vocabulary homework games

• Grades 6-12
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36 Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade

These activities are the definition of fun!

Learning new words is like adding to your writing toolbox. The more tools available, the more interesting and engaging your writing becomes. Check out these fun and engaging vocabulary activities for kids in grades K-12, and supply your students with the tools they need to build their wordsmith skills.

1. Write vocabulary stories

Using vocabulary words in writing shows mastery. Challenge your students to use all of their vocabulary words in an original short story. Allow students to pair up and share their stories with a partner.

Learn more: Vocab Short Story 

2. Put your students in the hot seat

Divide your class into two teams. Choose one student from one team to go to the front of the room and sit in a chair facing the class with their back to the board. This person is “on the spot.” Place a word on the board so everyone can see it except the person in the chair. One at a time, team members give the person a clue about the mystery word. If the word is guessed before two minutes are up, the team gets a point and play turns to the other team.

Learn more: On the Spot at Upper Elementary Snapshots

3. Match up words and definitions

Download these vocabulary words and matching definitions. Distribute one card to each student (either a word or a definition). Allow students to circulate in the room and find their “match.” Switch cards and repeat.

Learn more: Dictionary Sort

4. Sketch up word maps

Creating word maps from vocabulary words encourages students to find the relationships between the vocabulary word and other words. Have them include words, pictures, examples, real-world connections, definitions, descriptive words, etc.

Learn more: Word Map

5. Create Post-it stations

Post vocabulary words around the room, then have students circulate and write an original sentence using that word on a sticky note. Follow along and make sure students use the words correctly.

Learn more: Post-it Stations

6. Play a game of Pop!

Kids draw cards out of the bag and attempt to correctly spell them. But be careful, you don’t want to draw the Pop! card.

Learn more: Pop!

7. Take a gallery walk

Hang six to eight large sheets of chart paper in various places around the room. On each sheet, write one vocabulary word. Have students work in small groups, rotating between stations. At each station, ask students to come up with a different, original way to use each word. Continue the activity until all students have visited every station.

Learn more: Gallery Walk at TeachWriting.org

8. Play a round of Pictionary

This fun activity requires students to draw a picture for each word to create their own visual dictionary. When students create their own visual representations, they develop an association with the word that they will be able to tap into when needed.

Learn more: Pictionary

9. Make a word map

Word maps help deepen understanding of a vocab word by relating it to other words and concepts students already know.

10. Use the Frayer model

Frayer models are a popular way to learn new words and concepts. Kids define the word in their own terms, then list facts and characteristics, examples, and non-examples.

Learn more: Frayer Model

11. Draw vocabulary Sketchnotes

Kids and teachers love Sketchnotes ! Rather than writing out definitions, have students draw a sketch that sums up each word instead. It’s a lot more fun and gives kids an image for visual association to help them remember the meanings.

Learn more: Sketchnotes

12. Bump words along

Group vocab words together with a few other words with similar meanings and one that’s an antonym. Students identify the antonym and “bump” it to the next box, filling in the next group of words. They continue until the worksheet is full.

Learn more: Bumper Words

13. Post a graffiti wall

Think of a vocabulary graffiti wall like a collaborative word wall. In the classroom, post the words on the wall and have kids add sticky notes to illustrate the term (they can use words or pictures). Online, try a tool like Padlet or Google Slides.

Learn more: Graffiti Wall

14. Match words to describe character

This is a terrific way to practice vocab words pulled from books you’re reading. Ask students to use various words to describe the different characters in the book and their feelings, thoughts, and actions.

Learn more: Vocabulary Activities

15. Fill in words from A to Z

This vocabulary game is fun and challenging, and it can be played by kids of any age. Choose a word, then challenge kids to come up with related words for as many letters as possible. These could be synonyms, antonyms, examples, and more. Trickier letters are worth more points!

Learn more: A to Z

16. Try Flip for vocabulary activities

Are you on the Flip (formerly Flipgrid) bandwagon yet? It’s perfect for vocabulary activities! Have kids record a quick video for each word, using their creativity to make it fun and meaningful.

Learn more: Pop-Up Pods

17. Battle it out in Vocabulary Jeopardy

Good vocabulary activities encourage more than just memorization of definitions. That’s why we like this Jeopardy game idea. It explores synonyms and antonyms and how words are used in real sentences.

Learn more: Not So Wimpy Teacher

18. Use RAFTs to write vocabulary stories

Writing a story using vocab words is a perennial favorite, but the RAFT method gives it a new twist. Students are assigned a Role (the point of view from which they’ll tell the story), an Audience, a Format, and a Topic. For instance, they might be an astronaut (Role) writing a postcard (Format) to their friends back home (Audience) about what they’ve seen on Mars (Topic). RAFTs are especially great for kids who claim they don’t know what to write about.

Learn more: RAFTs

19. Discover the power of words

Vocabulary words take on greater meaning when students incorporate them into their daily lives. Challenge kids to use their vocab words in conversation and writing outside the language arts classroom. Use the free printable worksheet here to help them keep track of how often they use them.

Learn more: Downloadable Vocabulary Activities

20. Create graphic organizers

Colorful organizers like these are terrific vocabulary activities. Want to go digital? Have kids make a slideshow, one slide per word. They can include the same information, but instead of drawing a picture, have them find one online that illustrates the concept.

Learn more: Graphic Organizers at Upper Elementary Snapshots

21. Focus on a Word of the Week

Give really important terms the attention they deserve. Choose a new vocab word each week, then explore it in depth day by day.

Learn more: Word of the Week

22. Join the Million Dollar Word Club

Post a list of target vocab words. If a student uses one of the words in class (outside of vocabulary activities), they become a member of the Million Dollar Word Club! You can have them sign their name on a wall in the classroom or award a badge online. You could even develop this into a reward system for homework passes or extra credit.

Learn more: Million Dollar Words

23. Explore shades of meaning

This is a cool idea for exploring synonyms and the slight differences that make words unique. Ask for paint sample strips at your local hardware store, or buy a clip art set .

Learn more: Shades of Meaning

24. Personify a word with social media

This is one of those vocabulary activities kids will want to do over and over again! Assign each student a word and have them create a faux Facebook, Instagram, or other social media page for it. They can draw them freehand or complete a template like these from Teachers Pay Teachers . Post the images to a shared Google slideshow so other students can use them for review.

Learn more: Social Media Vocabulary

25. Create vocabulary cards

Have students draw a diagonal line across an index card. On the top half, have them write the vocabulary word and definition. On the bottom half, have them draw a picture of the word and use it in a sentence. Cards can be joined together in a strip for easy review.

Learn more: Index Card Vocabulary

26. Play vocabulary word Taboo

In this game, the goal is for one student to get their partner to guess the word by describing or giving examples of it. The trick? There’s a list of additional words they’re not allowed to use! Let other students see the card in advance to help keep the players honest. (Flash it on a whiteboard and have the guesser face away.)

Learn more: Don’t Say It! Vocabulary Game

27. Roll a die for vocabulary activities

Choose a vocab word, then have a student roll a die ( these virtual dice are handy ) to see which activity they get to complete.

Learn more: Roll a Word

28. Write an acrostic

Write an acrostic poem for each vocab term, using the letters to determine the first word in each line. This can get really challenging when words are longer!

Learn more: Acrostic Poem

29. Play vocabulary board games

Everyone knows that playing games is the best way to learn. Try some of these fabulous board games with your students and watch their vocabularies grow.

Learn more: 11 Vocab Games To Make the Learning Stick

30. Become a Word Collector

This is one of those picture books that grown-up kids will enjoy as much as little ones. Use it to remind your kids that they don’t need a vocabulary list to learn new words—new words are all around them. Encourage them to keep a word list or journal of their own to record new words they want to explore and use more often.

Buy it: The Word Collector

31. Play Vocabulary Headbanz

Make or buy headbands with a notch on the front designed to hold a card. Create cards with vocabulary words on them. To play, each student gets a card but can’t see it. Other students will describe the word, trying to get the one wearing the headband to guess the correct word.

Learn more: Vocab Headbanz

32. Go Fish!

A fun and lively way to practice vocabulary words. Create a deck of vocabulary words with two of each word. Explain the rules of Go Fish to students and let them loose!

Learn more: Go Fish Vocab Game

33. String three-letter words

Using wooden letter beads and pipe cleaners, students will form three-letter words that match vocabulary cards.

Learn more: Three-Letter Busy Bag

34. Play vocabulary charades

Everybody loves an exciting round of charades. Break your students into groups, provide them with a stack vocabulary cards, and watch them learn!

Learn more: Word Charades

35. Make words

Use plastic letters, magnet letters, or letter blocks to make words. Play it mentally with older kids, or with paper and pencil. Simply give your children some letters and challenge them to make words from those letters.

Learn more: Make a Word

36. Do a dictionary dig

Send your students on a scavenger hunt … in the dictionary! Exposing kids to the thousands of words in our language is both inspiring and fun. Download the free task cards below.

Learn more: Dictionary Dig

Reading poetry also helps students expand their vocabulary. Check out these must-share poems for elementary school and middle and high school .

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas when you sign up for our free newsletters .

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17 Best Vocabulary Games to Play in the Classroom and At Home

1. Master a Language

2. improve spelling, 3. improve concentration, 4. develop cognitive skills, 5. sharpen memory, 6. healthy competition, 7. self-satisfaction.

Learning new words can help with a child’s cognitive development. Learning new vocabulary impacts different brain areas, leading to a sharp memory. But simple dictation or word cramming will not help kids. It’s beneficial to incorporate fun vocabulary games to capture their interest and facilitate learning. These can be played in the classroom or at home, making learning new words more engaging and enjoyable for children.

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SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

A study published by the American Psychological Association shows that games in learning improve children’s participation, emotional involvement, and social skills . Thus, by organizing vocabulary games at home or in the classroom, you can effectively foster the development of your kids’ language skills.

This guide presents easy and educational vocabulary games to enrich kids’ language skills without hassle.

Discover the excitement of learning with SplashLearn’s reading games . Get started on a path to vocabulary mastery!

17 Best Vocabulary Games for Kids (Fun and Educational)

Considering organizing a word game competition? There’s a wealth of vocabulary games available online, as well as offline, that are both entertaining and educational. Based on our research, here are some of the best vocabulary word games for children, suitable for use in classrooms or at home:

8 Vocabulary Games to Play at Home

1. SplashLearn Online Vocabulary Games

Age: 2 to 11 years

SplashLearn offers interactive vocabulary games online for kids where they learn new words through activities focused on word recognition, spelling , and sentence usage. Designed to build a strong foundation, SplashLearn gradually introduces kids to the essentials, starting from letters and phonics all the way to vocabulary building and crafting sentences. This approach ensures a comprehensive understanding, enabling young learners to understand and use new vocabulary in context effectively.

How to Play:

• Initially, sit with your child to explore the SplashLearn platform. Show them how to navigate the games and encourage them to express what interests them.
• Discuss and set daily targets for new words to learn, making each session goal-oriented and rewarding.
• Actively participate by asking about new words. For example, “What new word did you learn?” or “Can you use that word in a sentence?” This reinforces their learning and shows your interest in their progress.

