Vocabulary: games, games, games

GAMES, GAMES, GAMES… is all my pupils ask for! Does it happen to you too? For some years, I thought that the vocabulary games I suggested were a bit childish. I also realised that students asked for games because they think that they are avoiding class.

All of the mentioned statements are a bit true!

However, experience has shown me that games help my students learn and take in some new words. They are certainly motivated to use the vocabulary so as to win the suggested game. They do not realize they are learning or reviewing words, but they do have to use them or define them, or draw them in order to make their mates guess. In this way, they are incorporating new vocabulary which they will rarerly forget as they will have learnt it in a relaxed atmosphere.

I usually used vocabulary games as time fillers or brain breaks. but have lately been devoting whole lessons to playing. Sometimes, we play games to review for a vocabulary test, and other times we play games as a follow-up activity so as to start applying the new words.

You will find below a list of super fun games and activities to review vocabulary that I have compiled which have come in really handy to work with my high school pupils. I guess you can use them all along secondary school and maybe even with middle school pupils! (But I have not tried that yet! 😊)

1. TABOO
2. PICTIONARY
3. CATEGORIES
4. ABC
5. 10 QUESTIONS
6. BACK-TO-BACK
7. WORD GUESS

The mentioned games are oral games to be played as a class or maybe in groups. I usually set my students into two teams and assing them points when they guess a word or win a game. You can find objectives and instructions for each of the games here!

I also use a set of written games or excercises which I assign to my early finishers. They are fun worksheets for them to practise the words we have been using. In this post you will find detailed instructions on how to use those activities.

As you can see, I love working with vocabulary! I have found that students sort of relax and enjoy varied lessons. I teach ELA writing, so working with words helps me vary my lessons, enrich my pupils’ vocabulary and it helps me not to pile up essays to grade!

The last set of activities I would like to share with you is super fun! Students can choose what to do with the assigned words. For example, they can make a reel, memes, a song, games, etc. There are 10 activities for them to choose among, and I usually organize them in threes so that I can make sure that all of them work and participate. After an hour or so, they present their final product and you can all have some fun while learning!

This post includes all my super fun games and activities to review vocabulary that I use on different occasions throughout the year! I hope you enjoy them and find them as handy as I do!