Body Types and Physical Description | ESL ELL

 This resource is included in the Body Unit for Elementary ESL. Link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Body-Theme-for-Elementary-ELL-1836555

Make teaching body types and physical description fun and engaging with this complete set of printable games and worksheets! This resource helps ESL and ELL students learn and practice vocabulary and grammar such as tall, short, thin, fat, hair types, clothing, and comparatives (taller, shorter, thinner, fatter) through interactive and meaningful activities.

Use these flashcards to introduce and review body types and physical descriptions.

Basic Presentation Activities. Look and Repeat. Show one flashcard at a time. Say: “He is tall.”

Students repeat. Add gestures (stretch arms up for tall).

Yes or No Game. Show a short child flashcard. Say: “She is tall.”

Students say: “No!” She is short.

Show Me.  Place several flashcards on the board. Say: “Show me thin.” Students point to the correct flashcards.

Label the Flashcard. Students write the adjective word next to each flashcard on the board. Then, describe: He is short and fat.

Choose and Say. Each student picks a flashcard and the turn says the sentence to describe the body type.

Compare Two Flashcards. Show the flashcards of two different children:

Teacher: “Who is short?” Students point and answer: They are short.

Teacher: The boy is as short as the girl.

Continue comparing.

Teacher: “Who is thin?” Students point and answer. The boy is thin.

Teacher: The boy is thinner than the girl.

Guessing Game. Place the flashcards in a grid on the board. Give clues: He is thin. He is tall.

Students guess: A1.

Flashcards with Real-Life Connection. Show a flashcard to the class.

Teacher: She is short and fat.

Who is short and fat in our class?

Students: Susan!!

Use the small cards for hands-on practice and interactive activities.

Read and Match. Place picture small cards on the table. Write the categories words: tall, short, thin, fat on small cards. Students read the word and put in the correct category

Students say the sentence: He is tall.

Labeling and Writing Activity: Reviewing Parts of the Body

In this activity, students use the small cards to review the parts of the body. Students label each body part, such as hair, face, arm, hand, leg, and foot, in their notebook.

The worksheets provide students with meaningful practice to reinforce body types vocabulary and physical descriptions.

Worksheet 1. Match the Body Parts. Students read each word and trace the line to match it with the correct part of the body.

Worksheet 2. Draw and Describe Yourself

Students draw a picture of themselves. After drawing, students write a short description using the target sentence structure, such as I am tall and thin or I have long hair.

Worksheet 3. Reading and understanding descriptions of body types. Students read each sentence and match it to the correct picture by tracing the lines.

Worksheet 4. Cut and Paste. Students cut out the pictures and sort them into the correct category: thin or fat. There is also a similar worksheet where students sort the pictures into tall or short.

Worksheet 5. write sentences to describe the person. Students observe the picture and describe the body types, features like hair.  Students can color the pictures and describe the clothes.

Worksheet 6. Practice the grammar point of comparatives. Students look at the pictures and write sentences using structures such as fatter than, thinner than, taller than, and shorter than.

Through these printable games, students describe characters, ask questions, and use complete sentences, reinforcing vocabulary and grammar while building confidence in speaking.

Board Game. Students roll the dice and move their printable marker along the board. When they land on a color, they pick a matching color card and describe the person using the target vocabulary and sentences, such as He is tall and thin.

Guess Who? Body Types Game. Each student chooses a secret character card and places it in front of them without showing it to their partner. Students take turns asking yes/no questions to guess their partner’s character, such as “Is he tall?”, “Is she thin?”, or “Does he have curly hair?”.

As students ask and answer questions, they eliminate characters on their board until they can guess the correct person.

I invite you to visit my Pinterest board where I share hands-on ESL activities, games, worksheets, flashcards, and thematic units designed especially for elementary English language learners.

👉 Explore, save, and get inspired:

https://www.pinterest.com/ei98srl/esl-elementary-teachers-materials/

Perfect for centers, small groups, whole-class practice, and low-prep lessons.

Come take a look and build your ESL toolbox!