ESL Counting Games

Here is an enjoyable ESL counting game for practicing numbers 1 to 100. Sit the students in a circle. Have the students count in turn going around the circle, starting with number one. Every time the number reaches a multiple of five, a student says 'Fizz'. Every time the number reaches a multiple of seven, a student says 'Buzz'. If a student makes a mistake, either by saying a number instead of 'Fizz' or 'Buzz', or by saying the wrong number, the counting starts again from number one. The student is then out of the game and must leave the circle. The aim of the game is for the students to reach 100 without making a mistake. For young learners, you can make the game easier by only using the word 'Buzz' and multiples of three (e.g. 3, 6, 9, 12, etc.). The objective for this version of the game is to reach 30 without making a mistake.

Here is a highly entertaining ESL counting game to help young learners practice basic numbers. Get the students to squat like frogs in a circle. Students then count from 1 to one number less than the amount of students in the circle. For example, if there are 10 students, the students count from 1 to 9. If there are 15 students, the students count from 1 to 14, etc. Every student must say one of the numbers or they are out of the game. Every time a student says a number, the student must bob up and down like a frog. If two students say a number at the same time, they are out. If two students say a number and one student is slower, the slower student is out. The game then starts again from 1 to one number less than the remaining students and so on. The game continues until there are two students left. Those two students win the game.

This fun counting game is useful for revising numbers and categories of words. Write a list of categories that you want the students to revise on the board. Have the students stand in a circle. Students count in turn going around the circle, starting with number 1 and ending with 20. The student who says 20 then chooses a category from the board and changes one number in the sequence to a word from that category. For example, if the student chose the vegetables category, the student might say that the number 5 is now the word 'carrot'. The next student then starts from number 1. The students' task is to remember which word stands for which number as they count from 1 to 20. The student who says '20' changes one more number to a vegetable and so on. If a student forgets to say a word instead of a number or forgets the word they are supposed to say, they are out of the game. The last student left standing wins the game. Play several rounds with students choosing a different category each time. You can also change the amount of numbers to make the game shorter or longer (easier or harder). You can also change the sequence to practice other numbers, e.g. multiples of ten, numbers 30 to 50, etc.

Here is an engaging counting game that is a lot of fun to play. Have the students sit or stand in a circle. The students then play a counting game using English and their native language alternatively, e.g. English and Thai. The first student starts by saying the number one in English. The second student says the number two in their native language, e.g. Thai. The third student says the number three in English and so on. A student is out of the game if they say the wrong number, use the wrong language or take too long to answer. When a student is out of the game, the counting starts again from number one. The game sounds easy but it's actually a lot harder than it seems. The last two students left standing win the game.

Here is an amusing counting game for young learners. Have the students stand in a circle. Students then count in turn from 1 to 7 going around the circle. The first student says the number 1 and then indicates which student should say the next number by pointing left or right. The selected student then says the number 2 and indicates to their left or right and so on. This continues until the number 7. The student saying the number 7 raises their arm above their head in a seven formation to indicate the next student and says, "7 Up." The counting then starts again from number 1. The aim is to get other students out of the game by making them say a number when they have not been selected. Students do this by gesturing to a student next to them with their head or another part of their body, but it's where they point with their hands that matter.