Here are some vocabulary games that you can get started with:

2. Word Search

Material Required: A word search puzzle sheet 

Age: 8 to 15 years

Depending upon your kid’s reading and writing levels, download a word search sheet online and give them each copy to find the words. 

• Find all hidden words in the grid.
• Highlight or circle found words.
• Complete the puzzle to find every listed word.
• Make sure everyone understands they are to find the words listed on their sheet within the puzzle grid. Words can be oriented in any direction.

Rewards: Upon successfully finding all the words, the child earns a colorful certificate of achievement, celebrating their sharp observation and vocabulary skills.

Here are some printable word search worksheets that you can use:

3. Crossword

Material Required : A crossword sheet 

Age : 10 to 15 years 

When you need some quiet time to focus on household tasks or work, make a game crossword for your kids. Download a crossword sheet online and challenge them to complete it. Offer a small reward for finishing or for each word they correctly solve, turning it into a fun and educational competition.

How to Play: 

• Distribute a crossword puzzle sheet.
• Challenge participants to complete the crossword.
• Set a time limit of 20 minutes for solving the puzzle.
• Give 20 minutes to solve the puzzle. 

Rewards : Anything you find appropriate Here are some fun printable crossword worksheets that you can easily download to get started:

4. Word Sorting Game

Material Required: Word sorting worksheet, timer (optional)

Age: 6 to 12 years

When you’re looking for a creative way to keep your kids engaged, try a word sorting worksheet . This activity not only keeps them occupied but also enhances their vocabulary and categorization skills. 

How to play:

• Download age-appropriate word sorting worksheet.
• Challenge kids to sort words quickly; use a timer for added fun.
• For multiple kids, make it a race for accuracy and speed.
• Sort words into categories as quickly and accurately as possible. If playing with multiple kids, turn it into a race.

Rewards: Choose a fitting reward to motivate and recognize their efforts.

Here are some engaging printable word sorting worksheets to kickstart this fun vocabulary game:

5. Basketball Vocabulary

Material Required: A ball and trash can

Age: 5 to 10 years

This game is a fun way to exercise both your brain and arm muscles. It’s great for young kids to learn and stay active.

• Set up a trash can as a makeshift basketball hoop.
• Write several words on a piece of paper or a board.
• Take turns trying to throw the ball into the trash can.
• If you make the basket, choose a word to define. If not, a word is chosen for you.
• Each player gets only one chance to throw the ball into the basket.

Rewards: Offer rewards for correctly defining words, encouraging both physical activity and learning.

6. Headbanz

Material Required: Waste hairbands, sticky notes

Age: 4 to 8 years

This is a DIY word game that’s great for playing with your child. First, you must get some hairbands and put a sticky note on them with a food item’s name.

• Place a Headbanz on your child’s forehead without showing them the word.
• Let your child ask yes or no questions to guess the food item.
• Limit the number of questions to make it challenging.

Reward: If they guess correctly, they get a small treat related to the guessed food item.

7. Word Pyramid

Material Required: Pyramid worksheet

Age: 6 to 14 years

This game is designed for a single child to enhance vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Download the ELA pyramid worksheet and get ready for some educational fun with your child!

• Sit with your child and help them draw a pyramid, adding six categories in three rows.
• You give clues related to each category, and your child guesses the correct category.
• Make the game time-bound to add a sense of challenge.

Reward: Offer a small prize or privilege for each correct guess or for completing the pyramid.

Here are some fun word pyramid-building worksheets to enhance your kid’s vocabulary :

8. Rolling Words

Material Required: A dice and word cards

Age: 10 to 16 years

You need to order some word cards to play this game and make it appropriate to your kid’s vocabulary level. Then, roll the dice to improve your child’s vocabulary.

• Place all word cards face down on a table.
• Take turns with your child rolling the dice. The number rolled indicates how many cards to turn face up. For example, if you roll a 3, turn up three cards.
• Each player tries to define as many of the revealed words as possible.
• The player who defines the most words in each round wins that round.

Reward: Set up a fun prize for the overall winner after several rounds, like choosing the next family movie or a favorite dessert.

9 Vocabulary Games to Play in the Classroom

1. Synonym Matching

Material Required: Synonym worksheets , pen

This game is appropriate for older kids who know more words. It can help to test the language level of your class.

• Distribute synonym matching worksheets to the class, each sheet containing a list of words and potential synonyms.
• Ask the students to match each word with its correct synonym.
• Set a time limit, such as 5 minutes, to make it more challenging.

Reward: Offer extra credit points or a special privilege for those who make the most correct matches.

Here are printable synonym matching worksheets that you can easily download and use in your classroom for free:

2. Word Detective

Materials Required: Commonly Confused Words Worksheets , Pens or pencils, Timer (optional)

This is one of the best vocabulary building games to help students distinguish between commonly confused words, enhancing their understanding and usage in writing and speaking.

• Print out worksheets that list pairs of commonly confused words (e.g., “there/their/they’re”, “accept/except”, “affect/effect”). Each worksheet should have sentences with blank spaces where these words would fit.
• Divide the class into small groups or pairs. The task is for students to correctly fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the pairs.
• No use of dictionaries or online resources. This encourages students to rely on their learning and understanding.

Reward: Winners can be given a small prize, like a homework pass or extra credit points.

Print these engaging Commonly Confused Words worksheets to start the Word Detective game in your classroom:

3. Checkers

Material Required : A checkerboard

Age : 5 to 12 years

Checkers is a classic board game . However, you can reinvent checkers to improve the vocabulary skills of your students. This game can allow teachers to show students how to use words correctly. Simply download a checkerboard and give a checkersheet to each of your students.

How to Play :

• Write a word in the white block of the checker sheet. 
• Then, whenever a student moves to a white block, you can ask them a question related to the word written in the block, like its definition or usage in the sentence.
• Students will lose the game after two wrong answers. 

Rewards : Stickers or badges

4. Pictionary

Material Required : Pictionary Junior cards

Age : 5 to 10 years 

Pictionary is one of the most fun classroom vocabulary games , so everyone knows how to play it. However, you have to improvise a bit to use it to improve the vocabulary of your class. For this, you have to order some Pictionary Junior cards and divide your class into two groups.

• Call a member from each team and give them a cue from your Pictionary Junior cards. 

If the team member guessed the word, they would get one point. If the other team member guessed the word, they would get the point.

Rewards : 10 minutes longer lunch break. 

5. Go Fish Vocabulary

Material Required : Go Fish Vocabulary cards

Age : 3 to 15 years

This is one of the best vocabulary games for students if you want to organize a vocabulary game competition with other classes or grade students. You have to first get Go Fish Vocabulary cards. 

• Select the ten-word cards matching your students’ vocabulary level. 
• Then, you can divide your class into groups and assign them cards based on the number of groups you have created. 
• The fun part is that when a student asks for the card, they don’t say the word. Instead, they define the word that the other person has to guess. 
• Nobody will say the word mentioned on the card. 

Rewards : Anything you find appropriate

6. Memory Cards

Material Required : Memory cards

Age : 3 to 12 years

This is a simple card-matching game. However, instead of matching things on the cards, students must match words with their definitions. You can order word memory cards online or create appropriate ones for your students’ vocab level. 

• Divide your class into small groups. 
• Lay down all definition cards on a table in the center of the classroom. 
• Give a word card to each team member and ask them to find the correct definition cards from the table.
• Give the students 2 minutes to match the card. 

Rewards : Anything you find appropriate 

7. Verb Charades

Material Required : Paper slips

Age : 3 to 10 years

It is one of the best English vocabulary games for young students who aren’t good at writing. It is similar to Pictionary, but it has simple verbs that young children can guess faster. Besides this, it involves physical activity to keep children engaged in the game.

• Divide your class into groups. 
• You can either write a verb on a piece of paper or say it in a student’s ear such that no one else can hear what you have said. 
• Then, ask the student to act so that other team members can guess the verb.
• No speaking while acting the word. 

Rewards : One point for the right guess 

8. Word Association

Material Required : Nothing

Age : 3 and above

It is the best word game for classrooms. Teachers need nothing to play this game, so it is suitable to organize impromptu game sessions. 

• Divide your team into two groups. 
• A player from a team will say a word. 
• Other team players will respond with the word that first comes to their minds. 
• It continues until one player repeats a word or pauses too long. 
• Prompt replies. 

Rewards : A whole team gets no homework for a day.

9. Vocabulary Hangman

Material Required : Chalkboard 

Age : 8 to 12 years

Transforming the classic ESL vocabulary games of Hangman into a worksheet-based game, this version utilizes fill-in-the-blanks worksheets to teach challenging vocabulary to kids, such as “razzmatazz” or “shenanigans”. This approach ensures a focus on learning and understanding new words without the need for a chalkboard or online virtual whiteboard.

• Print worksheets with sentences featuring blanks corresponding to vocabulary words.
• Give clues or definitions for words instead of guessing letters. Players fill in blanks based on these clues.
• Players work individually or take turns to solve puzzles, earning points for correct words.
• Progress by filling blanks with correct words from clues. Hints allowed with point penalties.
• Points for correct fills, with bonuses for speed and minimal hints, encouraging quick, accurate vocabulary use.

Here are some worksheets featuring fill-in-the-blanks that you can print:

Why Play Fun Vocabulary Games With Kids?

Playing word games in your classroom or home is not only entertaining, it can also improve kids’ learning, thinking, and cognitive abilities. Thus, playing vocabulary building games and language games will have the following benefits:

The obvious benefit of playing fun vocabulary games is learning a language better. Through vocab games, children learn many new words they might never know otherwise. 

Moreover, they can learn the correct word usage in a sentence. The rich vocabulary also allows kids to express their thoughts in written and verbal ways.

Vocabulary practice games will not only help to teach new words but also improve kids’ spelling and grammar skills.

For example, games like Scrabble and doing crosswords can improve spelling. These games also help kids understand the words’ real meanings and where they can use them in the real world.

It requires concentration to play games. So, when kids focus on finding new words in the dictionary, they will learn to focus on a task. This can help them in other parts of learning as well. 

Language games put your brain muscles to work. Even when playing fun games like Rolling Words, you use your brain to identify the right word to complete the sentence. 

So, when you put your kids’ brains to work, it will improve their cognitive skills. They learn to process information faster and find solutions without your help. 

While playing word games, kids also put pressure on their memory. They must dig into their memory lane to find the right word definitions, spellings, and sentences to win the game. 

Moreover, most word games are strategic and time-bound. When a player recalls information with a clear goal, it makes it easy to organize and remember things. 

Games always ripple a competitive vibe. Players will not only compete with their opponents but also compete with themselves. The competition can motivate kids to improve their vocabulary and learn new words to win classroom games.

Scoring high in word games improves the confidence level in kids. As a result, they feel more satisfied with themselves. This confidence booster can also help them grow in other academic areas.

Vocabulary Games For The Win!

Children enjoy playing games. When you devote time to game-based or play-based learning, your child will develop critical thinking skills, motivation, and goal-setting abilities. As they play games that improve vocabulary and literacy, their confidence will also grow. 

Want more ideas to inspire your child to enjoy learning? Then, checkout SplashLearn Reading Games! These animated and fun online games will improve your kids’ vocabulary skills.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When does a child begin to develop vocabulary and language skills.

