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Past and Present Verb Snap: Free Printable Game for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Past and Present Verb Snap is a free printable game for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children play snap with cards that show verbs. They shout snap when a verb meets its past tense partner. It is for two players, takes about 10 minutes, and needs scissors to cut out the cards.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Page 1 is the game for children. Page 2 is for the grown-up and has notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children cut out the cards on page 1. Some cards show a present tense verb, such as one you might use to say what is happening now. Other cards show the past tense form of a verb, the way we say it when it has already happened. Two players turn cards over and watch for a match. When a verb meets its past tense partner, the first player to say snap wins that pair.
- jump
- jumped
- run
- ran
- eat
- ate
- go
- went
- see
- saw
- play
- played
What children do in the game
Cut out the cards
An adult can help with the scissors. Cut along the lines and shuffle the cards so the pairs are mixed up.
Read each card aloud
Children say every verb as they play. Hearing the word helps them notice how the past tense form sounds and looks.
Spot the partners
Players look for a present tense verb and the past tense form of the same verb. Snap means the two cards belong together.
Check and talk
When a snap is called, both players say the pair aloud and check it. Page 2 has the answers if there is any doubt.
Why practise past and present tense?
In the National Curriculum for England, Year 2 children are expected to use past and present tense correctly and consistently in their writing. A verb is a word for an action, and tense tells the reader when that action happens. Children use tense every time they speak, but writing it down means thinking about the spelling too.
Many verbs make their past tense by adding ed to the end. Others change their spelling in a way children simply have to learn. A matching game suits this well. Children see each pair side by side, say both words aloud, and meet them again and again in a short, playful round.
Skills and curriculum link
- Verbs
- Past and present tense
- Matching
- Reading aloud
- Spelling patterns
- Listening and turn taking
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | English | Writing: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can match a verb to its past tense.
- I can tell the difference between past and present.
- I can use a past tense verb in a sentence.
Ideas to help you talk about verbs
- What a verb isA verb is a word for something you do or something that happens. Ask your child to act out a verb before they read it on a card.
- What tense tells usTense tells the reader when something happens. Present tense is about now. Past tense is about something that has already happened.
- Two kinds of changeMany verbs add ed to make the past tense. Some verbs change their spelling instead. Notice both kinds as you play.
- Time cluesWords such as yesterday and last week tell us a sentence is about the past. Practise saying sentences with these clues.
Key words
- VerbA word for an action, such as swim or clap.
- Present tenseA verb form that tells us what is happening now.
- Past tenseA verb form that tells us something has already happened.
- PairTwo things that go together. In this game, a verb and its past tense form.
- SnapThe word you shout when two matching cards appear.
- TenseThe way a verb shows when something happens.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the children. Keep page 2 for the grown-up, as it has the answers.
- Cut out the cards. An adult can help with the scissors, then shuffle the cards well.
- Read the rules together before you start, so both players play the same game. Play the first round together and talk about each choice.
- Play for about 10 minutes. Say each pair aloud when a snap is called, and check any doubts against page 2.
- Come back to the game another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Lay all the cards face up and find the pairs first. Say each pair aloud, such as a verb and then its past tense partner. Once the pairs feel familiar, shuffle the cards and try a slow game of snap with no rush.
To stretch confident children
Add more verbs of your own on blank cards, with their past tense partners. Then write a sentence for each pair, one about now and one about the past. Read the sentences aloud and ask a grown-up to listen for the tense.
Make it a game
Play memory with the cards face down. Take turns to turn over two cards. If they are a verb and its past tense partner, keep the pair and have another go. The player with the most pairs at the end wins.
Talk about it
- How do you know this verb is in the past?
- Which pair was the trickiest to match?
- Can you say a sentence about yesterday using one of these verbs?
- Which pairs look quite alike, and which look very different?
- Can you say a sentence about what you are doing right now?
- What clue words tell you that something has already happened?
Take it off the page
Action charades
Take turns to act out a verb without speaking. The others guess it, then say what you did using the past tense.
Yesterday diary
Write or draw three things you did yesterday. Say each one in a sentence and check that the verb is in the past tense.
Verb hunt
Look through a favourite picture book. Find three verbs and say whether each one is about now or about the past.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first round, then let them lead. Ten minutes is plenty. Say each pair aloud together so your child hears the words as well as sees them.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table game. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It fits the Year 2 writing strand on vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Page 2 gives support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading aloud and everyday talk about what you did earlier in the day. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision later.
Where this fits
Before this, children in Year 1 meet word endings such as ed and ing in their spelling and grammar work. They also build a bank of words by reading and writing every day. This game builds on that and lets children play with the past tense.
After this, children keep practising tense in their own sentences and short pieces of writing. In Year 3 they meet other verb forms, such as the present perfect, and compare them with the simple past. Secure past and present tense in Year 2 makes that step easier.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How do you know this verb is in the past?
- Which pair was the trickiest to match?
- Can you say a sentence about yesterday using one of these verbs?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Past and Present Verb Snap for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. It also works for a confident Year 1 child who enjoys word games, or for a Year 3 child who needs a gentle refresher.
- What will children practise?
Children match present tense verbs to their past tense forms. They also practise reading verbs aloud, telling past from present, and using a past tense verb in a sentence of their own.
- How long does the game take?
It takes about 10 minutes for two players. Two quick rounds work better than one long session. You can play again another day to build confidence.
- What if the game feels too hard?
Lay all the cards face up and find the pairs first. Say each pair aloud together. When the words feel familiar, shuffle the cards and play a slow game of snap.
- Do I need anything besides the printout?
Yes. You need scissors to cut out the cards, and an adult can help with that. Two players are needed, so a parent, teacher, friend or sibling can join in.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has the answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. Colour is not needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can print it again whenever you like.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.