Activities for using flash cards

I have divided the activities into the following categories: Memory, drilling, identification and TPR
activities.
In this article there is an example for each type of activity. If you follow this link - Flash card
activities - you will find more examples for each type of activity.

Memory Activities
Memory Tester
o Place a selection of flash cards on the floor in a circle.
o Students have one minute to memorise the cards.
o In groups, they have two minutes to write as many of the names as they can remember.
Drilling Activities
Invisible Flash cards
o Stick 9 flash cards on the board and draw a grid around them.
o Use a pen or a pointer to drill the 9 words. Always point to the flash card you are drilling.
o Gradually remove the flash cards but continue to drill and point to the grid where the flash card was.
o When the first card is removed and you point to the blank space, nod your head to encourage children
to say the word of the removed flash card.
o Students should remember and continue as if the flash cards were still there. They seem to be
amazed that they can remember the pictures.
o Depending on the age group I then put the flash cards back in the right place on the grid, asking the
children where they go, or I ask students to come up and write the word in the correct place on the
grid.

This activity highlights the impact of visual aids. It really proves that the images 'stick' in students'
minds.

Identification Activities
Reveal the word
o Cover the flash card or word card with a piece of card and slowly reveal it.
o Students guess which one it is.
o Once the card is shown, chorally drill the word with the group using different intonation and silly
voices to keep it fun. Vary the volume too, whisper and shout the words. Children will automatically
copy your voice.
o Alternatively, flip the card over very quickly so the children just get a quick glimpse.
o Repeat until they have guessed the word.

TPR activities
Point or race to the flash cards
o Stick flash cards around the class.
o Say one of them and students point or race to it.
o Students can then give the instructions to classmates.
o You can extend this by saying "hop to the cat" or even "if you have blonde hair, swim to the fish" etc.
o You can also incorporate flash cards into a game of Simon Says. "Simon says, jump to the T-shirt" etc.

Games!
You've taught the vocabulary, now it's time to play.
Adjective Charades: Show a flashcard or write an action on the board. Whisper an
adjective to a student to modify the action. The student then acts out the modified action.
The first student/ team to guess the answer gets a point.

Alphabet Line Up: Give each student a letter flashcard and have them line up in
alphabetical order as quickly as possible.

Basketball: Show a flashcard to a student. If the student can name it, they can have a
shot at the basket. A basket is worth 2 points. Hitting the rim without going inside is
worth 1 point. This can also be played in teams. To make it harder, have students stand
farther from the basket (3 point shot) and let them have the chance to move closer by
correctly naming successive cards before taking the shot. They do not get to take the
shot if they miss a card.

Dance of the Ostriches: This game is really fun for the teacher, too, because the name is
suggestive of what students look like while playing. Pair up students and pin or tape a
card onto each one's back. They face each other with their hands behind backs. When
you shout, "Go!" they must try to discover their partner's hidden flashcard without letting
their partner see theirs. They must shout out their partner's card (correctly) first to win.

Label It: Label the items being taught (classroom objects; body parts-- on a poster, of
course; etc.). At first, show all of the items to the students. The next time, remove them
so the students can help you place them back in their correct places. Finally, have the
students put them on themselves.

May I Have...?: (This is a variation of Speed Racers.) Place flashcards around the
classroom. Ask for each one at a time, "May I have a...?" The students have to find it and
bring it to you.

Slo-mo/ Fast-mo: Hold a pack of flashcards with the pictures facing yourself. The top
card should be turned around so it is facing the students but hidden behind the rest of the
deck. Slowly pull the flashcard up inch by inch so they can only see part of the
flashcard. For Fast-mo, hold up one card facing yourself and flash it at the students for
quick peeks. The first one to guess correctly keeps the card or gets a point.

Speed Racers: Put some flashcards on the board/ a table/ the floor. When you say one
card the students must touch it as quickly as possible. This can be done in teams,
changing players after each word or with all students. If the cards are on the floor, the
students can jump on them. It's fun to put the cards all around the class, so they have to
race around looking for the right card. If they are on the board or a table, they can use
flyswatters to have a longer reach. It can be played to the last man standing by having
students sit down if they make a mistake (long game) or if they are the slower of the two
students (shorter game), or it can be played for points. This can also be done like musical
chairs-when the music stops, call out a card.

Spin the Bottle: The students sit in a circle with a bottle in the middle. Spin the bottle to
start the game. When it stops spinning, the student it is pointing at is shown a flashcard.
If the answer is correct, then that student can spin the bottle next. If the answer is wrong,
they are out. The winner gets the drink.

Stay in Order: Give each student a set of cards (pictures with names) identical to yours.
Place your cards in two or three rows, and tell the students the order so they can copy
the order. Then change the positions of a few cards. Call out the changes but do not let
the students see. At the end, call on a student to say the cards in order. If all the cards
are correct the student can be the leader of the next round.

Matching game: Spread all the cards on the floor or on a table. Students take turns
flipping two cards and calling out the cards that they flip. If it's a pair then they keep it and get
a point. If they don't call out the card then they can't keep it (Don't enforce this rule too strictly
or the students may rebel).

Go Fish: Deal four or five cards to each student. Students take turns asking one other
student if the other student has a card. 'Do you have a monkey hanging from a branch?' If the
other student has it, he or she must give it to the asking student and the asking student gets
one point. If the other student doesn't have it, the asking student picks a card from the
pile. The student with the most pairs wins.
Alphabet Soup: In this memory activity, the teachers puts some cards on the board. And
then removes one. Students guess which one is removed. - Sent in by Jeff Mclennan.
Bear Card Charades: Students act out cards in this charades activity. -Sent in by Jane
Hauger.
Forest Animals Circle Dance: Students become an animal and do a dance when their
card is called out in this circle activity. -Sent in by Jane Hauger.
Bring me: Place a selection of cards on a table at the far end of the class. Two students
stand behind a line at the other end. Teacher shouts, 'Bring me a shirt!' The first student who
hands in the shirt flashcard wins a point. -Sent in by Bob from Auto English.