Your child may know and use 20–100 meaningful words by eighteen months. Every day, you’ll notice your child using new words. Around the age of two, your child will begin to combine two words, such as “mummy car” or “I go.”

How can good vocabulary help children in life?

A large vocabulary helps with all aspects of communication, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Vocabulary is important for a child’s success for the following reasons: Vocabulary development is directly related to academic achievement. For example, in kindergarten, the size of a child’s vocabulary predicts their ability to learn to read.

What are some fun vocabulary games for elementary students?

Some of the best vocabulary games for elementary students include crossword search, online vocabulary games, and pictionary.

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8 Great Vocabulary Activities and Games for Building Word Understanding

October 5, 2023 by Katelyn Hildebrand

Want to help your students have fun while building word understanding? Use these FUN vocabulary activities and games to make learning new vocab words enjoyable for your kiddos. I promise you– the more fun they have while learning vocabulary, the more the new words will STICK!

These vocab games are the perfect way to build vocabulary for students in a fun way!

Why is it so important to build their vocabulary word understanding?

The more words they know…

• the better they will understand what they read
• the more confidence they will have when speaking and expressing their ideas

When students build their bank of vocabulary words, comprehension soars through the roof!

Here is a blog post that dives deeper into vocab skills and what teaching vocabulary looks like .

These fun vocabulary activities will help your kiddos have fun while learning new words! Pictured is my Vocabulary Intervention Binder you can grab here.

8 Fun Vocabulary Activities & Games

Each of these fun vocab activities targets key vocabulary skills and academic vocabulary, while still focusing on engagement and making a game out of it. Your kids will love them!

You can find more vocabulary activity ideas in my blog post 7 Awesome Vocabulary Strategies .

When teaching vocabulary, get students up and moving with this “Who am I?” game.

1. Vocab “Who am I?” Game

This is such an easy game that is so versatile with any vocabulary list!

• Write vocabulary words on notecards.
• Tape a word to each student’s back (without them seeing the word)
• Have students “mingle”.
• Ask yes or no questions to figure out what their word is
• Or the person they talk to can use the word in a sentence (saying “blank” in place of the word)
• When the student thinks they know what the word is, they can go to the teacher, say the word, and use the word in a sentence.

Add sticky notes to your vocabulary building activities to make them instantly more hands-on and engaging, like with this activity in my Vocabulary Intervention Binder.

2. Use Sticky Notes in your Vocabulary Activities

Sticky notes are one of the ultimate low-prep but engaging teaching tools!

• Tactile input (sticking & pulling them off)
• Kinesthetic input (moving them around)
• Visual input (bright colors/color coding, drawing attention, hide & reveal)
• Hands-on interactive engagement!

Plus they are so easy to stick (haha, no pun intended) into any lesson without adding extra work.

*Side note: for more ideas on adding multisensory learning into your reading instruction, here is my Ultimate List of Reading Intervention Activities and 6 Fun Multisensory Learning Activities .

Here are some ideas for using sticky notes in your vocabulary activities:

• Have a list of words/root words and definitions
• Cover either the words or the definitions with sticky notes
• Have students say the word/definition that matches, then check if they are right
• Great for self-assessment!
• Have a memory board of words and definitions
• Cover them all with sticky notes
• Let students take turns taking off 2 sticky notes at a time to uncover matches
• If they find a match, go again. If they don’t, re-cover the words and it’s the next player’s turn.
• Write word parts on sticky notes (prefixes, root words, suffixes)
• Let students rearrange sticky notes to make new words (real or made up!)
• Write words on sticky notes (or let students write the words)
• Let students stick them around the room to label things
• You can also have pictures on a piece of paper and use small sticky notes with matching words for students to stick on the pictures.

I have tons of sticky note activities in my Vocabulary Intervention Binder to make intervention more engaging!

Turn the classic Go-Fish into a vocabulary games learning opportunity!

3. Root Word Go-Fish Vocab Game

A vocabulary twist on a classic game! Most kids already know how to play Go Fish, so this is an easy one to learn. Plus, the focus on root words is an AWESOME way to equip students with the tools to tackle big words!

Learning root words is a fantastic vocabulary booster, and it prepares students to learn how to decode multisyllabic words .

Set Up (for 2 players):

• Get 20 different note cards (or more for more players or to practice more roots!)
• Choose 10 root words to focus on.
• Write one root word on each of 10 cards.
• Write the meanings on each of the other 10 cards.
• Shuffle the cards and place the stack face down in the middle of the players.
• Hand 5 cards to each player.
• Players can put down any root + meaning matches.
• At the beginning of your turn, draw a card from the pile.
• Take turns asking for a root or a meaning from the other person.
• If the other person has the card you ask for, they give it to you. If not, it’s the next player’s turn.
• If you get a card that makes a match, put the match down in front of you.
• Keep playing until someone runs out of cards.
• The person with the most matches wins!

*Variations: Instead of matching root words and meanings, you can match…

• root words with a whole word that has that root
• words (that contain root words) with definitions

Vocabulary games like this FREE root words card game make learning more fun!

4. Word Builder Vocabulary Game:

This is a fun take on the traditional card game called “Rummy”. You can buy pre-made Rummy Roots cards , or just print out these similar {FREE} Word Builder cards .

• Shuffle and deal everyone 5 cards.
• Place the deck face down in the middle.
• Flip the top card over face up next to the deck (this is now your discard pile).
• Player 1 can either draw one card from the deck, or take the top card from the discard pile.
• If they can make any word from the word bank with their root cards, place that word down face up in front of them.
• Their turn ends by discarding one card into the discard pile (face up right next to the deck).
• The next player can either take the top card of the discard pile, or draw a card from the deck
• When one player lays down all of their cards, the game is done.
• Add up all of the points from the words you made.
• Subtract any points from cards left in your hand.
• The player with the most points wins!

Have students teach the vocab words in this reciprocal teaching activity.

5. Jigsaw Vocabulary Activity

This is a great vocabulary activity to let students do the teaching and learn from their peers. It is a great confidence boost, and teaching is one of the best ways to learn something in long-term memory!

Instructions:

• Split the class into 4-5 groups.
• Give each group an assigned word.
• Let each group research their word together to become experts on it (find it in a dictionary, draw pictures of it, come up with synonyms and antonyms, use it in a few sentences, etc.)
• Then rearrange the groups so that each new group has 1 student expert for each word.
• Let students take turns teaching their new group their word.

Vocabulary activities for kids don’t have to be complicated. Try this simple points game!

6. Vocabulary Points Game

This is a great motivator for actually USING new vocabulary words learned! And the more they use their new vocab words, the more the meaning will become solidified in their natural language.

• Choose 5 vocabulary words for the week and display them on the wall.
• Teach students what each one means and give examples of using them in a sentence.
• Each time you hear a student using one of the words in a sentence the correct way, they get a point.
• See how many points students can accumulate over the week!

Optional: if a student (or the class as a whole) hits a certain number of points, they get a prize.

Teaching vocabulary words you find in books is a great real-word example of natural vocabulary building.

7. Read Books Rich in Vocabulary

Books and read-alouds are such great opportunities for learning new words in context. Read high-quality books with rich language and vocabulary.

• When you come across a new, interesting, or meaningful word–talk about it!
• Write it out so the students can see it.
• Re-read the sentence it is in.
• Ask students to use context to say what they think it means.
• Use it in additional sentences to model it’s meaning.
• Give synonyms and antonyms for it.
• Let students use it in their own sentences.

No, don’t do this for every word of the story itself will lose its impact and flow. BUT, be sure to do this for the particular words you want to teach your students (at least one per read aloud session).

Here is an Amazon (affiliate) link to all of my favorite high-quality books arranged by reading level.

These vocabulary word games printable activities are perfect for no-prep practice! Check them out in my Vocabulary Intervention Binder .

8. No-Prep Vocabulary Games (+ Vocabulary Activities Binder)

These fun vocabulary games are PERFECT for easy, instant engagement. Just print them out and use them as a vocabulary enriching center, mini-lesson, or fast-finisher!

You can find these vocab games in my Vocabulary Intervention Binder .

The binder includes loads of print-&-teach intervention activities to cover basic vocabulary skills, grammar, root words and affixes, and context clues.

Plus, there is a whole section of these no-prep games to cover all of those topics!

They include:

• Definition Memory
• Mystery Descriptions
• Category Guess
• Parts of Speech Roll-It
• Compound Word Maze
• Synonym Board Game
• Antonym Catch a Star
• Homophone Memory
• Homograph Board Game
• Word Part Munch
• Word Part Bingo
• Mystery Words

This is a super fun and easy way to ramp up vocabulary lesson engagement!

I hope these vocabulary activities and games have sparked some ideas of fun ways to build your students’ language confidence and word understanding! Vocabulary building activities are a great way to have fun while still learning new vocab words and skills.

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Vocabulary Worksheets

Vocabulary is a fundamental learning concept but covers many different areas. We've developed hundreds of practice activities to help your student improve their vocabulary skills. You'll find worksheet activities around the alphabet, dictionary skills, Fry sight words, Dolch sight words, phonetics, homographs, homophones, prefixes, proverbs and adages, root words, shades of meaning, suffixes, synonyms and antonyms! All of our printable worksheets are designed around common core standards and cover a broad range of skill levels from kindergarten through high school.  Feel free to print copies for your classroom or at home.

Alphabet Worksheets

Dictionary Skills Worksheets

These worksheets help students to learn how to effectively use a dictionary. All worksheets are free to use at home or in the classroom. Just print and duplicate!

Fry Word List - 1,000 High Frequency Words

Homograph Worksheets - Learning About Homographs

Homophone Worksheets

Phonics Worksheets | Phonetics

Prefix Worksheets

Proverbs and Adages Worksheets

These worksheets hep students to understand the meaning of proverbs and adages, looking into the deeper meaning of these phrases.

Greek and Latin Root Words

Shades of Meaning Worksheets

These worksheets help students learn to interpret the shades of meaning behind specific words, in order to help with reading comprehension and writing.

Suffix Worksheets

Synonym Worksheets and Antonym Worksheets

Vocabulary Game

You can set this page as a homework task for a group of students; doing so will give you a record of who has completed the task. Visit the teachers' section for more information.

In the teacher's section you can also alter the sets of content, so that only some of the images appear. Additionally, you can get embed code to add this game to a blog or web page and you can create direct links to the game with content pre-selected. As an example, the link below will start the game with the jobs content automatically loaded.

https://www.gamestolearnenglish.com/vocab-game/#jobs

Alternatively, this link will start the game with the food content automatically selected and loaded.

https://www.gamestolearnenglish.com/vocab-game/#food

Use the teacher's section to create more links or embed code.

This is a game to learn basic English (ESL) vocab in a fun way. On the first screen you have to match the images to the words. On the second screen you have to click the button to reveal parts of the image and then click on the matching word.

