Fantastic Classroom Vocabulary Games Inspired by the Tonight Show
Today I give you my absolute favorite vocabulary games that I use in my junior high classroom, most of which I adapted from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy is always playing fun games with celebrities and I got inspired to make a classroom-friendly version!
One of the best ways for students to review what they’ve learned is by practicing relevant vocabulary terms. And it doesn’t have to be boring!
Over the years, I’ve compiled some fun ways to trick students into having fun while practicing science vocabulary. So put away those flashcards, and try some of these variations!
How to Prep for Vocabulary Games
Just kidding, you do still need some flashcards. But I promise it will be fun!
These vocabulary games are all low-prep, because I am a low maintenance teacher. All you need is a list of the vocabulary words that you want students to review.
I like to let the kids make their own flashcards using the list I provided (or from our class WORD WALL – more on this coming soon! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletters so you don’t miss it!).
Tips for Making Flashcards
First, I really like these multicolor index cards because I can have students put their most difficult word on red, easiest on green, etc. Plus they are pre-hole punched. Yipee!!
Second, my favorite trick for making LOTS of cards quickly is to have students make the cards!
Give students some index cards and a list of vocabulary words (here is the list I use for 7th grade science). Then, have them choose some vocabulary words from the list to write on the cards! I usually give the kids some parameters like “choose one word you know well, one you aren’t sure about, and one you know but think other kids might not know…”
Yes, when you have students create the cards, you end up duplicating terms… BUT is it really a bad thing if they end up reviewing the same word multiple times??
Another benefit of having students make the cards is it gives kids a little bit of ownership over the vocabulary game. Then they know they will see some familiar words while we are playing. But I also like to mix in a few of my own vocabulary terms, PLUS a few fun ones, just to keep it interesting!
How to Play my Favorite Vocabulary Games
FIRST, I want to encourage you to watch the videos. I have written a little “how to play” explanations for each vocabulary game, but honestly the BEST way to learn it is just to watch the videos that I’ve linked.
These are the same video clips I use to show my students how to play. If you play the videos from this page, I’ve set them all to skip any “adult content” that may have been included (which honestly took a while to find and set up… so this should save you a lot of time!)
Your students will catch onto the games so fast that they can hardly wait to get started!
Word Sneak
Students pair up. Each is given a few random vocab words. Each student must “sneak” their vocab word into a conversation as naturally as possible. Whoever gets through the most words within the time limit wins. I also like to add a variation to this – the student who can correctly guess what the other person’s “sneak words” were wins.
Heads Up
My all time favorite review game. It is so easy and so fun! Students choose 5 to 10 words to write on an index card. They can use words from this list or create their own cards using related terms. We throw them all into a gigantic pile, shuffle it up, and deal up the cards randomly, face down. Students then pair up and take turns trying to guess the word that is on their card. Whatever team gets the most words correct wins!
Catch Phrase
Reuse the index cards from “Heads Up!” with one large stack of words for each group. This time, divide into groups of about 10, with 2 teams of 5. The two teams sit in a circle , alternating every other person (so no one is sitting by someone on their own team). Start a 1 minute timer. Each team takes turns guessing the word, like hot potato, until the timer runs out. When the correct word is guessed, you pass the pile. Whoever the timer runs out on, the opposite team gets a point.
Taboo
Similar to catch phrase but you get to have a BUZZER. And who doesn’t love a good buzzer??
Students try to describe the vocabulary words without using any of the “taboo” words. This game requires a little bit more prep because you need to add a few extra taboo words for each term. So if the word is “fossil,” your list of taboo words might include “dinosaur, old, bones.” Students now have to get their teammate to guess the word FOSSIL without using ANY of those 4 words. This REALLY ups the difficulty, right?
Divide into groups of 4. Each group has 2 teams of two kids- one team has a “talker” and a “guesser” and the second team of two listens for taboo words and hits the buzzer. If the talker gets “buzzed” then their team loses a point.
If you don’t have a set of buzzers for your classroom, these will open up a whole new world for you. They make every classroom activity instantly 80% more fun.
5 Second Summaries
This game could be really fun for language arts or history classrooms, but I’ve adapted it to science pretty well by using images.
The goal is for students to summarize a movie plot/book plot/image in 5 seconds. Students have to get their partner to guess it without looking at the picture, and without using the word/title.
