Teaching French in a primary classroom works best when it is active, playful and full of repetition. The good news is that the activities students love most are also the ones that help French stick. Here are ten fun, practical ways to teach French in primary school, whatever your own level of the language.
1. Start with a Bonjour routine
Open every lesson the same way in French, with a cheerful Bonjour, asking how everyone is and the day of the week. Because it repeats each lesson, this language becomes second nature quickly, and it gives even your quietest students an easy way to join in.
2. Play French number games
Numbers are perfect for games. French loto (bingo), counting races and quick-fire number call-outs get students using un, deux, trois without it ever feeling like drilling. A little friendly competition keeps everyone engaged.
3. Teach colours with flashcards
Colours are bright, visual and satisfying to learn. Flashcard flash games, matching pairs and colour hunts around the classroom turn rouge, bleu and vert into words students remember. Pair colours with objects they already know for extra reinforcement.
4. Sing French songs
Songs carry pronunciation and rhythm naturally, and traditional favourites like Frere Jacques are already familiar to many children. A catchy tune will have students repeating French all week, and even shy learners often sing along when they might not speak up otherwise.
5. Play Jacques a dit
The French version of Simon Says is a classroom winner. Jacques a dit gets students listening carefully to French instructions and responding with actions, which builds comprehension and vocabulary while they are up and moving.
6. Spot the words they already know
French and English share a surprising number of words, like table, orange, animal and important. Turning this into a spot-the-word game shows students how much French they already understand, which is a huge confidence boost early on.
7. Label the classroom in French
Turn your room into a learning tool by labelling everyday objects in French. Students absorb la porte, la fenetre and le tableau simply by seeing them every day, with no extra teaching time required.
8. Run a French cafe roleplay
Set up a simple French cafe or market and let students order in French. Roleplay makes language real and memorable, and it gives students a genuine reason to use greetings, numbers and food vocabulary together.
9. Celebrate French culture
Bring in French food, music, landmarks and celebrations like Bastille Day. Cultural lessons give students a real reason to care about the language, and a single well-timed cultural activity can spark more enthusiasm than weeks of vocabulary alone.
10. Keep no-prep games ready
Every teacher has days with no time to plan. A few no-prep French games kept on hand are a lifesaver, keeping students learning even when your day has not gone as planned. This is where ready-made resources earn their keep.
Ready-made French resources for primary classrooms
Our French resources include print-and-go worksheets, no-prep lessons and a full-year program, mapped to Kindergarten through Year 6 and the Australian Curriculum, so you can bring these activities to life with less planning.
Explore our French resources