8 Exciting Idle Games to use in Online ESL Class
With kids today spending more time on their tablets, we need to meet them where they are. What better way to connect with kids than through video gaming? There are many ways to incorporate games into your online ESL lessons. These fun apps can be used as rewards, vocabulary builders, and conversation tools.
Stick around to the end (or scroll!) as I saved the best app for last and it comes with a small freebie!
My first experiment using idle games in class was as a reward system. It was an aquarium game (Tap Tap Fish) where you collect different fish. I would save the fish to hatch in class with the student. It helped that the fish came in interesting types like the “BLT Fish.” Using the fun fish costumes provided a lot of room for extension.
Later, I found Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary, a butterfly hatching game perfect for discussing the butterfly life cycle. I would save up the butterfly eggs and hatch them in class. We could watch the little egg hatch into a larva, munch on some leaves, become a pupa, and transform into a beautiful butterfly. Kids loved using their sentences to trigger the butterfly’s transformation.
This game is more for specific vocabulary focus, but can still be used as a reward. It can help you teach key vocabulary like egg, larva, pupa, butterfly, hatch, cocoon, transform, life cycle, predator, prey, and wings.
Next Up…The Sims Mobile. This one almost takes first place! You can build a house in this game and enjoy practicing home vocabulary. Use it to work on the family member names or basic verbs. You can use the avatar builder to talk about parts of the body and face. Ask your student to tell a story about whatever the Sim is doing at the time! Having this kind of visual gives students ideas to talk about and takes the pressure off of them to think up a scenario. The Sim is always moving though, so they will still be on the spot! The Sims also do hilarious actions like kicking a box to clean it up. The element of surprise adds to the fun in class.
Try out these questions:
“What room is he in now? He is in the living room. What can we find in the kitchen? We can find a stove and fridge. What is she doing in the bedroom? She is sleeping in the bedroom. What is he thinking about? He is thinking about chocolate.”
Be careful with your outfits and actions in Sims Mobile to make sure they are age-appropriate! Sims Mobile is mostly G-rated but some of the actions that pop up may be suggestive. Get comfortable with the game first so you know what you are clicking.
Dear My Cat: Idle Game + ESL Gold Award
Recently, I came across some pure idle game ESL online class gold in “Dear My Cat”. Most kids love cats. So when you surprise them in class with an epic journey into an island of cats, it is an instant attention grabber.
This game is useful for studying a lot of the main vocabulary groups, especially clothing items. You earn hats, glasses, and necklaces. You can let the student dress different cats to keep them interested through class.
Dear My Cat locations include an observatory, a crystal cave, a camp area, trampolines, a rock-climbing wall, a restaurant, and a waterfall. In end game, you can even build a Sphinx!
You can use this app to practice other animal names, not only cats. There is a whale that flies through the sky, a deer gardener, and a raccoon chef. Chat about occupations while having fun with your students!
The best part about this particular game is the reading practice. Each cat has a short biography, and you unlock five thoughts from the cats over time. These readings are perfect for an intermediate or advanced student learning about creative writing. The cat biographies weave in rich vocabulary words offering an easy way to practice more advanced ways to describe characters.
How did my students respond to Dear My Cat?
With giant smiles and eyes glued to the screen.
I first used it with a level one student. Her focus level differs from class to class. Upon opening the game, she immediately sat still and was all ears. We did a warm-up to see how many objects we could name together. It will get your students thinking in English and build their confidence before starting class.
Next, I tested it with a very advanced, younger student. This student is a natural English speaker but hard to keep on task. She is also scoring lower in her writing at school, so her mom asked us to work on that. We read a few cat biographies and talked about the writing style. For homework, she will create a character and write about them.
I just assigned this last week, so I’m looking forward to what kind of character she creates!
How to Use Cat World Based on Level:
- Level 1 – Use it as a warm-up. You can stick with simple questions. (What do you see? A whale. What color is her hat? Red. What is it? A tree.)
- Levels 2 & 3 – By these levels, students should be able to respond with basic sentences. You can still keep questions simple while expecting a complete sentence in response. (What is the cat wearing? The cat is wearing a blue scarf and headphones. Where is the cat? The cat is in the cave. What is the cat doing? The cat is cooking dinner.)
- Levels 4+ – In upper levels, you can ask more advanced questions. You can also begin to use the readings. (What do you think the cat will do next? I think the cat will visit the restaurant. What do the cats do at the observatory? They stargaze and study the sky at the observatory. What is the chef cooking? The chef is cooking a vegetable soup. What would you do on Cat Island? I would jump on the trampoline and go camping.)
How much do these games cost?
Idle games do not cost much time other than a daily login and a couple of clicks. Once you advance through the game, you have that teaching tool forever. There are usually pay-to-win options throughout all of the idle games. You can just ignore the upgrades and slowly build it. A lot of these games are pretty useful in class even before leveling up much.
How do I present idle games during an Online ESL Lesson?
Using ClassIn or a similar platform, you can mirror your phone screen into the classroom. If you prefer not to mess with your device during class, you can screenshot your desired scenes ahead of time. However, having the live world running is more exciting for the student!
You can visit my cat world if you download the game and search for the user tag: TF3KI7A9I. If you do this, my progress will be your progress. Your student can view inside my world with the locations unlocked.
How often should I use idle games in class?
All classes deserve to be a little bit fun but I like to reserve some tools for special surprises. If you use the game world in class all the time, the student may get bored of it. You should use it when you feel like your student needs a spark of interest in the lesson material. It is best used for a short time in class as a warm-up, reward, or quick activity.
I do not suggest encouraging the kids to download these games. They do not need an extra reason to be on their phone! I’ve rationalized my own idle game use as building a fun world to visit with my students from time to time. Some of them, especially Dear My Cat, are incredibly relaxing! These games have always made my students smile, so I think the lost time is worth it 🙂
Notable Mention Games for ESL Lessons:
Idle games are effective in online ESL class as rewards, vocabulary builders, and conversation starters. Some of them are better suited for specific units, while others offer a broader range of conversations. Dear My Cat comes packed with hundreds of short reading passages and many games include dialogue between two characters. They provide great conversational models and keep your student intrigued.
Through idle games, you can explore nature, science, and social studies topics. Connect English learning to something fun and relatable for the student! English class plus games is a win-win.
How do you use gaming to connect with your students? Are you interested in testing one of these games out in class? Leave me a comment 🙂
