Here is a fast, noisy, thoroughly enjoyable way to teach everyday German words: a game of Snap, or as it is known in German, Schnapp. It uses the objects your students see every day, so the vocabulary is genuinely useful, and the free printable flashcards you need are ready to download below.

Free printable: German classroom flashcards

Ten illustrated cards for everyday classroom objects, with the German word, its article and the English. Print two sets, cut, and play. No login needed.

Download the free flashcards (PDF) →

The words you'll need

The game runs on these ten classroom objects. Notice the articles, der, die and das, which gently introduce students to German genders as they play.

GermanEnglish
das Buchbook
der Bleistiftpencil
die Scherescissors
der Radiergummieraser
das Linealruler
der Klebestiftglue stick
der Rucksackbackpack
das Heftnotebook
der Stuhlchair
der Tischtable

How to play "Schnapp!" (German Snap)

Your students almost certainly know Snap already, so the rules take moments. The twist is that everything is named in German, which turns a familiar card game into real language practice.

1
Print the flashcards twice so every word has a pair, shuffle them together, and deal them all out face-down into equal piles, one per player. Two to four players per group works well.
2
Going around the group, each player flips their top card face-up onto one shared central pile, saying the German word as they turn it over.
3
When the card just flipped matches the one below it, players race to shout the German word and Schnapp!. The first to say the word correctly wins the whole central pile.
4
Play continues until one player has collected all the cards, or the most when time runs out. Because everyone is watching and naming cards, the whole group practises the words nonstop.
Teacher tip: to make it calmer and fairer, replace slapping the pile with simply being the first to say the German word clearly. The learning is in the word, not the speed of the hand.

Three more ways to use the cards

A
Sort by article: have students group the cards into der, die and das piles. A simple, powerful way to start noticing German genders.
B
Memory pairs: lay two sets face-down and find matching pairs, saying each word aloud on every flip.
C
Snatch game: spread one set face-up, call a word in German, and the first student to grab the right card keeps it.

Why this game works

Snap is fast and competitive, which means students hear and say each word many times in quick succession without any sense of drilling. Everyday classroom objects are the perfect first vocabulary because students can see and use the words all day long, and the der, die and das articles give an early, painless taste of German grammar. Fifteen minutes of Schnapp builds recall and confidence with almost no preparation.

If your class enjoys it, start from the beginning with our beginner's guide to teaching German, which walks through pronunciation, the links between German and English, and where to start.

Want the full German program?

Our German resources include print-and-go worksheets, no-prep lessons and a full-year program, mapped to Kindergarten through Year 6 and the Australian Curriculum.

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