Nothing gets a class speaking a new language quite like a board game. This one takes your students on a journey across France, from the starting line all the way to the Eiffel Tower, doing quick, fun French tasks on every square. It is a complete, no-prep activity, and the printable board is free to download below.

Free printable: Le Grand Tour board game

A bright, ready-to-print French board game with 25 squares, French tasks and bonus squares, plus a simple how-to-play guide right on the sheet. Print, grab a die, and play.

Download the free board game (PDF) →

How to play "Le Grand Tour"

The idea is lovely and simple: travel across France square by square, speaking a little French at every step. It takes a minute to explain and your class will be playing happily for the rest of the lesson.

1
Print the board on A4 (or A3 if you want it bigger), and give each small group one die and a counter each. A coin, a rubber or a bottle lid all work perfectly.
2
Students take turns to roll and move their counter along the squares from Depart to Paris. On each square they do the little task written on it, out loud in French.
3
The tasks are simple, saying bonjour, counting to three, naming a colour or an animal. You are there to prompt and model the pronunciation, no fluency required.
4
Bonus squares jump players forward, and the pink Oops square costs a turn. The first student to reach Paris and the Eiffel Tower wins the Grand Tour.
Teacher tip: pair a confident student with a shyer one in each group. The game gives everyone a reason to speak, and the quieter ones gain confidence hearing it modelled right beside them.

What's on the board

Every coloured square has a small French task that takes seconds: greeting someone with bonjour, counting un, deux, trois, naming a colour or an animal, or saying merci and au revoir. Gold and green squares are happy surprises that move players forward, and there is one cheeky pink square that costs a turn. It all builds toward the grand finish in Paris.

Why a board game works so well

A board game turns language practice into play, which is exactly when children learn best. Students hear and say the same friendly phrases over and over without any sense of drilling, everyone stays involved because their turn is always coming, and the little journey across France gives a real sense of culture and fun. Fifteen minutes of this builds speaking confidence that a worksheet simply cannot, and it takes nothing more than a printer and a die.

If your class loves it, keep the French going with our free French fruits game, our guide to French culture in the classroom, or ten more fun ways to teach French.

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