FLASHCARD GAMES: Older children – groups
The best time is when your child is happy and relaxed.
Don’t do too much the first time you use them and make it as fun as possible so your child will look forward to the next time you play with them.
If you play games daily your child’s knowledge and understanding should increase rapidly.
Memory
Place a few flashcards on the floor in a circle.
Ask the children to memorise the cards.
Turn the cards over.
Ask them to write down as many of the names as they can remember.
Turn the cards face side up.
The winner is the one with the most correct answers.
Invisible flashcards
Stick nine flashcards on a board or wall and draw a grid around them.
Point to and name each flashcard in turn.
Remove one card and ask the children to say the word of the removed flashcard.
Remove another card and ask the children to say the word of the removed flashcard.
Repeat until all the cards are removed and then ask the children to put back the cards in the original order.
What am I?
Divide the children into two teams and form into a large ring.
Choose one child from each team to play inside the ring.
The two children face each other.
Stick a flashcard on to the back of each child.
The children must place their hands behind their back or in their pockets.
Say “Go”.
The children then have to try to see the other child flashcard.
The children must stay inside the ring.
They cannot touch each other.
The winner is the child who shouts out the correct name first and wins a point for the team.
Continue until all the children have played.
Reveal the word
Cover the flash card or word card with a piece of card and slowly reveal it.
Ask the children to guess which one it is.
The first child to say the word gets the card.
Continue until they have guessed the correct word.
The winner is the child with the most cards.
Snap
You need 2 sets of shuffled flashcards.
Sit the children in a circle and deal out all the cards face down.
The first child turns over a card from their pile, says the word and makes a new pile next to them face up.
The next child turns over a card from their pile, says the word and makes a new pile next to them face up.
When 2 identical cards appear, the children race to shout “Snap!”.
The winner takes the TWO piles of face up cards.
The overall winner is the one who ends up with all the cards.
Duel
Divide the children into two teams.
One child from each team is given a flashcard and stands up back to back.
The children hold their flashcard in front of them with the picture side facing away.
Say ‘Go!’
The children take four steps away from each other, quickly turning around and shout out what is on the other childs flashcard.
The first child to shout the word wins a point for their team.
Pass The Card
Sit everyone in a circle.
Start by passing a picture card to the child on your left and describe the card, i.e.“This is a banana.”
The child takes the card and passes it to the next child saying, “This is a banana.”
Repeat until the card comes back and the nest card is introduced and passed round.
Once a few cards have gone round the teacher can:
a) Start a second card going in the same direction.
b) Start a second card going in the opposite direction.
c) Send 3-4 cards going in the same direction.
Roll the Dice
Choose six flashcards and stick them up on a wall or board.
Give each card a number from 1-6, writing the numbers above the cards.
Divide the children into two teams.
One of the children roll a big dice.
The first child to say the name of the correct flashcard with the same number as the dice wins a point for their team.
If it becomes easy, begin replacing the cards with new cards.
The winning team has the most number of points.
Musical Chairs
Place some chairs in a circle (minus one chair).
The children sit in the chairs holding a flashcard.
The remaining child stands.
Call out two different cards.
The two children holding the flashcards swap places.
The standing child has to try to sit in one of their seats while they are swapping places.
Keep going until all the children have had a turn.
Chinese Whispers (You need two sets)
Divide the children into two teams and have them sit opposite each other in two lines.
Whisper a flashcard word to the child at the front of the line.
Ask the children to whisper the word all down the line.
The child at the bottom of the line goes up and sticks the flash card on a board or wall and then sits at the front of the line.
Repeat for 6 or so flashcards.
The winning team is the one who has more correct flashcards stuck on the board in the right order.
Find the Pair
You will need two sets of cards.
Place the cards face down on a table.
Ask the children to turn over two cards at a time.
If they find a pair, they take the cards.
The winner has the most pairs of cards at the end of the game.