The best educational games, toys and gifts for kids learning English

Every parent wants to give their child the best start in life and learning English can be an important part of this, whether it’s as a native language or a second language. That’s why we’ve put together this guide with some fun gifts for kids learning English.

We’ve picked out 14 of the best educational toys, games, and activities that encourage English learning while still incorporating the joy of playing. Our selection includes products suitable for children aged six months up to eight years or older.

We also hope to provide some inspiration for anyone searching for presents for nephews, nieces, grandchildren, or family friends. These English learning toys and games should go down just as well with the parents as they do with the kids themselves.

14 Great gifts for kids learning English

We understand that each child is at a different stage, whether they are learning English from birth or as a second language. We have selected the following toys and games for kids to learn English because they teach a wide range of skills in different ways. Whether you’re looking for an interactive electronic toy to teach vocabulary or a battery-free board game to help with spelling, there are some great options here.

Note that we have stated the age suitability based on the manufacturer’s guidelines. For kids learning English as a second language, you’ll need to adjust this to suit their ability. For example, a book designed for a 5-year-old native speaker may be more suited to an 8-year-old ESL learner who has been speaking English for a few years.

Interactive toys for teaching English speaking and comprehension

LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book

Age: 18 months – 4 years

Skills taught: Alphabet, 100+ basic vocabulary words, colors, motor skills

• Engaging lights, sounds, and songs
• A fun way for children to learn their first words
• Buttons are easy to press, even for little fingers
• Easy to carry for car journeys or excursions
• 2 volume levels
• Switch between English and Spanish – great for bilingual families!

This is a great gift for younger kids learning English as it’s interactive enough to keep them engaged, while still avoiding screen time. They will have fun hearing the different sounds and songs that the book plays, and as they learn to talk and sing along, they’ll be developing their speaking skills.

VTech Touch and Teach Sea Turtle Interactive Learning Book

Age: 1-3 years

Skills taught: Letters, numbers, colors, weather, listening, comprehension, motor skills

• Teaches the alphabet with letters, words, and pictures
• 3 learning modes: Alphabet, vocabulary, and music
• Interactive reading mode tests comprehension
• 2 volume levels and automatic shut-off

Although this teaches more limited vocabulary than the Leapfrog book, as it is mainly about sea creatures, it does have a broader range of play modes with more buttons to press. This can be a little overwhelming for very young kids who don’t understand how to navigate the different modes.

ZeenKind Learn English Talking Book

Age: 3-6 years

Skills taught: 300+ words, comprehension, spelling, musical notes

• 300+ Words grouped into 13 categories
• 2 Modes: Hear words spoken or take a quiz and select the word you hear
• Includes a simple keyboard and some songs to play
• Tearproof, water-resistant pages
• Volume control

This is an excellent English gift for kids as it will last for several years of their development. They can begin by just hearing the words or listening to nursery rhymes, but once they have got to grips with the vocabulary, they can switch to quiz mode and test their knowledge.

For more books that teach words to kids of all ages, check out some of the best dictionaries for kids.

Conversation Cards for Kids

Age: 6 years and above

Skills taught: Comprehension, speaking, listening, emotional learning

• 400 conversation starters
• Great for engaging with kids and encouraging speaking and listening
• ‘Would you rather…‘ and other thought-provoking questions
• Simple quality time at mealtimes, in the car, or anywhere else
• Small and convenient to carry around

Consider this a good family gift for kids learning English. Kids can read the questions and answer alone, but really it’s intended to build connections between adults and children. For those who are reluctant to speak or run out of topics easily, these little cards will get the conversation flowing.

Kids’ gifts to develop English writing skills

Night Zookeeper subscription

Age: 6-12 years

Skills taught: Reading and writing

• Fun word games to develop vocabulary and spelling
• Learn how to build grammatically correct sentences
• Imaginative writing challenges
• Access via tablet, laptop, or desktop

Night Zookeeper is an online educational platform that helps develop kids’ reading and writing skills in a fantastically fun way. It’s packed with different games and writing challenges to suit different levels. The ‘draw your own hero’ adventure book is a particular favorite!

Kids can submit their writing to receive personal feedback from an educator on the platform. Get a free 7-day trial and 50% off an annual subscription.

Orchard Toys Match and Spell

Age: 1-4 years

Skills taught: Alphabet, letter recognition, spelling

• Learn to spell basic 3- and 4-letter words
• Play alone or in a group (up to 4 players)
• 2 ways to play – with or without letter guides

There are many variants of this game out there, but what we particularly like about this one is that it has two levels of play. In the easier version, you have a picture with the word to spell, and you simply match the tiles to the letters. Flip the card over, and you have the same picture without the letters as a guide.

For older kids (ages 5-8) there’s a similar game – Speed Spelling – which introduces longer words and a competitive element with timed rounds.