The aim of this game is to present words, image and audio in a way that is engaging. Students can see the pictures and use them to infer meaning. Then they match this to text and audio. In doing this, it is hoped that learners can associate the images (and meaning) with the words and sounds. In order to progress with the game, it is necessary to move or click on the words that match the images. So, to a certain extent, it is necessary to learn/know the vocabulary to progress. While it is possible to progress simply by guessing or by luck, I think that playing in that way would be meaningless and not very interesting. In general, I think it is necessary to have some familiarity with the vocabulary being used - perhaps to know at least a few of the items. I do not think that students will benefit much if they come at the vocab cold and do not know any at all. Rather, I think it is best if students are at least somewhat familiar with the content. In that way, the vocab items that they already know can be reinforced, while a few items that they do not know can be introduced. Or even better, if the students already know all the vocabulary, then they can review or reinforce the content

This is game is really 2 mini games. In the first you are presented with 8 images and 8 words. You have to re-arrange these to that the words match the images. When you match a pair, a tick will appear and the audio for that word will play. Once you have matched all the items, you proceed to the next game. The second mini game involves a big image that is hidden behind 16 squares. You can reveal these squares individually by clicking on the lightening button. Doing this repeatedly will slowly reveal the image. Once you have an idea about what the image might be, you can click on one of the buttons at the bottom to take a guess at the matching word. If you guess correctly, then your score will increase, while an incorrect guess will lose points. Importantly, your score increases more when you have revealed fewer squares. So in general, it is a good idea to reveal a smaller number of squares before you guess. There are also bonuses that you can use to help guess the image. The bonuses do different things, but include one that reveals the whole image for a split second and another that reveals a horizontal bar of squares. You only get one of each bonus per round so it is a good idea to use them wisely

The content used in this game is selected on the second screen. There are about 30 sets of content that cover a lot of the basic language vocabulary - things like food, clothes, jobs, colors, etc. Each set has 10-35 items; however, not all items may be used for any set you choose. A list of this content is available on request.

This game should work on mobile or tablet devices - contact me if it doesn't

You can message me by sending an email using the contact page that is linked at the bottom or by using the comment form on this page. Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback.

that game is very good

this game is beautiful and happy enjoy

Games to Learn English

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What's vocabee?

Vocabee is a vocabulary game-based learning platform. With vocabee, it is easy to create and play fun vocabulary games in minutes. Use vocabee for all language classes, and practically any subject. Play with anyone, on any device, from anywhere, in any subject.

Image of Letters (Credits: Pixabay)

Play the Vocab Bee

The research is clear. Playing games and gamifying elements of the learning experience yield more long term engagement, and promote learning. Create vocabulary learning games in no-time; learners play and compete in real time, creating engaging experiences. Tried by teachers, loved by learners. 

Mobile Ready

Create and play your bees from anywhere, in any language, using any device (BYOD-friendly). Responsive design means more productivity and focus on pedagogical tasks. Students play together in groups, or individually. Your class, your rules .

Vocabulary Learning Made Fun

Learning vocabulary is the building blocks of successful language learning experiences. Engage your students by having them work together to create bees and create meaning in the process. Your vocab Bee can also be turned into a spelling bee in no time.

Commonly taught or not, all are welcome!

Crowd-source the learning experience, where your learners work together to collect and come up with all the words for a given lesson, or unit. If you're short on resources, especially if you teach a less commonly taught language, this bee can help your learners take advantage of all Web 2.0 learning features. 

Read more to learn about ways in which you can incorporate the vocab bee in your classes. A variety of use cases to suit a variety of audiences, situations, and learning contexts. 

Creating a Bee in 1,2,3

Creating an account and a bee takes less than a minute. You pick the words, and let your busy bees play to find all the words. No additional tools necessary. 

Sync or Async

The Bee can be played during class time (synchronously) and also outside of class (asynchronously) so learning continues even after students leave the classroom. 

Create Account

With an account, you can create your own bees. Creating an account is quick and free. 

If you're here to play the bee, you just need a game room number to play. 

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6 Engaging Vocabulary Activities to Try in 2020

Since vocabulary is something English teachers are constantly teaching, it can be easy to get stuck in a routine. I’ll confess that I’ve been guilty of falling into the vocabulary slideshow + guided notes trap. While it’s not an ineffective lesson, it does get boring after a while. I keep the trusty guided notes sheet in my back pocket for those days when an easy, structured “notes” lesson is necessary, but I also work hard to mix up my vocabulary lessons with engaging activities.

If you’re hoping to do the same with your vocabulary instruction in 2020, then here are 6 of my favorite student-centered, engaging vocabulary activities. 🙂 Happy teaching!

1. VOCABULARY QUESTION TRAIL

A question trail is my go-to strategy for making vocabulary instruction more engaging. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a kinesthetic activity that gets students up and moving around the room on a “trail” of multiple-choice questions. At each station on the trail, students answer a multiple-choice question that sends them to the next question “on the trail.” If students answer each question correctly, they will travel to all questions and successfully complete the trail in the correct order. If students answer a question incorrectly, they will eventually end up at a station they’ve already completed, which means they need to backtrack and problem-solve. This also means students AND teachers can get helpful, immediate feedback.

I like to use question trails as a student-centered, interactive alternative to introducing vocabulary words with a slideshow and notes. To do this, I write multiple-choice questions that ask students to use context clues to discern the definition of a vocabulary word in a sentence. A question trail would also work for vocabulary review before an assessment.

For more information on how to create your own question trail, check out this helpful blog post or this editable template. If you don’t have time to create your own question trail, you can check out my print-ready vocabulary in context question trails. You can find one that’s suitable for 7-9th graders here, and a test-prep one that will challenge 10-12th graders here.

2. VOCABULARY TRADING CARDS

I created “vocabulary trading cards” when I got stuck in a vocab rut and was searching for a way to mix up my vocabulary instruction! Vocabulary trading cards ask students to visually represent the word on the front and then record its “stats” on the back: definition, synonyms, antonyms, and connotation. They have to plot the word’s connotation on a negative-positive spectrum, so it’s a great way to practice connotation! As a fun bonus, students even get to “rate” the word out of 5 stars. (This gives them a nice outlet to “complain” about certain words…ha!)

When I do this, each student gets their own vocabulary word (depending on the number of words). After the kids create their trading cards, they have to “duel” other students and decide which word is “better” by discussing the word’s stats and usage. You can make different standards for what “wins,” or just let them argue it out, which is what I do. Sometimes, students conclude that the positive words are stronger, or vice versa. I’ll even hear the kids converse about which words are more versatile, or they’ll make cross-curricular connections.

The “dueling,” challenging, playing, debating, or whatever you want to call it is the most fun part of this (and the part that cements the words into students’ memory). My students seriously act like kids playing Pokemon in the early 2000s (and they’re in high school). It’s hysterical and effective!

You can check out my ready-to-print vocabulary trading card template here or look into ReadWriteThink’s online trading card generator here. Their template is not designed for vocabulary, but I think it could work!

3. VOCABULARY SCAVENGER HUNT OR GALLERY WALK

This idea is so simple but incredibly effective! I created this when I had a vocabulary slideshow ready to present, but I decided I didn’t want to talk at my students for the entire day. Literally all I did was print out the slides from my presentation and tape them up around my room. Each slide had a vocabulary word, its definition, and a picture.

Here’s how it works: Students travel around the room to “find” all of the vocabulary words, jot down their definitions, and draw a picture/write a sentence/come up with some fun way to remember the word. (A simple graphic organizer works well for these “notes.”) When students think of a good example of the word, they can write it on a sticky note and post it by the paper that’s hanging up. Throughout the day, the collection of sticky notes will grow, giving students multiple examples and clever ways to remember each word. The sticky notes will give your students more connections than you could give them in a teacher-led lesson.

When you think about it, it’s not really a “scavenger hunt,” or even a real gallery walk; it’s students taking notes while walking around. But don’t call it that. Trick your kids into a little bit of kinesthetic and student-centered learning! Trust me…it works!

4. “HEADS UP” GAME

If you want a low-prep but high-impact activity, try this fun spinoff of Ellen DeGeneres’ popular “Heads Up” game. All you need is a set of cards with your vocabulary words (one per card), but the cards don’t have to be fancy. Just create a table on a doc, type one word per card, print, and cut! I recommend using a rubber band, paperclip, or plastic bag to keep each set together. Students will be grouped in partners, so you’ll need one set of cards for each set of partners.

Once in partners, students will pick one person to go first. This person will pick up a vocabulary card (without looking at it) and place it on their forehead. Then, the partner will give clues about the word, and the first person will have to guess the word. It’s that simple!

I usually have students play 2-3 “rounds” of the game to give them lots of practice. Here’s how I structure it:

• Round 1: Students can use definitions as clues.
• Round 2: Students can use only synonyms or antonyms as clues.
• Round 3: Students can use only examples/sentences as clues.

If your students love playing this game for vocabulary, you can try it with figurative language, literary devices, characters, and more. It’s always a hit in my classroom!

5. QUIZLET/QUIZLET LIVE

I can’t write a blog post on vocabulary without mentioning my all-time favorite tech tool, Quizlet Live. For those days when you have no time or energy to prep, Quizlet Live has your back. I have been known to strategically plan Quizlet Live for the first day after a break, so if you’re looking for something to do when you go back to school in January, this is it.

Quizlet Live is an engaging, collaborative game that helps students review vocabulary words. It is as simple as one click if you already have a deck of virtual flashcards set up. If you don’t have flashcards set up, it takes less than 5 minutes to make a set of 10-15. When you have a set of flashcards, click on “Live” (under “Play”) and follow the instructions to begin. Students will join with a code, and then Quizlet Live will automatically organize them into groups.

If your students are tired of Quizlet, some fun alternatives include Kahoot , Quizizz, and Gimkit. These are live learning games that are similar to Quizlet Live but just different enough to mix things up.

6. VOCABULARY LEARNING STATIONS

Last but certainly not least is one of my favorites: learning stations! Vocabulary stations are essentially a mash-up of the above activities (or any other activities you want to substitute). 

Here’s my go-to set-up for vocabulary stations. You can easily add or substitute your own activities to mix things up:

• Station 1: Vocabulary Charades
• Station 2: Vocabulary Trading Cards
• Station 3: Vocabulary Pictionary
• Station 4: Writing Task
• Station 5: Quizlet/Your Choice

If you’re looking for an editable, print-ready set of vocabulary learning stations, you can check out mine here. These including the trading card template I mentioned above. 🙂 For more information on how to create your own learning stations, check out this blog post.

I hope this list helped you brainstorm some vocabulary ideas for 2020. While you’re here, let me know your favorite vocabulary activity in the comments so I can add to my collection of strategies. 🙂

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All of these vocab ideas are BRILLIANT!! I have been wanting to try something new, and I think my kids would love all of these! Thank you for sharing – I can’t wait to try each one!

Hi Abby!!! Is it posible to turn these lovely activities into digital ones? I mean, as we’re working virtually I’d like to teach vocab with another tool different from Quizizz or Quizlet. Thank you so much!!! Your posts on Google Classroom aré extremely useful!!! Love, Cin

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Long vocabulary lists can appear daunting and unlearnable at first glance, but they don’t have to be perceived in such a way. Here we have engaging and entertaining activities , games, and strategies to help your students master their vocab lists with ease. Learning is made fun with the right tools, tips, and tricks, like these listed below! Check out 17 activities, games, and strategies to teach vocabulary!

