Practice activities for word

We work hard to teach our students the correct way to spell words.  We spend countless hours creating spelling practice activities that are fun and not just writing the word multiple times.  Are you ready to get some of those hours back?!  Take a look at these fabulous EDITABLE Spelling Activities we have created for your students to practice their word lists.

Our Spelling Activities are super simple to use!!!

1. Enter your spelling list into the first page of the packet.
2. Choose the activities you want to use that week.  (We have 150+ different pages to choose from!)
3. Print those activities.

These spelling activities can be sent home as homework, used in a word work center, or as independent practice. You can find all of our editable spelling activities, (general, seasonal, and holiday-themed) on Education to the Core Premium. Join today as a monthly or annual member for instant access to this resource and thousands more.

* Spelling Activity Line-Up *

1. SPELLING LIST

This is the page where you will type in your spelling words (up to 15 words).  It can be sent home for students to study during the week, as well as for parents to cut apart and use as flashcards.

2. MAGIC WORDS

Write each spelling word in white crayon, then color over with a marker to watch them “magically” appear.

3. ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Write each spelling word in ABC order.

4. RAINBOW SPELLING

Write each spelling word across the rainbow.  How many colors can you use?

5. WRITE A SENTENCE

Create a sentence that contains each spelling word.

6. SECRET CODE

Use the picture code to spell each of your words.

7. ROLL A SPELLING WORD

Roll the dice to see which way you are going to practice your spelling words.  Which number did you roll the most?

8. WORD ILLUSTRATIONS

Students choose 4 different spelling words to illustrate. As an extension, can they write a sentence to go with the picture?

9. TRACE WORDS

Practice each word as you trace it with different writing tools.

10. EMOJI SPELLING

Use the emoji picture code to spell each of your words.

11. PATTERN BLOCK SPELLING

Use the pattern block spelling words to create real-life pattern block spelling words!

12. VOWELS AND CONSONANTS

Color all the vowels one color and the consonants another in each of the spelling words!

13. SCRABBLE SPELLING

Mix math with spelling!! Students can play a bit of Scrabble by adding up the letters in each spelling word.

14. SPIN IT — SPELL IT

Create a spinner with paper clips. Students spin the spinner and spell the word that correlates with the number spun!

15. SPELLING MAZE

Make your way through the maze.  Check off your spelling words as you pass them!

16. SPELLING SPIRAL

Students write each spelling word on the spiral. They keep going until they reach the middle.

17. SPELLING WORD SYLLABLES

Students practice separating their spelling words into syllables. Count on fingers, clap your hands, or stomp your feet to see how many syllables are in each word. Then circle the corresponding number.

18. SILLY WRITING

Your students will have so much fun writing their spelling words upside down and with their eyes closed!

19. PYRAMID SPELLING

Build your spelling words pyramid style. Begin with the first letter and add one more letter as you write your word down the triangle.

20. SPELLING RHYMES

Can your students think of a word that rhymes with each of their spelling words?

21. SPELLING COLORS

Students match the color word to the spelling word in order to write the correct word on the line under each crayon.  Added bonus: students will learn to identify color words!

22. WORD SEARCH

For your higher-level kiddos, this word search is great! They write their words either across, down, or as a challenge, diagonal on the grid. Then place random letters among the words. Share with a partner to see if they can find all of your “hidden” words!

23. WORD ART

For the more creative students, color in the fancy letters and decorate around each of the spelling words.

24. CREATE A STORY

How many spelling words can your students include in a story? Write a short story that makes sense and illustrate it.

25. KEYBOARD WORDS

Use the computer keyboard to practice typing your spelling words. Can you put your fingers on the correct keys?

26. STAMPING SPELLING WORDS

Everybody loves dot markers! Grab a few different colors and stamp your spelling words as you read them.

27. SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

For a more challenging activity, connect spelling practice with vocabulary work by finding a synonym and antonym for each spelling word.

28. SIGN LANGUAGE SPELLING

Students get to learn sign language as they practice each letter of their spelling words with signs.

29. How Many Sounds

Students can count the sounds/phonemes in each word as they map it!

30. Tic-Tac-Toe Spelling

Perfect for partner spelling activities. Your students can each take a color and play tic-tac-toe with their spelling words.

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Written By: Janessa Fletcher & Emily Garcia

Brilliant Activities To Practise Vocabulary in Language Lessons 

It is important to encourage students’ vocabulary development so that they have the necessary lexis available to them to succeed in communicating and understanding any language. This can be incorporated into most lessons through subtle vocabulary learning activities. This includes actively teaching vocabulary, absorbing words, picking up one or two words and trying to use them each lesson etc.

