5 Hilarious ESL Speaking Activities for Kids

Getting young learners to speak in English can be a challenge. They can recite “Can I go to the toilet, please?” with native-like fluency, yet freeze when asked to use the vocabulary you have actually taught them. The fastest way to break this silence is through fun, laughter and activities that take the pressure off.

Here are five hilarious ESL speaking activities for kids that will get them chatting confidently and willingly.

1. The Blind Artist

This zero-prep speaking game helps children practice describing appearance using adjectives and the verbs to be and to have.

What you need

• A blindfold
• Pictures of funny creatures such as monsters, elves or gnomes

How to play

1. Invite one learner to the front and place the blindfold on them.
2. Show the rest of the class a picture of a funny creature.
3. Learners describe the creature using full sentences, for example, “He has a big, long nose”.
4. The blindfolded learner draws what they hear on the board.

Continue rotating volunteers and switching images. This activity creates lots of laughter as the drawings become more and more imaginative.

2. You Are a… What?

A brilliant speaking game for question practice. It mixes charades, modelling, drawing and guesswork in one activity.

What you need

• Plasticine for simple models
• Themed flashcards
• A sand timer or phone timer
• A whiteboard

How to play

1. A learner selects a flashcard from a familiar vocabulary set.
2. They choose to act, draw or model the object without speaking.
3. The class asks questions to guess what it is, for example, “Are you red?”, “Are you a fruit?”
4. The first correct guesser becomes the next volunteer.
5. They must guess before the timer runs out.

To keep the game fair, enforce the rule that learners can only guess after asking at least one question.

3. Vocabulary Dance-Off

This activity uses a child-friendly music video to encourage speaking and vocabulary recall. Songs are powerful when they are designed specifically for ESL learners.

What you need

• An engaging ESL music video that focuses on vocabulary (link to your chosen YouTube video)

How to play

1. Play the video once for gist.
2. Play it again and encourage singing.
3. Move the tables to create space and teach the dance moves.
4. Split the class into two teams facing each other and run a dance-off.
5. Pause the music at random moments to check who remembers the next line or move.

This combines singing, movement and memory in a way that feels like a game rather than a lesson.

4. Doctor, Doctor

Perfect for revising body parts, health vocabulary and third-person structures. No materials required.

How to play

1. The first learner invents a health problem and mimes it, for example, “My tummy hurts”.
2. The next learner repeats the previous issue and adds their own.
3. The chain continues around the class, becoming harder with each turn.
4. Encourage the group to mime clues if someone gets stuck.
5. Reverse the order occasionally so early players also have to remember the entire chain.

The longer the chain becomes, the funnier it gets.

5. Alphabet Mix-Up

A fast warm-up that wakes up the class. Ideal for learners who can read confidently.

How to play

1. Say a vocabulary word that the class already knows, for example, “doctor”.
2. The next learner has ten seconds to say a new word beginning with the last letter of your word. In this case, “R”.
3. The next learner continues with the last letter of the previous answer.
4. No repeated words allowed.

If you have younger learners, write the words on the board to support them.

English Is Easier When It Is Fun