ESL Vocabulary Game - Place and Buildings

Places In Town Vocabulary Game | Fun ESL Activity

This Places in Town game is an effective way to teach vocabulary about buildings and places commonly found in a city or town. It’s ideal for beginner learners and works well when teaching expressions like “Where is the supermarket?” or “It’s next to the bank.” Students will see 10 pictures of places around town hidden behind some colored shapes. As the shapes disappear, they must guess the word as quickly as possible. Use this activity to introduce or review vocabulary related to places around town.

How to Play this Places In Town Activity

To play this game, all you need to do is play the video in class from this page or from our YouTube channel. There are 10 pictures of different buildings or places you typically find in a town/city. All the pictures are hidden behind color shapes and the shapes will slowly disappear. Students must try to guess what the building/place is before the image is revealed. Vocabulary includes supermarket, bakery, bookstore, airport, train station, hospital, theater, park, museum, and restaurant.

Ways to Use This Game in Your Class

There are several ways you can use this game in your class. Here are a few simple but effective ways to use this activity in class:

  • Play as a whole class warm-up activity: Play at the start of your places around town lesson to activate students’ existing knowledge and get them energized and ready to learn. Play the video and have them shout out their answer or raise their hand when they are ready to guess.
  • Sentence Building Practice: For students who already know some of the vocabulary, use the game to build speaking confidence. After guessing the place, ask them to make a sentence, such as “I went to the bank yesterday” or “The theater is next to the museum.”
  • Team Game: Divide the class into teams and give each group a small whiteboard and marker. Have them write down their answer as quickly as they can. The first team to write the answer correctly is the winner.

More Resources for your Places in Town Lesson

For more lesson materials for teaching about places in town, check out these related resources:

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