How can you teach vocabulary in the classroom?

One way of implementing this strategy in the language classroom is to incorporate a number of opportunities for students to reflect on words they already know, have exposure to words they should know, as well as have the opportunity to use and recycle this vocabulary in ‘authentic’ conversations and interactions. Below, you will find a number of fun vocab activities for language teachers to teach vocabulary with the sole purpose of aiding language learners to improve vocabulary learning. 

Ways To Practise Vocabulary

Vocabulary activities are a brilliant way to get students focused in the language classroom and showcase their knowledge. In addition, these fun vocab activities also allow learners to acquire even more knowledge from their peers. Students will have the ability to reflect on what they know if they work individually. However, if they work in pairs and in small groups, they will also learn new words. Combining this reflection, as well as exposure to new words regularly, along with recycling this vocabulary in classroom activities and homework will aid language learners to have more vocabulary to communicate.

The purpose of this post is to collate a variety of fun vocabulary challenges that you can easily use in your language classrooms, at any time of the academic year. The vocabulary development activities are perfect for the French, German and Spanish Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 classrooms in England, but also ideal for English Language Teaching classrooms, as well as any other language teaching classroom anywhere in the world for all language learners!

Try the fun vocabulary challenges and vocabulary activities for revision below today. Which ways to practise vocabulary do you use in your language classrooms? Please feel free to add any ones that we should be using in our language lessons in the comment section below! 

AWESOME VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES AND WAYS TO PRACTISE VOCABULARY IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

1. How many words can you write with ‘two’ vowels?

Add a challenge to your vocabulary practice activities in your language lessons. This fun vocab activity could be easily adapted for all of your classes and it could be used regularly, but with some adaptations to keep things fresh. For example, change the ‘two vowels’ to ‘three vowels’, or the ‘vowels’ to ‘syllables’ etc. You can make the activities topic related or lexical, i.e. nouns, adjectives, verbs etc.

2. Words Beginning with ‘X’ 

How many words can you write down beginning with any letter of the alphabet? To make this vocabulary challenge topic-related, add a theme that the students must stick to, i.e. Food & Drink or Holidays. Timed vocabulary activities can often be the most fun, as students have a sense of competition and often enjoy trying to compete against their peers. Sometimes, I get students to compete with each other to see who has the most vocabulary that no-one else in the lesson has written down. A little treat always helps for the winner!

3. A-Z Vocabulary Practice Activity

I love this vocabulary activity, as it can be used with all levels for pretty much any topic. Food and drink springs to mind, as well as lexical groups, such as: ‘verbs’, ‘adjectives’ and ‘nouns’. I am working on the topic of health and safety with my current ESOL students and I tried this out with them. Would you have thought of ‘fire extinguisher’ for ‘F’?!

4. What am I thinking?

I first came across this vocabulary activity in my first year of teacher training, when the Head of French used it as a plenary at the end of her lesson on restaurant food and drink. The year 8 students loved it and the vocabulary challenge got the students really involved in recalling the words that they had come across in the lesson. This teacher used the activity as a plenary with the whole group, but I think it would also work well in small groups, using the same principle.

5. Beat The Teacher 

This vocabulary practice activity is an oldie but a goody. It can be used to develop vocabulary and pronunciation for all students. This is one version of ‘beat the teacher’ with a competitive element but there are also many variations of it.

Create a PPT slide with imagery of vocabulary items in a grid. The students and teacher start off with 10 points. Point to an image on the grid and say it in the target language. If you say the word that represents the image correctly, then the students must repeat it. If you say a different word, or pronounce it incorrectly, then students must remain quiet.  If anyone repeats the wrong word, then the teacher gets a point, if all students stay silent the class gets a point.

Tip: Get a reliable student to keep a tally chart of the marks. To decide on a winner, you could set a time limit, or the first ‘team’ to get to a certain number of points. If the class wins, you could let them out a minute early, or give them another type of prize.

I find this kind of vocabulary practice activity works really well to get whole groups engaged and it’s an excellent way of drilling with a competitive edge.

6. Word Association for Vocabulary Learning

I tried this creative vocabulary challenge out today with my English students and they loved it! The students got extremely inventive with the vocabulary that popped into their heads, in association with the previous one. You can use this as a stand-alone activity to get learners thinking of words they know. However, you could also combine it with a writing or speaking activity, too.

