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Free interactive daily routines flashcards and ESL classroom activities

Daily routines give learners a practical reason to use the present simple, time expressions, and sequencing words. Visual routine cards help them move from isolated actions to talking about a typical school day or home routine.

Vocabulary to practise

wake upeat breakfastgo to schoolstudyplayhave dinnertake a showersleep
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Teaching daily routines in ESL class

Sequence routine cards before asking learners to speak. The visual order supports first, then, after that, and finally without requiring a long written text.

Use the topic to contrast what learners do every day with what they do at a specific time: ‘I have dinner at seven’ and ‘I go to school at eight.’

  1. 1Teach the daily routine flashcards with actions learners can copy.
  2. 2Give pairs mixed cards and ask them to put a typical day in order.
  3. 3Have pairs describe their sequence using first, then, and finally.
  4. 4Use a ‘My day’ worksheet as a writing or speaking follow-up.

Useful classroom language

  • What time do you wake up?
  • I have breakfast at seven.
  • What do you do after school?
  • First I get dressed, then I go to school.

Printable follow-up

Create a cut-and-order routine worksheet or a ‘My day’ writing prompt.

Create a worksheet →

Topic-specific classroom activities

Routine race

Teams put mixed routine cards in a logical order, then one learner explains the sequence aloud.

Find the difference

Pairs compare two short card sequences and say what is different: ‘She takes a shower before breakfast.’

Class timetable interview

Learners ask classmates about one routine and one time, then report back to a partner.

Explore classroom games →

Relevant Classendo resources

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