Pre A1 Starters Activities make English learning fun and engaging for young learners. With interactive games, songs, and creative exercises, children can build confidence, expand their vocabulary, and improve their listening and speaking skills. Join FLYER in exploring exciting activities that make English learning easier and help your child prepare effectively for the Cambridge Pre A1 Starters exam!
Read more: Pre A1 Cambridge Starters exam format, study materials, and easy exam preparation
1. 9 Pre-A1 Starters activities
Sing along with “At the Zoo”
Most children enjoy singing and having fun while learning. When parents/teachers use songs to teach English to children, it can have the following benefits:
- Motivate children to listen and sing along to English melodies.
- Help children quickly learn and remember new English words.
- Promote other learning activities and build confidence in children.
Simple English songs like “At the Zoo” can help children visually and easily learn and remember new words. The song video includes subtitles allowing children to sing along and enthusiastically practice their vocabulary.
“At the Zoo,” which features the well-known English children’s song “The Wheels on the Bus,” narrates the tale of a family who visits the zoo and names the animals there. The song’s lyrics include carefully chosen terms from Cambridge’s Pre A1 Starters English vocabulary list that are typical English words that kids would come across on the actual exam.
Recommended activities with the song:
- Look at the pictures and mark them with a checkmark or X next to the sentences.
- Read the provided sentence and write Yes/No according to the song’s content.
- Look at the picture, arrange the letters to form the correct word.
- Fill in the appropriate word in the blank space.
- Answer the question, writing only one word.
Parents can view details and download the PDF of these suggested activities for children to complete HERE.
What is it? – Naming animals activity
This fun vocabulary game uses adorable illustrations to introduce children to common English animal names like goats and giraffes.
How to play?
In this interactive game, children see an animal image with a question and choose the correct answer. The answers appear instantly after a child selects an option and clicks the “submit” button, making learning interactive and engaging.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
*Notice: The game loading speed is quite slow, so children need to be patient and wait about 5 – 7 seconds to start and move to the next question.
The human body – A Pre A1 Vocabulary-building activity
This activity helps children improve spelling skills and expand their vocabulary on the “Human Body” theme, supporting the Reading & Speaking sections of the Pre A1 Starters exam.
How to play?
By using given letters, they will form the correct words, reinforcing their learning in a fun and interactive way.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
Where is the…? – Exploring food & drink illustrations
By answering interactive questions about food and drinks, fruits, and grains, children can expand their vocabulary, sharpen comprehension skills, and improve word recognition in a fun way.
How to play?
Children will look at given illustrations and identify whether it is food or a drink by clicking on the answer.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
At the beach! – A fun Pre A1 game for young learners
“At the beach!” enhances listening skills and the ability to follow directions.
How to play?
Children listen to audio and drag a picture onto its location in a larger image.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
Which is correct?
This game helps Pre A1 Starters learners recognize key words in spoken English and match them to images, strengthening listening skills for the exam.
How to play?
Children listen to the audio and answer questions by selecting one of the three given pictures.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
A day with my family
The exercise helps improve their ability to follow instructions, which is a skill tested in the Speaking section of Pre A1 Starters.
How to play?
Children listen to the audio and place a picture in the correct spot, within a larger picture.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
Let’s play: This is a…
In this interesting Pre A1 activity, children become familiar with vocabulary about common household items by viewing illustrations and selecting the correct answer.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
Things in a classroom – The last Pre A1 Starters activity
This Starters activity helps children learn new words related to objects in a classroom.
How to play?
The game keeps it simple with familiar actions like clicking and dragging, making it easy for children to play and learn.
Children can complete the exercise HERE.
*Notice:
If your child finds these suggested activities for Pre A1 Starters English level easy, it may indicate that they have a higher English level than Pre A1 Starters. In that case, parents should switch to activities suggested for higher levels like:
Read more: Cambridge levels for elementary students
Other Pre A1 Starters activities to build vocabulary
- Toys & Games vocabulary:
- Learning and playing with mealtimes words:
- Guessing game: Classroom objects
- What is this? – Build vocabulary about “Clothes”
4 effective online tools for Starters exam preparation
Besides Cambridge’s official platform, parents can explore the following platforms—great tools to support children in conquering the Pre A1 Starters exam.
Interactive Online Platforms – FLYER
FLYER offers a gamified learning experience with interactive exercises, mock tests, and Pre A1 Starters activities aligned with the Cambridge YLE exam at 3 levels, helping children build essential English skills through fun challenges.
On FLYER, parents and children have access to:
- Practice with over 1,000 mock tests and gamified exercises that simulate the Cambridge Pre A1 Starters exam.
- Receive AI-powered scoring and detailed feedback after every test to track progress.
- Explore more than 300 interactive activities, including vocabulary games, listening exercises, and fun challenges.
Watch more:
Educational Games & Apps – Lingokids
An interactive app with games, songs, and AI-personalized lessons that build vocabulary, phonics, and sentence skills in a fun way.
Watch more:
LearnEnglish Kids (British Council) – Effective tool for Pre A1 Starters learners
A free platform offering interactive games, songs, stories, and grammar exercises to help young learners build vocabulary, improve listening skills, and develop reading comprehension in a fun and engaging way. It also provides resources for parents to support children’s English learning journey at home.Learn more HERE.
Monkey Stories – English language learning platform
Monkey Stories is an interactive English learning platform from Vietnam for kids aged 2-10, available as a website and app. It features engaging stories, audiobooks, and phonics lessons, using AI-powered voice recognition to improve reading, pronunciation, and comprehension.
About Monkey Stories:
Frequently asked questions about: Pre A1 Starters activities
The Pre-A1 Starters exam assesses three key English skills for young learners:
Listening – Understanding basic words, short sentences, and simple conversations.
Reading & Writing – Recognizing common vocabulary, completing words, and forming simple sentences.
Speaking – Answering basic questions, describing pictures, and using simple phrases confidently.
Games, songs, flashcards, storytelling, interactive worksheets, and practice tests that follow the YLE Starters exam format are ideal.
There is no fixed rule, but regular short sessions tend to be more effective than long, infrequent ones. Parents can encourage children to engage in fun English activities a few times per week or 1 time per day based on their attention span and interest.
However, according to Cambridge English, progressing between CEFR levels typically requires guided learning hours, but the ideal daily study time varies for each child. (Cambridge English)
Conclusion
FLYER believes that A1 Pre Starters activities make learning fun and effective for young learners. With engaging games and exercises, your child can build confidence while preparing for the Cambridge Pre A1 Starters test. Keep it enjoyable, and they’ll develop a love for English that lasts a lifetime!
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