Zoo Animals / Zoo Animals: Match! for English Class

In the card game “Match!”, learners look for the zoo animal that can be seen on two open cards at the same time and name it as quickly as possible. This way, children can playfully review zoo animals in primary school English lessons. Each card shows several animals and has exactly one animal in common with every other card—only the size of the image may differ.

What is included

• Playing cards with colorful illustrations of zoo animals
• Card backs for double-sided printing
• Game instructions with setup and game variants
• Short instructions and title card in card format
• Vocabulary overview of all zoo animals with an image and the English word, such as sloth, meerkat or rhinoceros

Tips for using the material

• It is recommended to appoint one person as the game leader: they place one card face up in the center and, on a signal, turn over a second card. The first person to spot and name the matching animal wins the card that has been in the center the longest.
• The game can also be played without a game leader; in that case, the participants take turns turning over the second card.
• For another variant, the material offers that each person receives a face-down card and everyone turns theirs over at the same time on a signal. The first person to name the animal that is also shown on the top card of the open pile places that card face up on their own.
• In the event of a tie, a duel is played: both people turn over a card from their own pile at the same time, and the first person to call out the matching symbol wins. Otherwise, the person who has collected the most cards at the end wins.

The following skills are promoted

• Vocabulary: review and name English terms for zoo animals
• Visual perception: discover identical images of different sizes on two cards
• Quick recall: name the found animal in English without hesitation

Organizational notes

• The game is played in small groups of 2 to 6 people sitting around a table so that everyone can clearly see the pile in the center.
• The cards can be printed on thicker paper or with a back; after cutting them out, it is advisable to laminate them.

The Memo Game, Bingo and Word and Picture Cards are also suitable for introducing the same vocabulary.