This resource ( My Lunch Box! – ESL Food Activities for Elementary ELLs (Flashcards, Worksheets & Games) is part of the Food Unit for
Elementary English Language Starters.
LINK to download : https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Food-unit-for-Elementary-English-Language-Learners-Starters-11035412
Move beyond your
coursebook to provide different activities to your students with this hands-on
Lunch Box Resource designed for young English language learners! This pack
helps students review food vocabulary, ideal for centers, whole-class games, or
independent work. Teach food vocabulary with this printable "Lunch Box" pack for elementary ESL/ELL learners — flashcards, sorting, writing, games & speaking activities included.
One of the best ways
to support vocabulary development in young English language learners is through
visual scaffolding using the ready-to-use printable flashcards. Use them to introduce food items that goes into a lunch box.
Sorting activity. Once familiar with the
vocabulary, move into an interactive sorting task activity. Start by having students
sort the lunch box items into basic categories like fruits and drinks. Add
additional categories such as colors, what I like / don’t like. Perfect for whole-class sessions.
Writing & Speaking Practice. Place a lunch box flashcard on the board and
several flashcards of items that go into the lunch box. Draw an arrow to the
flashcard as you say: I like grapes! Continue until all items have an arrow.
Then, have a student come up and prepare the
lunch box with the items that of his/her preference using the flashcards. Have them write down on their notebooks what they came up with on the board.
Have students talk about making sandwiches
using the flashcards. Here is my example: I am making a sandwich! What do I need?
Students: bread!
Strawberry jelly, peanut butter! (place the corresponding flashcards)
Students can make another sandwich with other
flashcards.
Speaking activity. Hold up a flashcard and ask: Do you like grapes?
Invite the students to raise their hands if
they do and say: I like grapes!
Say, make a sad face if you don’t like it. Teacher: Do you like
grape juice?
Students: I don’t like
grape juice.
The small cards add another layer of
creativity. Students choose the items they want to "pack" in their
lunch box using the cards, then use those choices to write a short text such as
“In my lunch box, I have an apple, a sandwich, and some juice.” This
encourages vocabulary recall and sentence construction. Perfect for centers.
Small cards guessing game: cut off the word
of each vocabulary card, turn the cards face down, and place number tokens on top.
Students call out a number, turn over the card, say the word, and then match it
to the correct picture. This builds confidence in speaking. Perfect for pair work.
These worksheets have students match
words to pictures, writing the correct vocabulary word to reinforce word
recognition in context.
Sorting worksheet where students categorize
food items into three groups: drinks, fruit, and other. This activity
encourages students to think critically about word meanings and food types.
One worksheet helps students practice numbers
and food vocabulary together. Students count how many items appear in the lunch
box (e.g., apples, sandwiches, juice boxes) and write the correct number.
The other worksheet encourages students to
share their personal preferences about lunch box items.
A worksheet for students color the sandwiches
based on a simple text.
The other, Write a short text about the lunch
box. Using sentence starters like “In my lunch box, I have...” or “I
like... but I don’t like...”, they build complete, meaningful sentences
using the new vocabulary.
There is a worksheet that features a black-and-white
lunch box template for students to complete. They can either draw their chosen
lunch items or cut and paste from magazines. Once their lunch box is complete, students
move on to the to write a description about their lunch box using simple
sentences.
The other option is to complete the lunchbox according
to the vocabulary box.
Find a large image of a slice of bread, where
students can draw and design their own sandwich by adding their favorite
ingredients—lettuce, cheese, tomato, ham, or anything they like! This creative
task allows to write about their sandwich.
Lunch Box Interactive Game Board! It combines speaking, vocabulary, and a
touch of strategy. Students take turns moving around the board using markers
(included), landing on different lunch box items.
If they can name the food where they land,
they collect the item by choosing the matching card, that they place on the
lunchbox template provided. When the game is over, they write what they have
with sentences like:
“In my lunch box, I have grapes, cheese, and a cookie.”
Lunch Box Puzzle Game. Each puzzle piece shows a food or drink
item (e.g., apple juice, sandwich, cheese) along with the word written
in bold, easy-to-read text. Students match the word to the correct image by
assembling the puzzle pieces.
Ideas to
Play:
1. Basic
Matching: Give students a pile of puzzle pieces. Have them find and match the
correct word and image. Use it as a fast-finisher or center activity.
2.Memory
Match: Cut the pieces apart and turn them over. Students flip two pieces to try
and find a matching image and word.
3.Speaking
Practice: When a student makes a match, they must say a sentence like:
“I have a
banana.” or “I
like apple juice.”
4. Lunch
Box Challenge: Give each student 5–6 random puzzle pieces. They
"pack" a lunch by selecting their favorite items, then write a
sentence:
“In my lunch
box, I have grapes, a cookie, and juice.”
Check the Thanksgiving food theme added to this complete resource:
https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/11/thanksgiving-food-activities-for-ells.html
Feel free to explore everything on my
Linktree:
linktr.ee/HolisticEnglishResources
