ESL Christmas Vocabulary Bingo
Christmas Words, Review, and Favorite Game Make a Fun Lesson
Dec 17, 2008
A Christmas word bingo lesson can accomplish many objectives. First, the teacher shares a cultural aspect by how he or she celebrates the holidays in his or her country with the class. Second, students learn or review vocabulary words that are associated with a happy time: the holidays. This breaks the monotony of learning grammar or ordinary words and creates a holiday spirit in the classroom.
Third, the teacher can review a lot of what the class has learned thus far without the class even knowing it. Fourth, the teacher can use Christmas music, students can practice basic motor skills by getting crafty, and in the end, everyone gets to play bingo.
Christmas Bingo Materials
- One sheet of 8.5' x 11' or A4 blank paper for each student
- Big flashcards of Christmas/winter/holiday vocabulary being taught
- Colored pencils or markers
- CD of Christmas songs
- Scissors
Christmas Bingo Procedure
- Write a set of at least twelve Christmas/winter vocabulary words on the blackboard and leave enough space next to each so that students can stick the corresponding picture beside it. Stick the flashcards on the wall around the room. Examples of vocabulary words can include: snowman, candy cane, Christmas tree, stocking, snowflake, present, sleigh, Father Christmas/Santa Claus, angel, reindeer, wreath, etc.
- Students can take turns matching the flashcards to the words.
- When finished matching, drill pronunciation of the vocabulary as a class and individually.
- Distribute the blank sheets of paper to the students. Show them to fold it in half length-wise, one more time length-wise, then fold it in half, and one more time in half. This will create a paper with sixteen squares. If playing bingo with only 12 words, students need to cut off the bottom four squares with their scissors. If playing with 16 words, the paper is finished. This is the bingo card.
- Ask one student to choose one of the vocabulary words on the board.
- Next, ask the class, "Who has got brown hair?" or "Raise your hand if you've got brown hair."
- Tell the students who have brown hair that they must draw the aforementioned vocabulary word in any one of the boxes of their bingo card.
- Ask another student for a different vocabulary word. Then, pose a new question, "Who is wearing the color red?" Those particular students should draw this second vocabulary word.
- Continue like this, playing Christmas music while the students are drawing and coloring. By having different students drawing different words, this mixes up their bingo cards.
- Control the activity with the music by stopping it in order to get students to stop drawing and listen to the next instructions. Each square should contain a drawing of a vocabulary word.
- Four in a line constitutes a "Bingo!" Demonstrate this by drawing it on the blackboard.
- Winners could receive a Christmas sticker or even a mini candy cane (one of the vocabulary words).
Adaptations and Time Needed for Christmas Bingo
If students are very young and would not be able to answer questions such as "Who is wearing the color green?" it's perfectly acceptable to bypass the reviewing part of the lesson and have the entire class draw the same vocabulary word at once.
If doing all 13 steps, this lesson will most likely take two separate lessons. To complete this activity in one lesson, skip steps 1 and 2. Steps 3-13 can be completed in one hour length lesson.
Christmas bingo doesn't take a lot of prep time and it's a great listening activity for students. Bingo is a game that most students enjoy and playing with Christmas/winter pictures makes it fun for the students and for the most part, a relaxing lesson for the teacher.
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