MINUTE TO WIN IT VOCABULARY GAMES
By Jan Wiggs
Suck It Up

Lay out mini flashcards of words and mini flashcards of definitions, face up. Give players
30 seconds to review the words. Using a straw, players suck up a word and lay it on top
of the corresponding definition. The player with the most matches is the winner.
Wheel of a Deal

Spin a wheel. Students must use the word the wheel lands on correctly in a sentence.
The player that can make the most sentences in one minute is the winner. This game
must be done one player at a time.
Separation Anxiety

Make sets of flashcard with words on some and corresponding definitions on others.
Shuffle them all together. Players have to separate the cards by making word/definition
pairs that match. The player with the most matches is the winner.
Don’t Be So Nosey

Make mini flashcards with words and mini flashcards with corresponding definitions.
Lay out cards face up. Put a dab of Vaseline on the tip of the player’s nose. The players
use their nose to “pick up” a word and “shake” it off onto the corresponding definition.
The player with the most matches is the winner.
That’s “Egg”actly Right

Give players sentences with a blank where the vocabulary word belongs. Give players
plastic eggs with the words written on them. Players must put the sentence inside the
egg that has the correct word to complete the sentence. The player with the most
matches is the winner.
Have a Ball

Prepare a beach ball with vocabulary words written randomly all over the ball.
Teammates toss the ball to the player. The player must see what word is nearest their
right thumb and use that word in a sentence. The player then tosses the ball back to the
teammate. They continue in this manner for one minute. The player that can make the
most sentences in one minute is the winner. This game must be done one player at a
time.
Just Hang On

Prepare a clothes hanger or clothes line by placing clothespins on it. Clip a definition
flashcard to each clothespin. Give the player corresponding word flashcards. Players
clip the words to the correct definitions. The player with the most matches is the
winner.
Don’t Blow It

Prepare a set of ping pong balls by writing vocabulary words on them. Prepare a set of
plastic cups with corresponding definitions or sentences with a blank for the vocabulary
word. Tape the cups onto the table in such a way that the ping pong balls can be blown
into them. Players have one minute to blow the ping pong balls into the correct cups.
The player with the most matches is the winner.
I’m Puzzled

Use the backs of large puzzle pieces that go together. Write a vocabulary word on one
piece and the definition or sentence on the other piece. Place all pieces in a zip lock
bag. Players try to match as many pieces together as possible in one minute. The
player with the most matches is the winner.
A Bit Dicey

This game is used to match vocabulary words with corresponding synonyms. Prepare
the game by writing vocabulary words on one die and corresponding synonyms on the
other die. Players roll the dice together and get a point for each time they roll a match.
A monitor is needed to determine correct matches and keep track of points. The player
with the most matches in a minute is the winner.
On a Roll

Prepare a roll of paper towels by writing a vocabulary word on each section. Players
unroll the paper towels and write a sentence on the section for that vocabulary word.
Suggest that words they are not sure of be skipped (and restudied). The player with the
most sentences is the winner. Paper towels with half sheet perforations work best.
Chain Reaction

Prepare the game by writing vocabulary words and corresponding definitions on strips
of paper. Provide each team with a set of strips and some tape. Players tape
words/definitions chain link style. The player that can make the longest chain of
matching words/definitions is the winner. If a mistake is made anywhere within the
chain, the chain is broken at that point and “credit” is only given for up to the point in
which the chain broke.
Hangin’ Around

Prepare a set of index cards with vocabulary words and another set with corresponding
definitions or sentences with the vocabulary word left blank. Punch a hole in one of the
short sides of each index cards. Players use the “hook” of a wire coat hanger to pick up
as many pairs of word/definition (sentence) cards as they can in one minute. The player
with the most matched pairs wins.
Bouncin’ Off the Wall

Write a vocabulary word on a ping pong ball and a corresponding sentence leaving a
blank for the vocabulary game. Make a set of 8 – 10 balls/cups. Set the cups against a
wall (perhaps on a table). Players stand about 5 feet from the cups and will get one
minute to bounce as many ping pong balls into the matching cups. A little water in the
cup helps it to stay standing during the game.
Picture Perfect

Purchase a small photo album- the kind that holds single 4 x 6 inch photos. Write
vocabulary words on index cards and place one inside each photo slip. Write a
definition or sentence for each vocabulary word on other index cards. Give each player
a stack of definitions/sentences. Players must match definition/ sentences by sliding
the definition/sentence cards into the matching photo slip with the corresponding
vocabulary word. The player with the most matches in one minute is the winner.
Be An “Egg”pert

Using plastic Easter eggs write the onset of each vocabulary word on one half of the egg.
Write the rime on the other half of the egg. On the egg half with the rime, write several
other letter combinations that are similar to the rime. Players are given a basket or bag
full of eggs. As they pick eggs from the basket, they must twist the two halves until the
onset matches the correct rime to make a vocabulary word. This game/activity can also
be sued for spelling practice.
Set the Table

Make spinners out of cheap plastic plates. Write vocabulary words with dry erase
marker on each space of the spinner. Players spin the spinner and must use the word it
lands on in a correct, complete sentence. Have a collection of plasticware, cups, and
napkins available for each player. Each time a player uses a vocabulary word in a
correct, complete sentence, he/she places a table setting item by the plate. The player
that is able to set the most elaborate (most items) table is the winner. This will need to
have someone available to check and make sure sentences are complete and correct.
I Was Framed

Create a CLOZE paragraph or story that uses all the vocabulary words. Place the CLOZE
activity inside a picture frame. Players use a dry erase marker to fill in as many blanks in
the CLOZE as they can in one minute.
It’s In The Mail

Create a set of flashcards- half with words and the other half with corresponding
definitions. Decorate a box to look like a mailbox and place it across the room. Players
are given the sets of flashcards and some envelopes. Players must put a vocabulary
word and the corresponding definition in an envelope and “mail” it…this must be done
one word at a time. The player to “mail” the most word/definition combinations wins.
Around the Block

Write vocabulary words on stickers and adhere them to thin, flat blocks (jenga blocks or
dominoes work well for this). Stack the blocks in groups of threes alternating horizontal
and vertical rows (as in jenga game). Players are given one minute to remove as many
blocks as possible. When the minute is up, players must be able to read each word they
have removed from the tower. The player that can remove and read the most blocks is
the winner.