1. Semantic Word Map

Semantic word maps, also known as word webs, act as a type of graphic organizer to help students learn vocabulary by essentially dissecting the words. Word webs allow students to b uild upon their own understanding of words  by branching out and connecting the dots between the word’s origin, dictionary definition, synonyms, and antonyms. This dynamic activity offers students a comprehensive set of information to ensure that they acquire a well-rounded understanding of the word.

2. Sketch Notes

Sketch notes are a great way to learn about vocabulary in a room full of doodlers! Sketch notes are notes that incorporate illustrations and doodling to connect the word’s definitions with visual representations. For example, if we’re learning the word “shriveled”, I would want to draw a picture of a raisin, or maybe the desert beside the word to remind me that the definition mentions a lack of moisture. This activity allows the student freedom of expression , which greatly assists them in the process of learning and absorbing information. Doodle-prone students will likely have lots of drawings on their notes, whereas word-oriented students will probably have less. There’s no right or wrong way to do this activity, and it’s best if you give it a try beforehand to provide your students with an example of one of the ways they can create sketch notes. Anything visual is key to understanding. That is why in my Greek and Latin Units , I include images on the anchor charts to give students a visual of the affix, root word, and vocabulary words!

2. I Have, Who Has Game

I Have, Who Has is an easy-to-make game that can be played again and again with different vocabulary lists. Make up a stack of small cards that each recreate a call and answer format wherein the student will “have” one vocabulary word and then ask the other players who has the card that matches their question. Optimal for small group gameplay , one student reads their card aloud, such as “I have centimeter. Who has the root meaning of four?” Then, a student will eventually respond with their card which reads, “I have quad. Who has glasses with two lenses?” and so on! It can be done multiple times with the same cards. Just reshuffle and pass them out again! I include these in all my Greek and Latin Units , as well! Kids love it!

3. Jeopary Powerpoint

Jeopardy PowerPoints are fun for the whole classroom and truly perfect for learning about and reinforcing vocabulary words. Break up your students into smaller teams, and even incentivize winning with a special treat or extra credit opportunities. With five columns across and five horizontally, going from easiest (100) to hardest (500), students take turns choosing their own level of difficulty. Behind each box should be the definitions, allowing the student to figure out and name which word is being described. The team with the most tracked points at the end of the game wins! There are some cute Jeopardy templates out there!

5. Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are important when trying to connect with visual learners. This activity allows students to organize different elements of a word , such as its definition, an illustration of it, its part of speech, and how it would be used in a sentence. The graphic organizer provides students with everything they need to know about their vocabulary word in one spot, also making it a great tool for studying and reviews! I also like to use graphic organizers when teaching figurative language and million-dollar words (what I call word choice). We put these into reading response journals .

6. Social Media/Apps

Draw inspiration from popular social media apps like Pinterest to create unique and fun vocabulary activities. Have your students create their own Pinterest Boards by cutting out or drawing images of things that are related to their vocabulary words. These visual representations will help to enhance their memory recall of their words! If tablets are readily available, try using the Quizlet app , which works wonders for learning vocabulary! On the app, there are options to study virtual flashcards, take quizzes, play games, and more to help master familiarity with the words.

Poems are another way to incorporate creativity into the process of learning and memorizing vocab. Invite your students to get poetic with their vocabulary words by having students create their own acrostic poems . This form of poetry requires the student to write about things that are related to the vocabulary word that they’re studying. For example, here’s an acrostic that I made about the word “Spring”: 

S- sunshine 

P- play outside 

R- rain showers

  I – ice cream 

N- new baby animals 

G – green leaves. 

Cinquain poems can also be a great avenue for learning about vocabulary. These five-line poems are known for being rich in imagery by using descriptive words to discuss the subject of the poem. Take this anonymously written cinquain about watermelon, for example:

Juicy, sweet

Dripping, slurping, smacking

So messy to eat

The more descriptive, the better! I have a poetry unit that includes these types of poems if you are in need of teaching materials for poetry!

8. Hedbandz

Hedbandz is a fan-favorite both inside and outside of the classroom! It really is such a perfect game for teaching vocabulary because it requires all the players to be engaged. It also encourages them to study their vocabulary even more, since those who guess the most words correctly win! For this vocab version of Hedbandz, replace the regular game cards with vocabulary cards. (If your vocabulary unit comes with flashcards, just use those to save you time! I include flashcards in my Greek and Latin Units for multiple uses!) Each student must tuck a vocabulary card into their headband without looking, leaving it up to their other teammates to give them good clues about what it is until they can guess their word correctly. 

9. Concentration

Concentration is an oldie but goodie matching game. I remember playing it as a kid. It would work well for students as an in-class activity or as a take-home practice tool! There should be a card for each vocabulary word, as well as for its matching definition. To play, all the cards should be shuffled up and spread out in a rectangle, with the words and definitions lying face down. The player should select one card to flip over, and then they must guess where the corresponding card with the matching word or definition is on the board. As soon as the player gets a match between the word and definition, they’ll take the two cards out, which helps make the game easier as time goes on! The goal is to work on memorization and matching, all while the player reinforces their understanding of the vocabulary words!

10. Crossword Puzzles

Create your own Crossword or use an online puzzle maker for extra practice at mastering vocabulary lists. Crossword puzzles are awesome because they help students with spelling, guessing, and problem solving! It’s satisfying to fill in the blanks, which explains why crossword puzzles can help motivate students to learn and improve upon their vocabulary knowledge, too.

11. Word Journal

Have your students dedicate a journal (or a portion of a journal) to be their designated word journal! Here, they can store a full list of the vocabulary that they’ve learned in class by adding to it as each vocab unit goes by. This allows them to keep track of what they’ve already learned and can also be referred back to when tasked with “Throwback Writing Assignments” wherein they must go back and use words from a previous vocab unit to help them write. This will keep the students from easily forgetting about what words they learned the previous month!

12. Vocab Wall

Vocab walls make for wonderful visual representations for students to learn from and refer to as they’re in the classroom. Put this week’s vocabulary words up around the room, where they can be easily seen by your students. You can use them for interactive warm-up lessons, or simply as a strategy to keep these words at the forefront of your students’ minds and eyes!

13. Vocab Taboo

This game can be played by dividing the class into two teams. Between the teams, split up a shuffled stack of vocab words written on index cards or slips of paper. Make sure the stack remains upside down! Team members then take turns choosing a card from the stack, WITHOUT looking at the card. Whoever has the card faces the other team and holds the card up on their forehead so that only the other team can see the word. Without saying the actual word or that “it rhymes with…”, the other team must describe the word by its definition, part of speech, or other identifying characteristics so that the player can guess what it is. If the player holding the cards guesses the word within the allotted time, the team providing the clues gets two points and the guesser gets one. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins. However, all the players will have gotten to practice their vocabulary, so, really… everyone wins! Check out this example below for further clarification on how to play Vocab Taboo!

Example: Mary holds the card facing out. The word is “chronological”.  Pam, Michelle, and Monica are on the opposite team. Pam says, “This is when a list of things is ordered by when they occurred.” Mary can’t get it. Michelle says, “The word’s prefix means time.” Mary then guesses the word is “chronological” and gets one point. The other team gains two points. 

14. 25 Words or Less

25 Words or Less is another 2-team game! Once the students are divided into two separate teams, split a shuffled stack of vocabulary words written on index cards or slips of paper between them, making sure that the stack remains face down. The team members then take turns choosing a card from the pile without showing anyone else their card. The card holding player must then get the other team to guess which word is on their card without using the word or any part of it as a clue. They cannot say that “it rhymes with” but they can use the definition of the word! The word-giver can only use 25 words before their turn is up. If it’s guessed, the team with the word-giver gets a point. If the word isn’t guessed using 25 words or less, the word is revealed, and no points are given. Alternate between the teams and players until all the words are used. The team with the most points, wins! 

Example:   Joe gets the word “adapted.” He gives clues like: “change in conditions”, “transform”, and “alter” when Karl guesses the word is adapted. Karl’s team then earns a point!

15. Make a Paragraph/Make a Story

This activity can be done in pairs, small groups, or as a solo activity. Give the students a list of vocabulary words (no more than twelve) and tell them that they must write a story/paragraph using at least ten of the words. Have the students underline or highlight each word from the list in their stories, too! If you have students in partners or small groups, they can brainstorm the plot of the story together and then take turns writing it, handing in one completed story. For struggling writers, feel free to adjust the number of required words that they must include.

Example : Using the words forbidden, warden, judge, perseverance, despite, increasingly, dazed, barren, desolate, burlap, and buzzard, Reneta made the following paragraph:

Leslie knew she had to escape from the desolate orphanage, run by the cruel warden , Mr. Gage. She crossed the barren desert, despite the harsh heat. Feeling increasingly dazed after hours in the hot sun, she finally made it to the courthouse in town. She knocked on Judge Tamsin’s door. “Please listen to me, Judge. I was forbidden to tell anyone what happened at the orphanage, but I escaped. Mr. Gage works us too hard. We sleep on old burlap sacks. Some kids are ready to give up. Their spirits are broken. I walked all the way across the desert to get help.” “Don’t worry,” Judge Tamsin said. “Your perseverance will be rewarded. I will call the sheriff and the deputies. We will rescue your friends and put Mr. Gage out of business!”

16. Charades

Charades must be played in small groups or with the whole class. The teacher should provide the words on slips of paper, choosing one student to begin by drawing a slip of paper without showing it to anyone. The student must act out the word or words that will help the rest of the group guess the correct word. No sounds, noises, or words may be uttered! Only motions and acting out are allowed. The first player to guess the word must then define it. If they’re successful, that player gets a point (for themselves or their team, depending on grouping). Play is repeated until all students have had a turn to act out a clue. The team or player with the most points wins! 

Example: Baz gets the word “warden.” He walks around with his hands on his hips. He drags an imaginary figure away and pretends to slam the door, lock it, and paces in front of it. Leo guesses the word is prison. Meena guesses the word is guard. Tess guesses the word is warden. Tess then provides the right definition for warden and gets the point. The next student draws a new word.

17. Minute to Win It

This game should be played with multiple vocabulary lists as a review before assessments! The object of the game is to correctly define as many words as possible in one minute, wherein the person with the highest number of correct responses wins. The teacher sets a one-minute timer and then verbally gives a word to the first player, one at a time. The player defines the word correctly and with as much speed as possible. If the definition is unknown, the player may say “skip” to move on to the next word. The teacher gives as many words as possible in one minute and then records how many words the player defined correctly. Subsequent players will then try to beat that number, with the same allotted time provided. After each student has been given a turn, whoever has the highest record of words correctly defined in one minute wins! This competitive game can also be played in smaller groups, with one student playing the same role as the teacher in this example.

Note: This can be used as a one-on-one review, with the teacher quizzing students in speed drills, going from desk to desk. The student with the highest number can be the class champ, or they may try to see if they beat their own personal best each week. 

Example : The teacher asks Phillip to define the words from the list below. He was able to define five in one minute. Ellie was able to define 7. Indira was able to define eight. Indira wins the Minute to Win It vocab challenge.

