. The teacher then yells stop and all the students must stop in a corner. Keeping his or her eyes closed, the teacher then shouts out a flashcard and opens his or her eyes. Whoever is standing in the corner with that flashcard is now out and must go sit down. The teacher then closes her eyes and counts again before choosing a different flashcard. The teacher repeats this procedure until there is only one student (or no students) left. The student left standing is the winner.

After the students have played the game a few times, then the teacher can go sit down and a student can go stand in the center of the room to count and announce flashcards.

4. Find the Flashcard

Hide flashcards around the room. Choose a few students to play at a time. The other students can stand off to the side to cheer their friends (or teams if you choose) on. The teacher then shouts a flashcard. The students who are playing run to try to find the flashcard before the other students do. Remind students that if two students find a flashcard at the same time, then they both win that round (to avoid students ripping flashcards).

For each round choose a new handful of students and either hide the flashcards again or simply shout out another flashcard which hasn’t been found yet.

You can designate teams and add up points for this game, but for very young students, they’re often motivated to simply find the cards and don’t need any point systems.

5. The Freeze Game

This game is super simply. Play some music and let the students dance. When the teacher stops the music, students must freeze. If they don’t, they’re out and must go sit down.

To incorporate ESL learning, hold up a flashcard each time students freeze and encourage them to shout out the word. You can also use an English-language song and encourage students to sing along if you like.

6. Dance like a Duck

In this game, the teacher plays some music and the students must dance like a vocabulary word. For example, the teacher might say, “Okay, everyone, pretend you’re a car!” Let students run around making car sounds until you stop the music. Then students must freeze, just like in The Freeze Game, but this time, the teacher changes the dance move, “Now you’re all airplanes!” Let students run around pretending to be airplanes, ducks, snakes, or whatever else they’re learning about in class until the teacher pauses the music and gives a new instruction.

7. Jump over the Line

Draw a line on the ground or use tape on the floor to create a line. Have students stand in a line along this line. The teacher stands at the front of the line and holds up two flashcards, one on either side of the line. The teacher shouts one of the flashcard words. Everyone must jump to that side of the line. Then the teacher shouts the other word, so students must jump back. Shout whichever word you like. If someone jumps to the wrong side, then they’re out. Repeat with two new flashcards.

8. Flashcard Hula Hoop Race

Put hula hoops around the room and place a flashcard in each hula hoop. Tell students that you’re going to say a flashcard and the students must run and put their foot into the hula hoop with that flashcard. Say a few different flashcards, letting students run around and try to find the right hula hoop. If you have a very large class, let students take turns, allowing only 10 or so students to play at a time. To make it challenging, regularly switch out the flashcards.

9. Hop on the Flashcard

Place flashcards flat on the ground in a line. Have the students line up at the start of the flashcard line. Show students how to hop on one foot between the flashcards and say the flashcard word as they hop on it. Students must quickly and accurately hop across the line of flashcards, saying the words out loud as they go. When a student finishes the line of flashcards, they can go back to the end of the line of students and wait for another turn to try hopping across the line.

10. Hot Potato

Students sit or stand in a circle. The teacher gives one student a ball. The teacher plays some music. The students must pass the ball quickly in a circle. When the teacher stops the music, the child left holding the ball must answer an English question or say out loud what image is on a flashcard.

Repeat.

The game can be played with multiple balls at once to make it more exciting.

11. Simon Says

Simon says is an easy and active game that requires no materials. Simply give students instructions, like, “Simon says, hop on one foot. Simon says, dance. Simon says, spin in a circle.” Occasionally skip “Simon says” and just say, “Jump up and down.” Whoever does the activity without “Simon says” is out.

You can also let students practice being Simon and giving instructions to their classmates.

12. Dancing Groups (Number Game)

Play music, let students dance, then stop the music. Call out a number. The students must gather into groups of that number. So if you said, “Three!” then students must quickly get into groups of three.

Repeat and say a different number.

This is a fun game to practice numbers.

13. Musical Chairs

This classic game can be made TEFL appropriate by choosing an English song and encouraging students to sing the song as they play the game.

Gather all the students’ chairs and place them in a circle with the seat facing out. Play some music and when you stop the music, encourage students to sit down in the nearest chair. Then remove one chair. Play the music again, stop the music, and whoever doesn’t sit down in time is out. Repeat, removing a chair each time, until only a few students are left and declared a winner.

You can either play a song which the students are already familiar with, so that they can sing or you can can play a new song, but replay that song ever week until students start to memorize it.

14. Fruit Salad

Put all the students chairs into a circle with the seats facing in. Have everyone sit down. Now make a statement that is appropriate for your students age level. A simple one for any grade is simply saying a color that some students are wearing. So if you say, “Blue!” whoever is wearing blue should stand up and switch seats. For higher level students you can say, “I am wearing blue” or “Who is wearing blue?” Repeat with a few different examples until students get the hang of switch seats, then remove one chair.

Now play again, but whoever doesn’t sit down in time must stand in the middle and say the next statement. This student then tries to steal another student’s chair.

Play as many rounds as you like.

15. What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?

To play this classic game, the teacher stands on one end of the room and the kids stand on the other. The kids all chant, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and the teacher responds, “It’s 2 o’ clock.” The students then take two steps. The children chant again, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and the teacher chooses a different time. The students take that many steps. Repeat the chant several times until the teacher responds, “It’s dinner time!”

The teacher then chases the students and tags one of them. That student is now the new wolf and can take the teachers place. Alternatively, if your students are very young, then that student can become a helper wolf. The game would then start over and when the teacher says, “It’s dinner time!” both the tagged child and the teacher try to catch a student to join them.

The classic version of this game is great for practicing time and numbers. If you want to use this game to practice other vocabulary, check out this alternative version that is played with flashcards.