Example:
Student A is given a picture of a sedimentary rock. Student A now has 5 seconds to describe it to Student B without using the words “sedimentary rock.” Student A might say “This is made when dirt gets compacted into layers and there are particles and heat and pressure…” I like to mix in a few fun movie titles with my vocab words to keep it extra engaging.
SO yeah, this one does involve a bit of prep if you are doing images. I get around this by assigning each student 3-5 words in a Slide Presentation. Students creates an image for each of the words, then we swap computers or they share the Slides with a different group and take turns playing the game with the different images. Here is a set of sample slides that I used for my science class. Feel free to use or edit for your own classroom!
An even better idea: Each class has ONE shared slide presentation. Each student in the class is assigned a couple of slides to fill in the picture. After class, print the whole slide presentation, mix up the images, and you’re all set to go for the next class!
Password
Divide into 2 pairs (groups of 4). One person describes the vocabulary word while the other person tries to guess it. The catch is, you can only give them ONE WORD as a clue that will help them guess the vocabulary word! For example, if the password is “skeletal system” you could give the clue “bones.” Your partner only has one chance to get the password so your clue has to be good!
If they don’t guess correctly, then the other team takes over. The play goes back and forth until one of the teams guesses the word correctly.
20 Questions
A simple classic game that never disappoints!
Divide into small groups. One player chooses a card with a vocab term on it. The other players have 20 yes or no questions to figure out what the word is.
LOVE this game. It really helps students develop problem solving & critical thinking skills, all while practicing small group communication. Win-win-win!
No video for this one, since it’s pretty easy to explain without.
Actor/Artist/Interpreter
This game is a fun combination of Pictionary, Charades, and the Telephone Game. Divide into teams of 3. Choose roles for each team member: actor, artist, and interpreter.
The interpreter is the ONLY role allowed to talk, but they are NOT allowed to see the artist’s drawing.
The artist chooses a vocabulary word and draws it. I did this outside using sidewalk chalk and it was super fun! BUT be sure to remove all the reproduction terms from your list if you’re teaching science 7 like me haha!
The actor looks at the drawing, and then tries to act it out for the interpreter (like charades). The interpreter then has to guess what the word was! Now rotate roles and choose a new vocabulary word.
Super simple and silly and fun! Also very difficult sometimes, especially if you are trying to act out a rock!
I don’t have a video for this one, since it’s not played on the Tonight Show, so please leave a comment below if you have any questions about it!
Tips for Increasing Engagement
- Add pop culture terms – actors, movies, music. Keeps it unpredictable and holds the interest of kids who might get tired of reviewing content terms..
- Make it a competition – Boys vs girls, class vs class, group vs group, student vs student, teacher vs student. Any way that you can bring out the competitive side in your students will help keep them interested.
- Set timers – Keep the students under pressure. If they have too much time, it gets too easy and they get bored.
- Play WITH the students!! You will have tons of fun too, and be a resource for those tough words. If no one in the group can guess it, they can request a “teacher tip.” I honestly don’t know who has more fun playing vocabulary games, me or my students!
Tips for Differentiating
- Set up your groups very intentionally. Mix high and low level learners, so there is usually at least one kid in the group who knows the word.
- Allow students to use notes! I have my students keep a “Word Wall” throughout the year, which they can use as a cheat sheet! I’ve transitioned to doing this digitally and my students love it. I provide the terms, and they fill in a definition & picture for each word as we learn them.
- Adjust the pool of terms. For low level learners, include fewer, simpler terms. For high level learners, include “bonus words” that are related to your content!
- Adjust the time frame. If 5 seconds is too short for some of your learners to communicate their thoughts, add a little more time. You may have some groups cruising through words 5 seconds at a time, while other groups are giving 20 seconds. That’s ok! The beauty of these games is in their adaptability!
How to Wrap Up The Vocabulary Game
After the game, be sure to include time for reflection! Students need time to process what they have learned and correct any misunderstandings they may have uncovered as they were playing.
What this looks like in my class: Students add or edit at least 5 words on their “Word Wall” sheet. Then, share a word/image from the word wall with a partner. Finally, they submit a quick “what I learned today” exit ticket (this is the only thing I grade, which makes it a super easy and fun day for me too)!
What Vocabulary Games do Your Kids Love?
What other vocabulary games do you use in your classroom??
I would love to add more for my students if you have more favorites to share!
For more fun classroom activities, check out my post 25 Little to No Prep Brain Breaks. These are quick teambuilding activities that you can use whenever you or your kids need a little break.
As always, thanks for saving, commenting, and sharing!
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