Evolve from a strict memorization mindset into one that encourages the comprehensive retention of vocabulary words by implementing some of these listed activities, strategies, and games in your classroom! Watch your students as they find the joy of incorporating creativity, competition, and fun into their learning experiences, and let us know which activities you liked to use the most.

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8 Engaging ESL Vocabulary Games for Teaching In Person or Online

Camille turner.

• November 11, 2023

When it comes to teaching ESL vocabulary , no one wants to hand out huge word lists and ask students to silently memorize them. Instead, teachers know the value of using fun and engaging activities to help students recall new English words. Let’s look at eight ESL vocabulary games you can use in the virtual or physical classroom and how games can be an asset to your students!

If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate . You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!

Why should you use ESL vocabulary games?

2. tefl bingo, 3. esl songs, 4. what is it, 5. missing object, 6. jeopardy, 7. charades, 8. rhyme time / around the room.

There are many reasons to use ESL vocabulary games in your classes. Here are a few:

• Games usually incorporate a lot of repetition, which is helpful for students who are trying to memorize new words.
• Games are fun! Students who are having fun are more likely to be motivated and to participate in the lesson. They’ll probably even forget that they’re actually learning!
• Playing games promotes teamwork and can help you build rapport with your students .
• Incorporating lively, engaging games during class helps students focus and captures their attention when they’re feeling tired or unmotivated.
• Some friendly competition is a great way to get students to practice the language – you might find that even quiet or shy students begin speaking up in order to win a game!
• Games take the pressure off of students who are afraid to make mistakes since games feel less formal than, say, a vocabulary drill where a student is called out alone to come up with a definition. The fun – and sometimes silly! – nature of games can help students feel more confident trying out English words and making mistakes.

Check out 12 low-prep ESL games for teaching online.

What are some vocabulary games for ESL students?

Just about everyone knows how to play Hangman! (If you are unsure of the rules of the game, here’s a refresher .)

This game not only allows students to use their new words but forces them to ask each other questions and review the alphabet.

• When working with beginners, have the host choose a word to be guessed from the vocabulary list. The host can be yourself, another student, or a group of students. The student or group that guesses the correct word first must also give the definition in order to win.
• For more advanced students, have the host write their own definition for the other students to guess. Once the students have called out the right letters of the definition, they must then state the correct vocabulary word. If they do, they win the round!
• Pro Tip:  You can also play this game in your online classroom using a virtual whiteboard and drawing tools.

Want to learn how to make your virtual ESL classes with kids more interactive? Take a short Micro-credential course in Games and Activities for the Online Classroom – Young Learners!

This ESL vocabulary game is another classic! You can print out Bingo cards if you’re teaching in the physical classroom. Online teachers can send them as PDFs for virtual lessons instead.

• For young learners, make Bingo cards with pictures they must identify and mark using an object or a pencil (online students can mark up their cards using built-in digital pens). iSLCollective has a large variety of pre-made Bingo cards for you to download.
• For older students, use vocabulary words instead of images on your Bingo cards. But, instead of calling out the vocabulary word, read out the definitions to the class, asking students to mark off the corresponding word. Be sure that your Bingo cards are not repeated, and tell your students they must reproduce a predetermined pattern on their cards, such as a diagonal line, an X, or a T, in order to win the game. This game encourages students to listen, think about what they’ve heard, and use their memory to search for the correct answers.
• Pro Tip: You can create your own Bingo cards using this free online tool .

Get more ESL classroom games and activities for kids.

Music is an engaging and fun way to teach new vocabulary, as well as proper pronunciation and grammar. You can use songs to teach just about any type of vocabulary. Below is an example of teaching words that have to do with the body:

• For young learners, (and some older learners too), you can try “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” which appeals to kinesthetic, visual, verbal, and aural learners. Watch a video from Bridge’s Teaching English to Young Learners Specialized Certification course in which a teacher uses this song in class.

• For older students, listen to the following “Parts of the Body” video. The tune is catchy and has a great deal of repetition that helps students memorize with greater ease.

Here’s how you can structure an ESL song activity:

• Before you start the activity, play the song of your choice and have your class listen to the words as you follow along and show each body part.
• Once this is done, ask your students to stand up, and then play the song again so they can do the movements with you. Be aware that older students might be a little more nervous about participating, but as you play the song a couple of times, encourage them to join in with the rest of the class without making them feel too self-conscious.
• After you’ve practiced the song a few times, draw an outline of the body on the whiteboard or digital board, and ask students to name each body part starting with the head and ending with the toes. Write the words on the board as they are called out. (Be sure to tell your students to not write anything in their notebooks just yet, as you want them to listen and participate during this part of the exercise.)
• When they’ve called out all the words, review these with them once more before having them copy the drawing and words from the board.
• Pro Tip:  If you prefer, you can also give them a handout or an online worksheet with the outline of a body for them to fill in either on their own or with a partner. For homework, have students write sentences describing what each body part is used for.

Get even more ideas on how to use ESL songs with kids and teens.

This is a great virtual game to use if you have webcam software such as ManyCam. You can play two ways:

• ManyCam and other digital tools have virtual stickers and graphics that you can display on-screen. Click on the image that represents the vocabulary word you want to elicit from students so that they can see the image on the screen. The first student to correctly call out the name of the object or action they see gets a point. The student with the most points at the end wins.
• Alternatively, you can have students take turns, and you can display an image for a split second, having it just flash on the screen. See if the student correctly guesses what the image was and, if so, they get a point. If they do not answer correctly, ask a different student, who gets a chance to steal the point.
• Pro Tip: If you’re teaching in person or you don’t have ManyCam, you can simply hold an object up (realia) or a picture of an object or action that you printed out beforehand.

Read more about how to use ManyCam when teaching English online.

This game, which comes from the Micro-credential Games and Activities for the Online Classroom (Very Young Learners) course, is super simple to put together, as it only requires gathering some realia from around your house or classroom . Here’s a demonstration of the game in action:

• Show the student(s) a collection of items on a tray. You can collect objects that go along with a certain theme, like food or clothing, or that relate to the vocabulary you’ve recently taught and want to review.
• Go over the items one by one, focusing on pronunciation and getting students to answer questions about the object’s function, appearance, etc.
• While the tray is out of view of the student, remove one object. Show the tray to the student again and see if they can identify which object is missing. Give them a clue if they’re struggling!

This game is a little more suited to young learners but could work for older students if you make it more difficult by using a large number of small objects on the tray.

This classic game serves as a wildly popular learning tool among students. Jeopardy is an engaging and fun exercise that’s very versatile, as it simply consists of question boards, where questions simultaneously increase in difficulty and points. This game can be tailored to just about any age group and is as easy to play in person as it is online. If you have an online class or a classroom with a projector, this site has simple, pre-made Jeopardy boards organized by skill level . Choose how many teams will be playing, and let the competition begin!

If you are teaching with limited resources, here’s a step-by-step guide to making a low-cost, tech-free version of Jeopardy . The purpose of the game is to practice concepts while inspiring enthusiasm and a fun, competitive spirit in the classroom. Students will love forming teams and putting their ESL skills to the test!

If you’re looking for ways to get students moving and breathe some life into your ESL lessons, charades is a surefire winner. Students can put their acting skills on display and either work competitively or cooperatively to practice English vocab. Simply write some vocabulary concepts on slips of paper, let students draw them from a bowl, and let their creativity run wild!

Adapting this game for online classes is fairly simple too. Instructors can privately message a student the word or phrase they need to act out, then let the student take center stage on their webcam. Young learners make this game especially fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s just for kids. Among the many ESL vocabulary games for adults , charades is often a popular one. It’s a well-known party game that can be used to bring adults out of their comfort zones in a safe and fun way.

Some concepts that can be reviewed using charades are:

• Action verbs
• Present progressives

There are two variations of this game: Rhyme Time and Around the Room. The purpose of both is to encourage quick thinking and vocabulary recall. Students can either sit in a circle or be assigned a number to know when their turn will be. For Rhyme Time, the teacher will choose a starting word, and students each have to follow with a different word that rhymes. No repeating! If a word is repeated or the student can’t think of a new word, they’re out. The last student remaining wins the game.

Around the Room is played nearly the same way, but rather than rhyming, words have to begin with the next letter in the alphabet. A simplified version is to choose a single letter and have students come up with as many words starting with that letter as possible. This is a great game for teenage learners. They often start to offer answers at a rapid-fire pace and have fun when a word gets repeated.

• Pro Tip: If you’d like to ramp up the class’ energy by setting a time limit, the YouTube channel Epic Timers has a variety of videos to set the pace of your ESL game.

With these simple ESL vocabulary games, you’re all set to enliven your classroom and help your students recall new words and concepts they’re learning. Have fun!

Are your students struggling to say the new vocabulary words they’ve just learned? These ESL pronunciation games can help!

Camille is a content marketing manager, specializing in the language industry. Her love for language and experiencing other cultures has taken her around the globe, and she has taught English abroad both in the classroom and online. When not working or traveling, she can be found spending time with her family or — when not chasing after her two young daughters — cozying up with a good book!

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11 vocabulary homework ideas and how to motivate students to do it, by: vocab gal.

Homework is such a valuable formative assessment for both teachers and students, and yet students are motivated* by many different factors when it comes to their desire to actually complete the work. In this article, I'm sharing how to motivate students to do their homework and 11 vocabulary homework ideas and worksheets that work in grades 1–12. Plus, preview and grab my 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit .

Keep scrolling to find vocabulary homework ideas! 

How to motivate students to do their homework.

As a teacher, I try to concentrate students’ learning on activities done in class, because asking some students to complete work at home can be daunting. Many times in my career I have been discouraged when more than half the class does not return to class with their homework assignment complete.

Yet we only have so many minutes with our students, and we need them to practice the concepts and skills they are learning until the knowledge becomes ingrained. Most students have a homeroom, study hall, or other downtime during the day in which they could complete activities, they just have to be motivated to do it.

Many studies cite “student choice” as one of the most important factors in inspiring students to learn. When students have the opportunity to select what questions to answer, what activity to complete or what role to play, they tend to feel more comfortable and confident about performing.

Additionally, research shows that when students are dedicated to a task important to them, like improving their video game scores, or optimizing their success on a playing field, they will go to great lengths to improve. While probably not as meaningful as their video game level, students will be more excited to answer questions about themselves than a generic worksheet.

By providing students with both choice and a topic that is personally meaningful, homework can be a great learning exercise as well as an important formative assessment.

Steps to Ensure Students Complete Homework

There are a few other motivating factors that can help establish homework as a meaningful part of a student’s educational experience. Here are suggested steps a school, parish, department, or teacher might take to ensure successful homework completion.

Step One First, confirm that students have a strong rapport with their teacher(s). While it is difficult to cultivate a deep relationship with each student, teachers should strive to show students that they value their students and are committed to helping them learn and grow to their fullest potential. I would encourage teachers not to assign homework for the first few weeks of school until they develop a classroom community of respect and appreciation for learning.

Step Two Second, once the classroom community has been established, teachers should specifically explain the importance of homework as a way of deeply ingraining knowledge. Teachers should also make it clear that homework is a meaningful formative assessment where both they and their students can understand what students know and where there are knowledge gaps.

