Keeping students motivated and engaged during grammar lessons can be a challenge, especially when the language point can be rather dry. That’s why I love using board games in the classroom. They’re not only fun and engaging but also incredibly effective at reinforcing target language through meaningful repetition and interaction. And as a bonus, they’re great for building group rapport and encouraging peer interaction.
If you’re looking for tips on how to get the most out of them, check out my post on how to use ESL board games for effective language practice.
In this post, I’m sharing my top 5 ESL board games – my go-to favourites that I return to time and time again. These games have been tried and tested with real students and consistently deliver great results.
1. Modal Verbs of Advice Board Game
First up is my Modal Verbs of Advice Board Game. Each square presents a dilemma, and students take turns offering advice. It’s a flexible resource: ideal for practising ‘should’ at lower levels, and easily adaptable to include ‘ought to’ and ‘had better’ for more advanced students.
I’ve included it on this list because it never fails to engage students. They always enjoy it, and the discussions that come out of it are often both lively and meaningful.
2. Regular Verbs Past Tense Board Game
This is one of my newer resources. While there are plenty of past simple board games out there, I wanted something that focused exclusively on regular verbs. This allows students to concentrate on the pronunciation of -ed endings (/t/, /d/, and /ɪd/), which many learners struggle with.
Although it’s a recent addition, I’ve been really pleased with how well it’s worked in class so far. It fills a gap I’d noticed in other resources—and my students seem to agree!
3. Conjunctions Board Game
Teaching conjunctions can be a bit of a slog—especially when textbooks rely heavily on written exercises. That’s why I created this Conjunctions Board Game, which transforms a dry topic into a fun, communicative activity.
Each square features a partial sentence ending in a conjunction (e.g. “I didn’t go out because…”). Students must complete the sentence and share it with the group. It’s a simple setup, but highly effective—and a consistent student favourite.
4. Daily Routines Board Game
Daily routines are a staple topic at beginner and elementary levels, and this Daily Routines Board Game has had a lot of use over the years. In fact, there are two versions:
- Version 1 (for lower levels): Each square includes a full question. Students answer using complete sentences.
- Version 2 (for more confident learners): Each square provides a prompt for an incomplete question. Students must correctly form the question and ask the person to their right, who then answers.
Fun fact: this was one of the very first board games I created. I still remember the moment a student returned it to me after class and said “신기하다!” (amazing/brilliant). That bit of feedback really stuck with me and inspired me to keep creating my own resources.
5. Before, After, When… Board Game
Like conjunctions, adverbial clauses of time—particularly those starting with before, after, and when—can feel a little uninspiring in traditional coursebooks. They’re usually covered at the elementary level, but it’s tough to find speaking practice activities that focus on them.
This board game solves that problem. Each square features a partial sentence starting with one of these adverbs. Students complete the sentence in a way that’s meaningful to them, giving them the opportunity to practise both structure and fluency.
Bonus: Have You Ever…? Board Game (So Good, I Made Two)
While it didn’t quite make the top five, my Have You Ever…? board game deserves an honourable mention. It practises the present perfect to talk about life experiences—always a popular topic.
In fact, this was the very first board game I published on TPT. It proved so popular that I created a second version with all-new prompts. You can grab the original for free (along with some other resources) when you join my email list here.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it—my top 5 ESL board games that make grammar and speaking practice more engaging, effective, and enjoyable.
Do you have any favourite ESL board games for grammar practice that you use in your lessons? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Check Out the Games
You can find all the games mentioned in this post by following these links:
- Modal Verbs of Advice Board Game
- Regular Verbs Past Tense Board Game
- Conjunctions Board Game
- Daily Routines Board Game
- Before, After, When Board Game
- Have You Ever…? Board Games – Version 1 and 2
Looking to expand your ESL game collection? Don’t miss the ESL Board Game Growing Bundle, which includes over 35 games at a huge discount. All future games will be added for free—so you’ll always have fresh material on hand!