![\"whackamole\"/](\"https://eslkit.org/whack-a-mole.webp\")
Welcome to ESLKit.org, your free kit of voice-activated games and tools for ESL teachers. Whack-a-Mole is one of the favorites: students say each word to whack the mole, so they are practicing pronunciation and word recognition at speed — not just clicking. It runs on your smart board with no student devices, and there is a live multiplayer mode with join codes. Because students respond to spoken or written cues under a little time pressure, it is retrieval practice in disguise — exactly the kind that makes vocabulary stick. Here are six ways to use it:
Load words from your current lesson and let students take turns whacking the correct word as it pops up. Track progress in real time and turn review into a friendly competition.
Put it on the smart board, line students up, and time each turn. The clock adds friendly pressure that rewards swift, accurate recognition.
Split the class into teams; each team sends one player at a time to whack a word. Most correct whacks wins. Keep the running tally on the Score Keeper for an extra layer of competition.
Load phrases instead of single words and have students whack them in the right order to build a sentence — practicing structure and comprehension. For a deeper sorting version, try the Word Sorter.
Describe a word before it appears; students listen, then whack the match when it pops up. A great listening-and-vocabulary combo that rewards attention.
Use Whack-a-Mole’s voice mode to warm up tricky sounds, then assign a list for at-home review. For dedicated pronunciation drills, pair it with Phonics Twisters; to check understanding with instant scoring, follow up with a Live Quiz.
Whack-a-Mole is one of many free games in the ESLKit classroom. See them all at ESLKit.org/games.
Ready to play? Open Whack-a-Mole — free, no account needed to play. Sign up free to save your own word collections.
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