Step Three Third, some students may be quite unhappy when being mandated to do specific work. Therefore, teachers should stress the choices a student gets when completing their homework and that students get to complete the work that best reflects their own sense of self.

Step Four Finally, the teacher should praise students individually, as well as praise the class when homework is turned in on time. Many students thrive on positive reinforcement and also many may feel guilt if they let their classmates or teacher down. Additionally, as many teachers know, a word of encouragement or a small sticker can make the difference to many.

How to Respond When Homework is Not Completed

When at last it comes time for homework collection, there will be students who did not complete the assignment, no matter how well it was set up. Teachers can again encourage students who did not complete the homework in time to think about what may motivate them to complete it. If a student seems to dislike direct mandates, providing support such as, “I know that you value your learning and will find a way to demonstrate your abilities,” might be more effective than, “Turn in your paper by Thursday or it’s a zero!”

For others who seem driven by the need to please or help others, teachers might encourage students by stating, “I’m disappointed that you weren’t able to complete your work on time, and I know you will submit your work in order to show us both what you know and understand,” might work better than, “Don’t you want the credit for this assignment?”

Vocabulary Homework Ideas for Students

For this post, I have a few homework assignments that model these ideas. Both in my new It's All About Me vocabulary practice page, and my tried-and true,  7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students are motivated to continue their learning because they have both choice and a focus on themselves, a topic in which they are already invested.

My new It's All About Me Vocabulary Activity tasks students with answering a series of questions about themselves using vocabulary words in context. On the first page of this download students will list their vocabulary words and write their own brief definitions. On the second page student will answer eight prompts. Each response should include at least one of the vocabulary words from their list in context . In each of their answers students must underline the context clues that would help someone unfamiliar with the word understand what it means.

With the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students can choose from a variety of fun and engaging activities for learning or reviewing vocabulary words. In addition to the homework selection sheet, the bundle includes worksheets for vocabulary homework ideas number five and six. The other vocabulary homework options can be completed on a plain piece of paper or in student workbooks.

Here are the vocabulary activities listed on the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework handout:

#1 Say Your Words

Do you love the sound of your own voice? Do you tend to learn information by teaching others? Then try saying each of the vocabulary words, out loud and in context, to friends, family, strangers, etc. Use either your flashcards or your list of words, and make sure to get initials from someone who heard you say your vocabulary sentence. If you can’t get a signature, just explain when and how you said the sentences and we will invoke the HONOR SYSTEM! Create two sentences per word.

Do you love to write? Do you copy your notes to help you remember information? Then try writing two sentences for each vocabulary word. These can either be two individual sentences for each word or you can put all of your words together in a story. (If you write a story, you only have to use each word once). Have fun and get creative – amuse me and impress me, but make sure you use your vocabulary words in context!

#3 Write Your Words in Other Classes

As an alternative to the above “Write your Words,” use your vocabulary in your assignments for other classes – social studies essays, science notes, art descriptions, etc. Write down the vocabulary you used for this assignment (For example: On my science test I said “Newton was meritorious,” etc.). You can abbreviate your explanations slightly, as long as I understand you know the word’s meaning; remember to use each word twice.

#4 Become Your Words

Do you gesture when you talk? Is it hard for you to sit still? Then consider creating motions to go along with your words. Cry for lament , raise your arms in praise for approbation , etc. See me during class to “perform” your motions, or write them down, making sure that the connection between word, meaning, and gesture makes sense.

#5 Draw Your Words

Are you an artist? Do you constantly doodle? Then create cartoons or drawings that illustrate each word’s meaning. Create one drawing or cartoon per word and make them neat, using clean white paper (consider using recycled paper that has printing on the other side). Paperclip all your drawings together for the end of the week.

#6 Sing Your Words

Do you love to sing? Are you constantly creating your own raps? Try rewriting the lyrics to a song to incorporate each of your vocabulary words or write your own song, rap, etc. You can also write poetry; regardless of the form you choose, the words should be used in the correct context.

#7 Test Your Words

Do you want to play teacher and write the test as well as take it? Now you can! Create a vocabulary test using all the words in a variety of different types of questions. Make sure to create the answer key to the test as well.

Download the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle and have students keep the selection sheet in their binders. Now they have seven weeks of vocabulary homework assignments!

Additional Vocabulary Homework Ideas

Ultimately, establishing a culture of community and trust in the classroom, explaining the reasoning behind and the benefits of homework, and providing choice and meaningful topics can make a significant difference in completion rates. Even if homework is not completed on time, teachers can still work to connect with each student to provide motivation to complete the assignments.

As educators, we all strive to make learning exciting and applicable to our students. By setting up clear expectations and providing interesting options, we can make any homework, including vocabulary homework, meaningful and valuable to students.

 *I have recently completed Gretchen Rubin’s audiobook The Four Tendencies about what motivates different groups of people. Many of the ideas about motivating students come loosely from her book as well as my own observations. I highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn how to better motivate themselves and others.

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Fabulously Fun Vocabulary Activities for the Classroom

Written by Cassie (Teach Starter)

Vocabulary activities and vocabulary games a great way to expose your students to new words. Not only that but learning new words (and reinforcing their understanding of familiar words) in a fun way helps build confidence in expression and linguistic creativity. This list of vocabulary activity ideas for primary students includes individual activities, activities suitable for pair-work and whole class activities and games too!

Lower Years Vocabulary Activity Ideas

Erase a word.

In this game, you can select word lists that are related to current units, or even use it for sight word practice.

You will need:

• 3 whiteboard erasers

How to play:

• Break students into three teams, standing in lines in front of the board.
• Write three lists of words onto the board, one list in front of each team.
• On the teachers signal, the first person in each team goes up to the board and reads aloud one of the words on the list.
• If they get the word correct they erase the word and go to the back of their team’s line.
• The first team to erase all of the words on their list is the winner.

I Spy Objects Jar

This I Spy an Object Jar resource can be used in so many ways! You could provide the jar and the worksheet for students to complete individually, or you could project the PDF file up onto the board to run a whole class game of “I Spy”.

Students need to provide three different words that describe the object they choose from all of the pictures in the jar.

Middle Years Vocabulary Activity Ideas

A-z vocabulary relay race.

This is a fun, physical vocabulary game that is great to play outdoors or in a large multi-purpose area. Students play in teams, racing to complete a list of words (one for every letter of the alphabet) around a familiar topic or theme.

• pens or pencils
• Divide students into mixed ability teams of 4 – 5.
• Students stand in a line on one side of the space. On the other side of the space place a pen or pencil and tape to the ground a sheet of paper with the letters A-Z listed down the side.
• Choose a topic that the students are familiar with, that will be the theme for all of the words that the students write on their A-Z list.
• The race begins with the leader running to the paper and writing a word beginning with “A” that is related to the theme, then they run back to their team.
• Then, the next team member runs up to the paper and writes a word beginning with “B”.
• If a student cannot come up with a word, they can call a friend to help. If they still can’t come up with a word they can call the teacher for help.
• Teams continue this word relay until they have written a word for every letter with the first team to complete their word list (and have it verified by the teacher!) are the winners.

Finger Twist Up Game

In this fun game, students take a turn with the spinner and use their fingers to create a word with the initial blends and final sounds in the corresponding coloured spots.

To turn this into a vocab activity, ask your students use the word they created in a sentence that makes sense. This will prove their understanding of that particular word.

You can download and print this awesome Finger Twist Up Game with a Starter, Teacher or Ultimate Teach Starter plan.

Upper Years Vocabulary Activity Ideas

Snake words.

In this game, students work in teams (similar to the A-Z relay detailed above) to create a word snake on the board. Students have a limited time (e.g. 10 seconds) to write their word or their team risks being eliminated.

What you need:

• 4 – 5 mixed ability teams of equal numbers
• 4 -5 different coloured whiteboard markers or chalk
• a timer or stopwatch.
• Teams send their leader up to the board. Team leaders take a coloured marker and stand in a line.
• The teacher begins the game by writing a letter on the board. E.g. “g”
• The first team leader writes a word beginning with that letter and must complete the word within the time limit. E.g. “galaxy” Then they hand their marker to the next person in their team.
• The second team leader uses the last letter of the previous word as the first letter of the next word, also within the time limit. E.g. “yoghurt” Then they hand their marker to the next person in their team. Note: Students write the words without spaces, in essence creating a word snake. E.g. galaxyoghurt
• If a student cannot come up with a word within the time limit they can pass to the next team member.
• Limit the number of passes each team can have. After this, the team is eliminated.
• The last team standing is the winner!

Dictionary Dig Activity Cards

This new resource is a great vocabulary activity to use during literacy rotations or as a fast finisher activity . Students can use a paperback or electronic dictionary to complete the tasks on the “Dictionary Dig” cards .

You might also like to check out these additional amazing vocabulary teaching resources !

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Do you have a fun, hands-on vocabulary activity or game that your students love?

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5 Brain-Based Vocabulary Activities for the Secondary Classroom

Trying to find some new practice activities for your existing vocabulary units? These brain-based vocabulary approaches are unique — perhaps just what you need. 

Do your students smile at you when you begin a vocabulary lesson? Do they act interested or ask questions? Are they willing to try using the words in their own speaking and writing? Over the years, I’ve noticed that when I’m “on” with my vocabulary instruction, my students are, too. They’re into it, learning, and motivated. In contrast, when I rush through vocabulary instruction because of time constraints, lack of preparation, or simply lack of enthusiasm, my students can read me like an open book.

Previously, I wrote about increasing vocabulary retention in the secondary classroom. Retention is ultimately the goal of vocabulary instruction, but in order to get there, teachers need to differentiate their instruction and practice activities to reach all types of learners, which includes adding variety through learning styles and critical thinking levels. While I provided a few ideas regarding how students can interact with vocabulary words in the last post, I’d like to get more specific and explore several unique and creative avenues that teachers can incorporate into their curriculums. I teach ELA, but these brain-based vocabulary ideas can apply to word lists from any content area.

BRAIN-BASED VOCABULARY LEARNING

3 truths and a lie.

Games are fun. If your classroom culture calls for games, engagement, and student-directed learning, try out 3 truths and a lie. The best part about this game (other than the fact that it’s enjoyable) is that students create it. Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE making games to use my classroom . Yet, vocabulary is a perfect vehicle for students to be in charge of their learning, to create something meaningful.

Put students in charge.

I simply ask them to select a word from their list and then to write down four statements about that word. I encourage them to think about the word’s part of speech, the definition, related and unrelated words, associations they may have, and the word’s personality. One of the statements they write should be a lie.

Here’s an example:

• Ubiquitous is kind of like the plague. Even if you don’t like it, you can’t get rid of it.
• Ubiquitous is an adverb.
• Ubiquitous is cousins with the words “pervasive” and “universal.”
• If cockroaches were ubiquitous, I’d move to Mars.

Your students can get as creative (or as simplistic) as they want with their sentences. After creating them, collect the statements, and put students in small groups. Have them discuss the words and statements to try to identify the lie ( in the example above, the lie is #2 ). If you’re concerned about the accuracy of your students’ sentences and want to avoid unnecessary confusion, read through them first and have students work in groups to discuss them the next day.