Instructions:

1. Teacher says a word, i.e. ‘facile’ and adds to whiteboard
2. Students must say the first related word they think of, i.e. ‘anglais’
3. Repeat until you get bored!

This vocabulary builder was used as a starter to a creative writing activity. So, if you have time, give the students a sentence starter, such as: ‘It was the first time that I was in a new country, when suddenly someone tapped me on the back…’ You can choose a sentence starter that fits with your class and their level. However, this worked so well and really got my students writing spontaneously but creatively at the same time. Win-win I’d say!

7. Hangman To Teach Vocabulary

When you think of fun vocab activities, then this might seem like a really simple and ill-thought out vocabulary challenge. However, try it out. It’s a brilliant idea and gets students so motivated. You can play as a whole class, perhaps as a plenary, or you can put students into small groups with mini whiteboards to compete against each other in small teams. If you are unsure on how to play hangman, check out the rules in the link.

Instructions:

1. Choose the theme
2. Put students into small teams with one mini whiteboard, pen and rubber
3. Students choose who begins, and then go clockwise.
4. Students compete against each other in the small teams
5. Keep a tally-chart and get the winners from each team to compete for an overall winner. This might seem like a really simple and ill-thought out vocabulary challenge. However, try it out. It’s a brilliant idea and gets students so motivated. You can play as a whole class, perhaps as a plenary, or you can put students into small groups with mini whiteboards to compete against each other in small teams. If you are unsure on how to play hangman, check out the rules in the link.

8. Pass It Forward Vocab Activity

I do love a good vocabulary activity with a competitive element! This one’s got both of these combined.

Resources required:

1. magnetic whiteboard and 1 x magnet per group
2. students in groups of 4-5 seated in rows facing the whiteboard
3. 10-15 images per group, related to whichever topic you would like to focus on

Instructions on the Pass It Forward Vocabulary Challenge

1. Sit students in groups of 4-5 in seated rows of tables facing a whiteboard
2. Beforehand, print out 10-15 images related to whatever topic you like on the back table.
3. Describe something from one of the images, i.e. ‘das blaue Hemd’.
4. The person on the back table must choose correct image and pass it forward to the person nearest whiteboard to stick on the whiteboard.
5. First team to put it on correctly and sit down again wins.

NOTE: If others disagree as they are passing it forward, they can pass it back and try again. Also, you can get students to move one chair back after each round. Watch out though, this option can be hard to manage!

CHALLENGE, get a stronger student to read out words, phrases or sentences, instead of the teacher.

9. What am I talking about? for Vocabulary Learning

This fun vocabulary activity, is perfect for revision, as it’s no-prep (always a winner with me), gets all students in the group involved in thinking of words, categorising them in a preferred order, it gets others guessing and recalling vocabulary verbally, leading to improved pronunciation.

Instructions:

1. Put students into groups of 3-4
2. Give each group 2 ‘secret’ topics/themes that you have pre-prepared
3. Students work in their groups to prepare a list of 10-15 topic-related vocab in order of ‘difficulty’. The word they feel is most difficult, but relatd to the theme gets awarded 15 points, then 14, 13, 12 etc
4. After prep time, go around each group with a different student revealing a new word from the list each round, starting with hardest
5. The other groups must identify the topic, for every guess they make incorrectly, that team loses a point.
6. Award points based on value of the word the ‘winning’ team gets right

As a reward, winners from these vocabulary challenges can be awarded merits, or as an extra little touch, a sticker. These are some of my favourites:

French Reward Stickers
Spanish Reward Stickers
German Reward Stickers
Italian Reward Stickers
English Reward Stickers

10. Jumbled Words With A Twist

Resources Required:
TWO OPTIONS:
More Prep – Worksheet with scrambled words and clues
Low Prep – Get students to create their own individual ideas on post it notes or slips of paper + blue tack to stick them up after

Instructions:

1. Whichever option you go for on this vocabulary revision activity, either you or the students have to produce a list of scrambled words related to your topic, or any vocab related to the course.
   i.e. GAUR: _ _ _ _
2. Alongside this scrambled word with space for the correctly spelled word next to it, add 1-3 clues in target language

For example, each jumbled word could be presented as follows:

GAUR: _ _ _ _

11. Lexical Lists for Vocabulary Learning Practice

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: A4 Paper, pens
When To Use: anytime, but works well at the beginning of a topic to assess current knowledge (add to it as you go through a topic), as well as at the end as a revision activity.
Instructions:
1. Give students A4 paper to fold it into four equal sections
2. Supply a topic, i.e. ‘food & drink’, ‘holidays’ etc
3. Label each section with: ‘VERBS’, ‘ADJECTIVES’, ‘NOUNS’ and ‘USEFUL PHRASES’
4. Ask them to list as many lexical items as they can per category
5. Go around classroom, compare ideas and add to lists

It’s a no-prep vocabulary practice activity and really effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas! Not ideal to teach vocabulary though.

