Free cards + classroom lesson
ESL Animals Picture Bingo
For ESL beginners
Build confidence with eight familiar animal words and clear pictures.
- ✓ Four different printable cards
- ✓ Large picture caller sheet
- ✓ A4 landscape, four cards per page
- ✓ 15-minute lesson and eight caller prompts
- ✓ Separate two-page printable teacher guide
- ✓ No account or email required
Same eight pictures and words, 50 shuffled layouts. A4 PDF, one-time payment.
Download the free teacher guide (PDF) · Read the lesson
Free classroom use. The small BingoGen footer helps other teachers find the resource.
Actual free PDF page. The paid upgrade uses these same pictures and words.
What children practise
How to use the pack
- 1. Print page one at 100% on A4 paper.
- 2. Cut the four cards apart and give one to each player.
- 3. Use page two to call, show or describe each item.
- 4. Play for the first row, column or diagonal. Cards have different arrangements but share the same eight items, so full-house games finish together and line wins may tie.
Suggested 15-minute lesson · 1–4 players
Teach the words. Then play.
Listen for eight animal names and use them in short spoken phrases.
Learning goals
- Match an animal name to its picture.
- Name an animal or use a short phrase such as 'It is a cat'.
Before the lesson
- Print the card pack on A4 landscape, cut out the four cards and prepare counters.
- Use the second page as a caller sheet. Rehearse the eight names and agree the picture labels before playing.
Use large, age-appropriate counters. The card PDF is two A4 landscape pages; the teacher guide is a separate two-page A4 portrait PDF.
0-4 min
Introduce the animals
Show each caller tile. Say its name and invite learners to repeat or point. Check the distinction between a general bird and the specific animal pictures.
4-6 min
Show how to win
Hand out cards, mark FREE and demonstrate a row, column or diagonal of three. Model one call and give time to locate the picture.
6-12 min
Call a short round
Shuffle the tiles and call direct names. Show a picture when needed. Keep called tiles aside. In a later round, add a familiar clue, checking that it identifies only one animal in this set.
12-15 min
Speak with a partner
Learners choose two animals and practise 'It is a ...' or 'I like ...'. Let learners point, name or make a sentence according to their current language level.
Caller prompts for all eight items
The labels below match the downloadable cards. Start with the direct label, then use the suggested prompt when it fits your group. Keep called tiles aside so you can check a winning line.
| Card label | What to say or demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Cat | Find the cat. It says meow. |
| Dog | Find the dog. It barks. |
| Bird | Find the bird. It has feathers. |
| Fish | Find the fish. It has fins. |
| Lion | Find the lion. It roars. |
| Elephant | Find the elephant. It has a long trunk. |
| Monkey | Find the monkey. This animal can climb trees. |
| Rabbit | Find the rabbit. It has long ears. |
Vocabulary list to copy into your own activity
One item per line. You can select this list and copy it into the word caller or a custom card activity.
Make the activity fit your learners
Add support
Say and show each animal together. Model the phrase 'It is a ...' and let a partner help locate the square.
Offer a challenge
Let a learner be the caller, or use an agreed descriptive clue without first saying the name. Follow a match with a short sentence.
A quick learning check
Can each learner name or identify two animals without copying a partner? Ask for one short phrase where appropriate.
Playing with more than four children?
The free set has four layouts. You can play in pairs, rotate a small group, or print extra copies and explain that some players share a card. The optional 50-card pack gives more shuffled layouts of the same eight items. All cards share the vocabulary, so line wins may tie and full-house games finish together.
Before you call, show a winning pattern. For this shared eight-item set, a row, column or diagonal of three is a useful starting rule.