Flashcards are rectangular cards displaying a picture on one side and the corresponding word (or its initial) on the other side. They’re versatile tools suitable for a wide range of games and activities.

I frequently use them during English lessons to expand and strengthen vocabulary. There are flashcards available for different categories, such as food, animals, colors, weather, and more.

Here are five games you can play with flashcards at school or at home:

1.       Hide and seek the flashcard. In this game, a child will be tasked with hiding the flashcards in the classroom or room where the activity is taking place, while the others close their eyes. Once the cards are hidden, the children can start searching for them. When they find a card, they should say the name of the depicted object in English.

2.       What’s missing? To play this game, we all sit in a circle, and the teacher arranges the flashcards on the floor so that everyone can see them. When deemed appropriate, the teacher asks the children to close their eyes while hiding a card behind their back. The students will then guess which card is missing. The one who correctly guesses the English word will be rewarded, and then it will be their turn to hide the flashcard. This game can also be played in an elementary school classroom using the blackboard while the students are seated at their desks.

3.        Swat the word. Arrange about ten flashcards on the floor and attach them with adhesive tape. Each participant has a fly swatter, and when the referring adult loudly says the English word, the players must quickly “crush” the word first.

4.       Mime Game. In this game, a participant draws a flashcard representing an animal, a person, or a profession and must mime it without speaking. The other players have to guess what it is in English. Categories such as animals, jobs, hobbies, and more can be chosen based on the children’s knowledge

5.       Flashcard flash. Children gather in a circle. Collect the flashcards into a deck and choose one. Holding it in your hand, make sure that the children don’t see either the image or the text. At a certain point, wiftly turn the flashcard toward your audience, revealing the image side and giving them less than a second to see what is depicted. The first person to guess must say the word in English.

These are just a few examples of games that can be played with flashcards. 

You can either purchase them or create your own using colored cardboard and drawings to apply.