12. Word Acrostic to Teach Vocabulary

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: Whiteboard, whiteboard pen, exercise books/paper, pens
When To Use: anytime, but works well at the beginning of a topic to assess current knowledge (add to it as you go through a topic), as well as at the end as a revision activity.
Instructions:
1. Supply a topic, i.e. Travelling, Education, Health etc and write the word down one side of the whiteboard
2. Students must write one-topic related word which starts with each letter of the word on the whiteboard, i.e.
Trip
Ride
Aeroplane
Voyage
Excursion
Lake
Look
Indicate
Norway
Gallivant
3. Share ideas at end. Award a point for the most original related-word (class can decide), as well as one for the most letters in a word / overall.

It’s a no-prep vocabulary practice activity and really effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas!

13. 5 Words Vocabulary Practice Activity

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: Paper, pens and whiteboard
When To Use: Anytime. But, it works well at the beginning of a topic to assess prior knowledge, in the middle to assess learning, as well as at the end as a vocabulary revision activity.

Instructions:

1. Share a broad topic with learners (clothes, school or travel etc)
2. Explain you have 5 brilliant topic-related written words on your paper and they must try to guess the 5 you have by writing them on their paper.
3. Read out each of your 5 words and students cross out if they have them. Award a point for each correctly guessed and spelled word.
4. Students share their ideas and you can add these to the board under their lexical category for students to note down to add to their previously noted down  topic-related vocabulary.

EXTENSION: Students can put each of their 5 words into a sentence underneath, once they have written 5 words they are happy with.

It’s a virtually no-prep vocabulary activity and extremely effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas and checking pronunciation and spelling too.

14. Just 3 Words

Vocabulary Practice Activity Resources Required: Exercise books, A6 strips of paper and pens
When To Use: This vocabulary activity is perfect for testing and practising vocabulary anytime during the year and it combines the skill of writing too.

Instructions:

1.Ask each member of the class to choose a broad topic from what you have learnt recently (i.e. food, clothes, school etc)
2. Put students into pairs and explain that their neighbour must write down three words, directly related to the topic you have chosen in list form.
3. The student must take the list and write a short story, dialogue or essay (45, 90 or 150 words) and they must include those three words and stay topic-related.
4. Once finished, get students to peer assess.

CHALLENGE ELEMENT: Give students a choice of grammatical challenges (use past simple, the third person singular or prepositional verbs) to incorporate too.

It’s a virtually no-prep vocabulary activity and extremely effective in helping students to be creative with a topic and vocabulary, with the help of just 3 words.

15. The Chain Vocabulary Game – Topic Related Word Revision Practice

A simple, no-prep vocabulary practice activity that is ideal for end of topic vocab revision. Remember those long car journeys you had as a kid? Where you had a topic, like: ‘COUNTRIES’ and everyone had to say a word that ended with the last letter of the country the previous person said?

Well, that word game that brings back fond ?! memories can also be used in the language classroom too. It’s no-prep and works well as competitive vocabulary revision practice,

How To Play?

1. Put students into teams (2-4 total)
2. Pick the topic, i.e. ‘Food’
3. One team says a word in Target Language on that topic, i.e. Brot
4. The next team says a word that begins with the last letter, i.e. Tomate
5. Keeping going until one team wins!

It’s a tricky one, so make sure you pick a topic that the students know well. Try and get all students involved by advising that all should at least have one input minimum during the game. You can entice the students a bit further with a little prize for the winning team!

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Try some of these vocabulary activities out in your classroom this week and let me know how you have adapted them. Do you have any other suggestions for additions?

I will be adding to this page regularly and would be happy to let you know when I do. Why not join TheIdealTeacher.com’s exclusive mailing list to keep up-to-date with all of my latest content, including fab teaching ideas and activities? Sign Up Here!

Did you like this my post with all of these brilliant vocabulary activities? If so, check out these fun vocab activities too:

Fun Games for the MFL Classroom
Spontaneous Speaking with Video Clips in the Language Classroom

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FAQ: Vocabulary Games

Here are answers to common questions about vocabulary games and activities.