The Usborne Write Your Own Story Book

Age: 6-9 years

Skills taught: Creative writing, storytelling

• Inspiration, tips, and techniques for story writing
• Teaches how to structure a story
• Imaginative prompts with space to write in the book
• Spiral bound to lie flat while writing

One of the great things about this very popular book is that it engages the minds of kids who don’t love writing, while also having enough content to develop those who already enjoy it.

The first part guides them through the writing process, including more technical aspects involving settings, characters, and plot lines. Then, the second part is packed with story starter ideas which include creative prompts and plenty of space to write.

Watch the short video below to get a better idea of the contents of the book and the lovely variety it contains to spark a child’s imagination.

One Question A Day Year-Long Journal for Kids

Age: 9-12 years

Skills taught: Writing, self-reflection

• Fun and serious writing prompts
• Start on any day of the year
• Boost their imagination
• A special keepsake for years to come

A great gift for older kids learning English, or who just need some encouragement with their writing skills, this journal gives a year’s worth of questions for them to answer. There are 3 questions per page, so it doesn’t create pressure to write a long answer, but gives enough space for them to get their thoughts in writing.

Fun with words around the home

Next we come to some English learning toys and games that are just fun to have around the house. Your kids will enjoy playing with these without even realizing they are learning!

Alphabet puzzle floor mat

Age: 6 months + (remove small pieces for children under 3 years)

Skills taught: Alphabet, spelling

• Colorful, soft play mat
• Interlocking pieces for adjustable dimensions
• Use for letter recognition and spelling games
• German quality, built to last

These foam letters make a practical play mat as well as a fun English learning toy. Remove the letters from their frames and help your little one put them back in place, or dismantle the mat completely and spell new words with it.

GAME IDEA: Slot six different letters together to form a cube, then roll it and try to think of a word beginning with the letter that lands face up. Depending on your child’s fluency, you could assign a category to choose from such as ‘animals’ or ‘countries’.

Foam bath letters

Age: 6 months +

Skills taught: Alphabet, numbers, spelling

• Set of 36 letters and numbers
• Letters float in the bath or stick to tiles when wet
• Includes mesh pouches for easy storage and drying
• Make bathtime fun and educational

We definitely recommend buying this set with the mesh pouch because it lets the letters dry properly between uses (and keeps them tidy).

Although this set is not recommended for children under 3 because of the small parts, it’s reassuring to know that the foam material is non-toxic. In our experience, much younger kids will enjoy playing with (and perhaps chewing on) these, too!

TIP: It’s worth buying two or more sets as many words contain the same letter more than once. Think about how many sets you will need to spell the names of family members, for example.

Kids Word Play fridge magnet words

Age: 5 years and above

Skills taught: Sentence building, parts of speech, reading

• Words stick to a fridge or magnetic board
• Build sentences and leave messages for one another
• Words are color-coded according to parts of speech
• 632 nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions, pronouns, adverbs, and phrases to experiment with
• A fun, educational toy that’s always accessible

This is a fun gift for kids learning English, but chances are the whole family will want to join in with this one! By leaving the magnets out on your fridge, you’re creating opportunities for spontaneous play.

What’s particularly good about this set is that the parts of speech are color-coded, so kids learn to recognize how sentences are structured.

Family games for kids to learn English

If your family enjoys playing classic board games, add these into your game night rotation to help your kids develop their English language skills.

My First Bananagrams

Age: 4 years and above

Skills taught: Letter recognition, word building

• Uses lowercase letters and letter pairs
• Guide emerging readers as they learn to form words
• Mini games and different levels of play
• 1-4 players

A junior version of the original Bananagrams, which has become a favorite for many families, the aim of this game is to build your own crossword-like grid with the letter tiles dealt to you. There are many ways to customize it for younger kids who are still learning to recognize letters and older kids who want to build a full crossword with all the tiles!

Discover some more ESL games for learning English here, including online word games that kids can enjoy.

Wordplay for Kids

Age: 8-12 years

Skills taught: Word-building, vocabulary, spelling

• Quick-thinking writing game
• 2-6 players or teams
• Fun for the whole family
• Encourages creative word choices

Although this game is designed for kids, it’s challenging enough that adults can join in too. Each round, you’re given a category and two letters, and the aim is to come up with the longest word.

You can easily play in teams, making this educational English game suitable for classrooms or larger gatherings as well.

The Fidget Game: Sight Words

Age: 4-8 years

Skills taught: Dolch words (sight words), reading

• Multisensory English learning game
• 5 Card packs for Pre-K through to Grade 3
• Teaches sight words at each level
• 1-4 players

In this kids’ English learning game, players keep score using fidget toys! There are five card packs, so it’s possible for children at different learning levels to play simultaneously. This one definitely works best with the supervision of a parent or teacher to verify each word choice.

Making the most of English gifts for kids learning the language

There’s a quote about learning that says “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.” So, in all of these toys and games for kids to learn English, the key is to make learning enjoyable.

Whether you are teaching a preschooler to spell their name or encouraging your tween to do more creative writing, we hope these gift ideas have given you some inspiration. Continue browsing our English gift guides if you have any other people to buy for!