Fun Guessing Games for Kids

Guess what? Guessing games are lots of fun, and kids love them! They can be used as warm-up activities, review tasks to reinforce the lesson topic, or as quick brain break activities when you have extra time in class. Below, you’ll find 10 classroom-tested guessing games that my students love, and I’m sure your students will too.

Flashcard Guessing Games

Flashcards are not just for drilling vocabulary. They can also be used for fun guessing games. To play, show students the flashcards and practice the words together. Then choose one card and keep it hidden. Students must guess what it is by asking questions with the target expression.

Example:

• Student: “Is it an elephant?”
• Teacher: “Yes, it is.” / “No, it isn’t.”

When a student guesses correctly, have them come to the front of the class and take the teacher role by choosing the next card. Although simple, kids really enjoy this guessing game, especially when they get a chance to be the teacher.

Hidden Picture Guessing Games

This game is an effective way to introduce or review new vocabulary and can be used with any topic. It also works at different levels. With young learners and beginners, simply ask them to guess the word. With higher-level students, you can extend the activity by asking them to make a full sentence once they guess the word. After the picture is revealed, you can also ask follow-up questions to practice speaking, such as “Do you like ___?” or “How often do you play ___?”

Visit our Hidden Picture PowerPoint Game page to download a ready-made game or use the blank template to create your own.

Guess the Picture (Pictionary)

This classic guessing game needs little to no preparation. All you need is a board or large piece of paper to draw on. Choose a student to draw something from the lesson while the rest of the class guesses what it is.

For a more competitive version, divide the class into two or three teams. Give each team 30 seconds to guess as many drawings as they can. This game always gets students excited, and young learners especially enjoy showing off their artistic skills.

Guess the Mystery Object

Using real objects in the classroom is a great way to connect vocabulary to the real world. For this game, you’ll need a bag or box to hide the items.

Invite students one at a time to come to the front, reach into the bag, and feel the object inside. Without looking, they must try to guess what it is. This often leads to funny guesses and plenty of laughter. The activity works well with kids but can also be adapted for older ESL students.

Guessing Game Activity Videos

These ready-made video activities can be played in class to get students excited and motivated for the lesson. Here’s an example of a “Guess the Word” game in which students look at pictures and try to guess the word. On our Activity Videos page, you’ll find over 100 guessing games and other activities covering the topics that beginner ESL students typically study.

“I Spy” Guessing Game

Most people played a version of this game as a child. In the classic version, one person looks around, chooses an object, and says, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with B.” The others then try to guess what object starting with that letter was chosen.

In the classroom, this game can be adapted to review many kinds of vocabulary. For example, if teaching colors, a student can say, “I see something green,” and the others must guess what green object they are thinking of. If teaching adjectives, a student might say, “I see something big and heavy.”

Act It Out (Charades)

In the traditional game of charades, players use actions instead of words to act out the title of a movie, book, play, or song. In the classroom, this activity works well for reviewing key vocabulary and expressions.

To play, write the target words or phrases from the lesson on slips of paper and place them in a small container. Divide the class into two or three teams. One student from a team chooses a slip and acts out the word without speaking. If their team guesses correctly, they score a point.

Online Hangman (HeartsHangman.com)

Hangman is one of the most well-known word-guessing games. Students try to figure out a hidden word by guessing one letter at a time. In the traditional version, a stick figure is drawn with each incorrect guess, which isn’t always classroom-friendly. A better option is HeartsHangman.com, a free online alternative. Instead of a stick figure, players lose a heart for each wrong guess. It’s simple, fun, and completely free to play online.

“What Am I?” Guessing Game

In this game, the teacher thinks of a word and gives students three clues by speaking as if they are the object. For example, if the word is the sun, the teacher might say: “I am hot. I am bright. You can’t see me at night. What am I?” Students then try to guess the word. This activity is a simple way to reinforce vocabulary and makes a great review exercise. Here are 40 “What Am I?” Questions you can use to make your own quiz.

Card Guessing Game

Divide the class into groups of three or four and give each group a set of small flashcards. One student in each group closes their eyes while the others choose a card. The student then opens their eyes and tries to guess which card was chosen using the target language. If they guess correctly, they keep the card. Continue until all the cards are gone, and the student with the most cards is the winner.

I hope your learners enjoy these guessing games as much as mine do. They’re simple to set up and always a hit in class. Try one the next time you need a warm-up or a quick review.