What are vocabulary games?

Vocabulary games are word and language games you can play with students, coworkers, or family and friends. These games challenge players to hunt for words or definitions, brainstorm terms, deduce phrases based on clues, or create words under certain conditions. Language games are a great way to teach new vocabulary and help students practice recognizing and using new words. These activities are also known as “vocabulary building games” and “vocab games”, and are similar to “word games” and “letter games”.

What are some fun word games for groups?

Some fun word games for groups include Pictionary, Tree or Bob Ross, and word scrambles.

What are some online vocabulary games?

By using virtual meeting software like Zoom, you can play any word game online. Some good virtual vocabulary games include Scrabble, Scattergories, and online crossword puzzles.

What are good ESL word games?

The best ESL word games are easy to understand and play yet expand the vocabularies of participants. Good ESL word games include word association, word searches, and hangman.

What are fun ways to teach vocabulary?

Word games are one of the most fun and easy ways to teach vocabulary. While some kids get frustrated with straightforward reading or language exercises, word games disguise vocabulary lessons as a fun challenge. Plus, playing language games together is a great teamwork exercise.

Learning new words is like adding to your writing toolbox. Your writing becomes so much more interesting and engaging when you have more tools available. Check out these fun and engaging vocabulary activities for kids in grades K-12, and give your students the equipment they need to build their wordsmith skills.

1. Write vocabulary short stories

Using vocabulary words in writing shows mastery. Challenge your students to use all of their vocabulary words in an original short story. Allow students to pair up and share their stories with a partner.

Learn more: Lucky Little Learners 

2. Put your students in the “hot seat”

Divide your class into two teams. Choose one student from one team to go to the front of the room and sit in a chair facing the class with his/her back to the board. This person is “on the spot.” Place a word on the board so everyone can see it except the person in the chair. One at a time, team members give the person a clue about the mystery word. If the word is guessed before two minutes are up, the team gets a point and play turns to the other team.

Learn more: On the Spot/Upper Elementary Snapshots

3. Match up words and definitions

Download these vocabulary words and matching definitions. Distribute one card to each student (either a word or a definition). Allow students to circulate in the room and find their “match.” Switch cards and repeat.

Learn more: Teach Starter

4. Sketch up some word maps

Creating word maps from vocabulary words encourages students to find the relationships between the vocabulary word and other words. Have them include words, pictures, examples, real-world connections, definitions, descriptive words, etc.

Learn more: Southern Fried Teachin’

5. Create Post-it stations

Post vocabulary words around the room, then have students circulate and write an original sentence using that word on a sticky note. Follow along and make sure students use the words correctly.

Learn more: Now Spark Creativity

6. Play a game of Pop!

Write vocabulary words on cards or craft sticks and place in a paper bag. Write the word Pop! on three to five cards or sticks and add them to the bag as well. To play, students will take turns drawing cards or sticks out of the bag, reading the word and giving the definition. If they correctly define the word, they keep the card or stick. If not, it goes back in the bag. If they pull the word Pop! they must return all their cards or sticks to the bag and start over. The player with the most cards or sticks wins.

Learn more: Pop/Not So Wimpy Teacher

7. Take a gallery walk

Hang six to eight large sheets of chart paper in various places around the room. On each sheet, write one vocabulary word. Have students work in small groups, rotating between stations. At each station, ask students to come up with a different, original way to use each word. Continue the activity until all students have visited every station.

Learn more: Teachwriting.org

8. Create vocabulary strips

Have students draw a diagonal line across an index card. On the top half, have them write the vocabulary word and definition. On the bottom half, have them draw a picture of the word and use it in a sentence. Cards can be joined together in a strip for easy review.

Learn more: Teaching Fourth

9. Play a round of Pictionary

This fun activity requires students to draw a picture for each word to create their own visual dictionary. When students create their own visual representations, they develop an association with the word that they will be able to tap into when needed.

Learn more: Pictionary/Lit in Focus

10. Make a word map

Word maps help deepen understanding of a vocab word by relating it to other words and concepts students already know.

Learn more: Word Map/Upper Elementary Snapshots

11. Use the Frayer model

Frayer models are a popular way to learn new words and concepts. Kids define the word in their own terms, then list facts and characteristics, examples, and non-examples.

