Compare, contrast, and justify answers while building speaking confidence and vocabulary.
Overview
Which word doesn’t belong—and why? This Odd-One-Out speaking board game turns critical thinking into a lively, language-rich activity. Learners draw from 48 vocabulary sets, explain their reasoning, and advance along a fun Summer Camp–themed path using a spinner or dice. Ideal for ESL, EFL, and ELL classrooms, the game promotes oral fluency, academic vocabulary, compare-and-contrast skills, and complete-sentence responses.
Use it as a warm-up, small-group station, speaking center, or fast-finisher activity. Because many sets allow multiple correct answers, students must justify their choices—perfect for debate, discussion, and higher-order thinking.
Skills Students Practice
- Speaking & listening with clear justifications
- Compare/contrast and categorization
- Vocabulary expansion & word relationships
- Forming complete sentences and using transition words
What’s Included
- 1 printable game board (prints on two US Letter pages; tape after laminating)
- 48 Odd-One-Out cards
- Game markers
- Box labels
- Recording sheet
- Directions
*Dice not included. Designed for small groups with teacher supervision. No answer key provided (multiple valid responses).
Assembly & Use
This is a full-color PDF. Print on cardstock, laminate the board and cards for durability, cut, and play. Reuse year after year for speaking practice, vocabulary review, and critical thinking routines.
Pair It With
Extend summer-themed speaking with Summer Action Verb Charades for rapid-fire present continuous practice and movement-based fluency.
Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers
Speaking Practice BOARD GAME: Odd One Out – Which Word Doesn’t Belong and Why?