WORD PLAY is a fun and engaging classroom vocabulary game inspired by Scattergories, designed to boost word recall, fluency, and quick thinking. Students select a letter and brainstorm vocabulary words in different categories that begin with that letter. With 80 category prompts, this printable game is endlessly reusable and always a classroom favorite.
Perfect for ESL, ELL, EFL, and elementary classrooms, WORD PLAY encourages students to review vocabulary by theme while practicing spelling and word recognition in an interactive, competitive format.
Why Teachers Love WORD PLAY
- Encourages creative thinking and quick recall of vocabulary words
- Promotes teamwork, speaking, and word fluency
- Easy to adapt for different grade levels and themes
- Reusable all year round with seasonal and everyday vocabulary
- Perfect for literacy centers, warm-ups, or early finisher activities
What’s Included in This Download
- 80 category cards across multiple themes:
- Basic Vocabulary (20 categories)
- Spring (10 categories)
- Summer (10 categories)
- Fall/Autumn (10 categories)
- Winter (10 categories)
- At Home (10 categories)
- At School (10 categories)
- DIY categories (students create their own prompts)
- Full-color and black & white versions
- Alphabet letters (suggested letters with the most possibilities)
- Box labels for easy storage
- Recording sheet for student answers
How to Play
Choose a category card and a starting letter. Students must write down as many vocabulary words as possible in each category that begin with that letter. Points are awarded for unique answers that no one else in the group has listed. The student or team with the most points wins!
Pair It With
For even more vocabulary fun, pair WORD PLAY with the Name Three Vocabulary Game from my shop. Together, they provide students with fast-paced, creative vocabulary practice that works across a variety of themes.
Also Available on TPT
You can also purchase this resource in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop here: WORD PLAY | Vocabulary Building Word Game for ESL - Plays like Scattergories