Fun ESL Guessing Games That Build Speaking, Listening, and Vocabulary
Hey teacher friend! If you’re looking for a fast, high-talk-time activity that gets every learner speaking, listening, and using descriptive vocabulary, you can’t beat a good ESL guessing game. Below are my classroom-tested favorites—with brainstorming sheets, hint cards, and tons of scaffolds so even shy students jump in. You can grab each game individually, or browse the full Guessing Games collection.
1) What Am I? — Objects, Animals, People & Places -Ages 7+ / Mixed Levels:
Teaching older learners or mixed-ability groups? This all-in-one guessing game rotates among people, animals, places, and everyday objects. It’s endlessly replayable and amazing for descriptive language, question formation (“Is it made of…?”), and critical thinking.
- Differentiation: color-code cards by category; assign easier categories first, then level up.
- Grammar focus: encourage use of descriptive adjectives, verbs and nouns
- Assessment idea: After the round, students write a 3-sentence description using at least one adjective, one preposition, and one action verb.
2) “What Am I?” — Fruit & Vegetable Guessing Game
Ready for delicious food vocabulary practice? In this set, students describe common fruits and vegetables using season, color, taste adjectives, and category. It’s a lively way to spiral adjectives, countable nouns, and present simple while building real-world language for market/restaurant role plays.
- Pre-task planning: use the included brainstorm sheet as a quick homework assignment or bell ringer.
- Prompt help: the hint flip book keeps groups moving if they get stuck on a description.
- Movement add-on: pair this with Action Verb Charades to practice present continuous between rounds.
3) “What Am I?” — Animal Guessing Game
This printable animal guessing game is perfect for warm-ups, centers, and small-group speaking practice. Students describe the mystery animal using categories like color, body parts, action verbs, adjectives, and habitat/places. Teammates listen and guess—great for listening comprehension, present simple and present continuous practice, and adjective + noun combinations.
- Built-in support: a student brainstorming worksheet so learners can plan words and phrases before speaking.
- Independent option: a handy hint flip book for groups working without direct teacher support.
- Want more structure? See the full Animal Guessing Board Game with Clues section below.
Teacher tip: Give newcomers sentence frames like, “It has… / It can… / It lives… / It’s usually…”. For fast finishers, require two follow-up questions before the final guess.
Action Verb Charades (Present Continuous) — Printable Charades for ESL
If your class needs more present continuous practice with real speaking and listening, this action verb charades set is a lifesaver. Students pull a card and silently act the verb while teammates make full-sentence guesses: “She is stirring,” “He’s riding a bike,” “They’re playing the guitar.” It’s energetic, zero-prep, and perfect for warm-ups, brain breaks, or stations.
Why it works
- Grammar in motion: automatic practice with be + verb-ing, subject–verb agreement, and spelling changes.
- High talk time: everyone is either acting, guessing, or confirming.
- TPR memory boost: actions make new verbs stick for ELLs and young learners.
How to play (2–3 minutes per round)
- Divide into teams of 3–5. One student draws a verb card and mimes the action.
- Teammates must guess in full sentences: “He is…” / “She’s…” / “They are…”
- First accurate sentence earns a point. Rotate actor and repeat.
Differentiate & extend
- A1–A2: Provide frames on the board: He/She is ____ing. / They are ____ing.
- B1+: Require an adverb or preposition: “She’s running quickly across the room.”
- Writing tie-in: After three rounds, students write a mini paragraph using five different present continuous verbs.
Grab the ready-to-print cards here: Action Verb Charades – Present Continuous.
Animal Guessing Game — Board Game with Clues
Want the fun of guessing games plus the structure of a board game? This Animal Guessing Game Board Game mixes speaking, listening, and descriptive vocabulary with turn-taking and movement. Players roll, move, draw a clue card, and describe the mystery animal using categories like color, body parts, movement, habitat, and diet. Teammates guess using complete sentences.
Classroom benefits
- Structured talk: the board regulates turns so everyone speaks and listens.
- Academic language: students use adjectives, prepositions, and present simple to describe traits and habitats.
- Built-in differentiation: use basic clue cards for newcomers or advanced cards with two-step prompts for B1+.
Sample turn script
Player A: “It has stripes and it lives in the jungle.”
Player B: “Is it a tiger?”
Player A: “Yes, it is!” (move again or earn a token)
How to use across units
- Science connections: add labels for mammal, reptile, amphibian or carnivore/herbivore/omnivore.
- Writing extension: turn the winning guess into a short report with appearance, habitat, diet, and fun fact.
- Assessment: Collect one clue sentence per student; check adjective order and subject–verb agreement.
Get the set here: Animal Guessing Game – Board Game with Clues.
4) Community Helpers: GUESS WHO? Bingo (Jobs & Careers)
Meet the job that keeps your town running! This printable + digital Bingo game features 24 community helpers. Call out the vocabulary word or a short clue (“This person helps you when you’re sick.”), and students listen, infer, and cover the match.
- 3 levels included: word only, teacher-generated hints, and student-created hints for advanced learners.
- Distance-friendly: Google Slides™ option for quick drag-and-drop play.
- Career vocabulary + listening comprehension + speaking practice in one easy center.
What’s included
- 25 printable Bingo boards with 25 different jobs
- Calling cards: word/image (Level 1) and description/hint (Level 2)
- Student “Create Your Own Hint” cards (Level 3)
- Digital Google Slides™ version for online or projected play
Why guessing games work (and keep students talking)
- Authentic speaking & listening: Students must describe, clarify, ask follow-up questions, and paraphrase.
- Vocabulary depth: Repeated exposures with synonyms, attributes, functions, and categories build stronger word knowledge.
- Low prep, high engagement: Print once and re-use. Add a timer for energy and accountability.
- Natural differentiation: Use word banks, sentence frames, or bilingual glossaries for newcomers; require extended clues or complex adjectives for advanced learners.
Quick set-up & classroom management
- Give each student the brainstorm sheet and 2–3 minutes to plan vocabulary.
- Model two concise clues—appearance + function—then a follow-up question.
- Play in pairs or trios for maximum talk time; rotate cards every 60–90 seconds.
- Require a short exit ticket: write one successful clue and one new word learned.
Level-ups & pairings
- Charades crossover: After a round, act the word using Action Verb Charades to reinforce the present continuous.
- Board-game day: Rotate through the Animal Guessing Game Board Game plus the original Animal “What Am I?” for variety.
- Grammar focus: Challenge older groups with the all-category Objects/Animals/People/Places set and require comparatives or relative clauses in clues.
Keep the ideas coming
For more game-based learning ideas that boost grammar and vocabulary, don’t miss this post: Fun Ways to Use Games to Teach Grammar & Vocabulary in ESL Classrooms.
Shop the resources
- 🐾 Animal Guessing Game – What Am I?
- 🧠 What Am I? Objects, Animals, People & Places (great for ages 7+)
- 🎭 Action Verb Charades (Present Continuous)
- 🎲 Animal Guessing Game – Board Game with Clues
- 🗂️ Browse all Guessing Games
Created by Hot Chocolate Teachables — fun, ready-to-use classroom resources that help teachers save time, reduce stress, and keep students engaged year-round.