Why this works: 

1. Students are doing the thinking.

2. It can be straightforward (recall) or higher-order thinking (analytical), so it’s differentiated by nature.

3. It’s engaging.

4. Students will remember many of the lies and the truths, so it will help them to retain the word meanings longer.

Bumper Words

Bumper words is a categorizing activity that helps students to learn the relationships between words on their list. If you plan to use a bumper words activity, keep that in mind when selecting your word list so that it’s easier to create the assignment. Here’s how it works. 

Teacher-Directed

You (the teacher) group the words into categories. You can make this into a worksheet or a graphic organizer, or you can just write them on the board to use as a class activity. Another option is to create a manipulative for small groups or station use. When you put the words into groups (of 3 to 5 is best), all of the words should relate  except for one . The students’ job is to figure out which word is  not related, and they  bump it to the next word group. It’s a chain effect. Here’s an example:

As you can see, in the first group of words, abase, demean, and humiliate can all be related, but extol does not fit. So, it gets bumped to group two, where students look for another ill-fitting word that is then bumped to group 3, and so on. When creating this activity, you can use words that are  not on your vocabulary list to complement the ones that are.

Student-Directed

Again, if you want to ask your students to think more critically about their words, you can ask  them to create a bumper words chain using all or some of the words on their list. This works well as a group assignment. Students could create their bumper words combinations on a piece of easel paper or large poster board, and then groups can rotate around the room to try to solve each other’s puzzles. If you choose to have students create their own examples, it would be beneficial to show them how to make one by modeling it together or analyzing an existing example first.

1. Students are thinking about the words and how they relate to other  words, thereby making associations – great for brain-based vocabulary learning!

2. Once again, this activity can be differentiated by ability level.

3. It engages students in meaningful interaction with their words.

4. It’s unique…your students probably haven’t heard of this one before. Ride the novelty wave.  

Personify a Word Using Social Media

Because social media is such a pervasive aspect of twenty-first century learning, I’m always looking for healthy ways to incorporate it in my classroom. One of the things I love about teaching vocabulary is that it can be creative. Words can be given personalities based on their meaning. I often ask students to personify a word in order to get them to think about it differently.

Word Personalities

Here are four of my favorite assignments that include word personalities using social media:

• Facebook : Have students create a Facebook poster based on one of the words on their list.
• Twitter : Ask students to create a Twitter profile and feed for a word.
• Instagram : Students can create a scrapbook or Instagram posts for their word.
• Pinterest :   Give students the task of creating a Pinterest profile for a word, including a list of boards and pins that would relate to that word.

When I give students assignments like these, I find it’s beneficial to allow them to choose a word  they want to learn  after discussing what they will do with it. I always encourage students to select a  new word…one they either have never heard of, or one they have heard of but cannot explain. By discussing the task before selecting the word, students will be able to choose a word they  want to use to complete the assignment, and ownership is key when it comes to creativity.

Some struggling readers and writers might be overwhelmed if we ask them to select any word they want, so it’s a great differentiation / scaffolding option to have a list of suggestions prepared.

Why this works:

1. In order to do any of these assignments WELL, students must think  deeply and  meaningfully about the word.

2. Students will take it upon themselves to analyze the social media outlet more closely than they have in the past. What text structures does it have? What is the common language and culture of the site? These questions must be studied and answered before creating a product.

3. It hooks students by allowing them to utilize their creativity and social natures to learn about vocabulary.

4. It is easy to incorporate technology. While students can create a poster like the one above, they could also use digital platforms to complete the assignment.  

Pictures, Short Films, & Music

A fun way to incorporate writing into your brain-based vocabulary instruction is through the use of pictures, short films, and music. They can all be used similarly for this assignment. Although numerous options exist, these three ideas are a good place to start:

Student Research

1. Simply ask students to do some research and find a certain number of pictures, short films, or songs that relate to words on their vocabulary list. You could have them focus specifically on one word and find a picture, a short film, and a song that relates to it, or you could ask them to choose ten words off the list and find one connection for each word. Either way, students are building onto existing knowledge about a word and using critical thinking skills to make meaningful connections. I like to have my students write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) explaining their connections to the word.

Bell Ringers

Another way to use these elements is to incorporate them as bell ringers. Each day, begin the class by projecting an image, showing a short film, or playing a song for students. After watching or listening, ask students to make connections between the artwork and words on their vocabulary list. To elicit more participation, I have my students write their thoughts first, then talk with a partner, and finally share with the class.

Give your students a sheet of small images (I like to using small pictures they can color), and tell them to match each picture to a word on their vocabulary list. They can then explain in a few short sentences why each picture and word relate. Simple but effective. Here is a resource you can use for any list.

1. Music, movies, and pictures are embedded in our culture. Students appreciate learning opportunities that incorporate media relevant to their lives.

2. This assignment is a simple way to differentiate by learning styles. It appeals to students who are musical and visual by nature.

3. Once again, forming connections to vocabulary words will help students remember them longer.

4. It can be scaffolded for students on various scales of the literacy ladder.  

I use mind maps as choice assignments throughout the year with various aspects of my curriculum. Mind maps are excellent brain-based vocabulary . activities that help students retain the definition of a word instead of memorizing it for a quiz and forgetting it.

When I assign mind maps in relation to vocabulary words, I generally have students select one word from our list instead of several because the connections will be more meaningful for them.

A good tip is to first ask students to circle any words on their vocabulary list that they cannot define on the spot — in that moment. Afterward, have them choose one word they want to study more intentionally, and then introduce the mind map assignment. If you give them the specifics of the assignment  first, they might be more likely to select an “easy” word from the list.

I like to project example mind maps (you can easily find some by googling the term “vocabulary mind maps”). Together, we analyze the structure, design, and content of the example maps to determine students’ options. We also talk about my expectations (what’s acceptable and what’s not). In this way, we essentially develop a student-generated rubric on the spot. Bonus.

What can students incorporate in their mind maps? I encourage mine to use the basics (relate it to synonyms, antonyms, and examples), but I also ask them to stretch their imaginations to incorporate visual components, categories related to the word, colors that symbolize the word, and other symbolic elements.

1. Research shows that mind maps are brain-based learning activities.

2. Thinking symbolically about a word helps students to deepen their understanding of it.

3. Mind maps require students to engage with a word meaningfully from different angles for an extended period of time.

4. It combines right-brain creative style learning with left-brain logic style learning, resulting in a powerful and memorable experience.  

Inspired and wanting more vocabulary ideas? Read this sister post in which I discuss  five more of my favorite, brain-based vocabulary practice activities for the secondary classroom .

Grab a Free Template!

You might find this free, editable vocabulary template to be helpful in getting started.

Before using any of these brain-based vocabulary strategies in your classroom, you will need to establish a solid list of words. For some inspiration regarding how to strategically and effectively select word lists, click on over to Lauralee at Language Arts Classroom . She has some insights to share with you!

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Vocabulary Worksheet Maker and Activity Generator

Easily generate printable vocabulary worksheets and activities to improve language arts skills. Employ cloze tests, spelling exercises, word puzzles and other challenging and motivating worksheet activities.

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Cloze Tests for Reading Comprehension

One of the most popular activity generators in Vocabulary Worksheet Factory is the cloze generator. Take any passage of text and instantly turn it into a cloze worksheet. Select the increment and miniumum word length, and optionally add a word bank, hints, and distractor words.

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Word Banks with a Twist

Word banks can be added to almost every word list activity to aid in solving the activity and to provide self-correction. But an extra fun challenge can be provided by turning the word list into its own jumble. Words can be reversed, split and rejoined in mixed order, or just completely scrambled. A puzzle within a puzzle.

I have been using the Vocabulary Worksheet Factory puzzles to teach math vocabulary and spelling. They are a big hit with the kids. Spelling and word recognition has improved. I assign them as homework and they return them completed dying to check the answer keys. I have left them as review work when a substitute teacher has been needed. I use them as a warm up exercise on Monday mornings...Keep up the good work.

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We expect to find clues in crossword puzzles but not normally in word searches. So imagine a word search that, instead of a word bank simply providing a list of the hidden words, has a set of clues that must first be solved. Now imagine that option being available in 16 additional word puzzles from jumbles to decoding. A whole new level of challenge.

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Free Word Search Generator

Download the Word Search Edition of Vocabulary Worksheet Factory and get a free word search generator. Generate word searches from any word list in seconds. Hide the words in up to eight directions. Jumble the words in the word bank to add a degree of difficulty. Or provide a greater challenge by using clues in place of the word bank. Includes evaluation of the Pro Edition.

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities, teaching tools, full list of words from this list:.

• ambidextrous equally skillful with each hand
• elucidate make clear and comprehensible
• acrimonious marked by strong resentment or cynicism
• browbeat discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner
• corroborate give evidence for
• connivance agreement on a secret plot
• jollify celebrate noisily or engage in uproarious festivities
• skulk lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
• volition the act of making a choice
• dictum an authoritative declaration

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Online Vocabulary Homework

Vocabulary homework packet maker.

Tired of grading vocabulary homework packets? Create an online packet and assign them to students. Students can save their work to submit later. Google Classroom users are also able to sync homework grades back to Google Classroom effortlessly. Save time and paper by having students complete their vocabulary homework online.

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Vocabulary Homework Options

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Vocabulary Homework with Vocabulary Stars Direct

Utilize Vocabulary Stars to create and assign homework for your class. The platform allows you to plan and schedule assignments in advance. Students, upon logging in, will find their homework assignments listed under the 'To Do List'. They have the flexibility to progress through the assignment at their own pace and save their work as they go, submitting it only when fully completed. Vocabulary Stars also enables you to assign specific point values to each question. A key feature of this system is its ability to automatically grade the homework, thus providing a significant time-saving benefit for teachers and homeschoolers.

Vocabulary Homework for Google Classroom

Create your homework on Vocabulary Stars and assign it to your class via Google Classroom. Your students will see a description and a link to come to Vocabulary Stars to start working on their homework assignment. Students can work on their assignment and save progress, too! Once complete, their homework will be graded. Once you are ready, you can sync homework grades back to Google Classroom. We even allow you to assign points per section.

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7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit

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Word of the Day

What it means.

Zero-sum describes something, such as a game, mentality, or situation, in which any gain corresponds directly with an equivalent loss.

// Dividing up the budget is a zero-sum game.

See the entry >

zero-sum in Context

“Domestic migration is zero-sum , meaning a loss of college graduates prized by local officials and tax collectors in Washington or San Francisco can be a gain for Kansas City or Orlando.” — Josh Katz, The New York Times , 15 May 2023

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Challenging standardized test words, vol. 2.

• The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea .
• Secure space Cure-all
• Obstacle Costly burden

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Did You Know?

Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if you are a mathematician or economist who needs to analyze a competitive situation in which the outcome is determined by the choices of the players and chance. Game theory was introduced by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior . In game theory, a zero-sum game is one, such as chess or checkers, where each player has a clear purpose that is completely opposed to that of the opponent. In economics, a situation is zero-sum if the gains of one party are exactly balanced by the losses of another and no net gain or loss is created; however, such situations in real life are rare.

Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes

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Test Your Vocabulary

Rearrange the letters to form a word that can be used for the number 0 and also for a message in code: HIPREC

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Remuneration, clandestine.

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