Learn more: Southern Fried Teachin’

12. Draw vocabulary Sketchnotes

Kids and teachers love Sketchnotes! Rather than writing out definitions, have students draw a sketch that sums up each word instead. It’s a lot more fun and gives kids an image for visual association and to help remember the meanings.

Learn more: Now Spark Creativity

13. Bump words along

Group vocab words together with a few other words with similar meanings and one that’s an antonym. Students identify the antonym and “bump” it to the next box, filling in the next group of words. They continue until the worksheet is full.

Learn more: Reading and Writing Haven

14. Post a graffiti wall

Think of a vocabulary graffiti wall like a collaborative word wall. In the classroom, post the words on the wall and have kids add sticky notes to illustrate the term (they can use words or pictures). Online, try a tool like Padlet or Google Slides.

Learn more: Digging Deeper

15. Match words to describe character

This is a terrific way to practice vocab words pulled from books you’re reading. Ask students to use various words to describe the different characters in the book and their feelings, thoughts, and actions.

Learn more: The Sassy Apple

16. Fill in words from A to Z

This vocabulary game is fun and challenging, and you can play it at any age. Choose a word, then challenge kids to come up with related words for as many letters as possible. These could be synonyms, antonyms, examples, and more. Trickier letters are worth more points!

Learn more: A to Z/Lit in Focus

17. Try Flip for vocabulary activities

Are you on the Flip (formerly Flipgrid) bandwagon yet? It’s perfect for vocabulary activities! Have kids record a quick video for each word, using their creativity to make it fun and meaningful.

18. Battle it out in Vocabulary Jeopardy

Good vocabulary activities encourage more than just memorization of definitions. That’s why we like this Jeopardy game idea. It explores synonyms and antonyms and how words are used in real sentences.

Learn more: Not So Wimpy Teacher

19. Use RAFTs to write vocabulary stories

Writing a story using vocab words is a perennial favorite, but the RAFT method gives it a new twist. Students are assigned a Role (the point of view from which they’ll tell the story), an Audience, a Format, and a Topic. For instance, they might be an astronaut (Role) writing a postcard (Format) to their friends back home (Audience) about what they’ve seen on Mars (Topic). RAFTs are especially great for kids who claim they don’t know what to write about.

Learn more: RAFT/Teachingwriting.org

20. Discover the power of words

Vocabulary words take on greater meaning when students incorporate them into their daily lives. Challenge kids to use their vocab words in conversation and writing outside the language arts classroom. Use the free printable worksheet here to help them keep track of how often they use them.

21. Create graphic organizers

Colorful organizers like these are terrific vocabulary activities. Want to go digital? Have kids make a slideshow, one slide per word. They can include the same information, but instead of drawing a picture, have them find one online that illustrates the concept.

Learn more: Graphic Organizers/Upper Elementary Snapshots

22. Focus on a Word of the Week

Give really important terms the attention they deserve. Choose a new vocab word each week, then explore it in depth day by day.

Learn more: Lit in Focus

23. Join the Million Dollar Word Club

Post a list of target vocab words. If a student uses one of the words in class (outside of vocabulary activities), they become a member of the Million Dollar Word Club! You can have them sign their name on a wall in the classroom or award a badge online. You could even develop this into a reward system for homework passes or extra credit.

Learn more: Million Dollar Words/The Sassy Apple

24. Explore shades of meaning

This is a cool idea for exploring synonyms and the slight differences that make words unique. Ask for paint sample strips at your local hardware store, or buy a clip art set. In the classroom, use these paint strips to make crafts for a bulletin board. Working in a virtual environment? Have kids print clip art strips at home or use the images to make slides or digital worksheets.

Learn more: Around the Kampfire

25. Personify a word with social media

This is one of those vocabulary activities kids will want to do over and over again! Assign each student a word and have them create a fake Facebook, Instagram, or other social media page for it. They can draw them freehand or complete a template like these from Teachers Pay Teachers. Post the images to a shared Google slideshow so other students can use them for review.

Learn more: Reading and Writing Haven

26. Play vocabulary word Taboo

In this game, the goal is for one student to get their partner to guess the word by describing or giving examples of it. The trick? There’s a list of additional words they’re not allowed to use! Let other students see the card in advance to help keep the players honest. (Flash it on a whiteboard and have the guesser face away.)

Learn more: Teaching Talking

27. Roll a die for vocabulary activities

Choose a vocab word, then have the student roll a die (these virtual dice are handy) to see which activity they get to complete.

Learn more: Roll a Word/Lucky Little Learners

28. Write an acrostic

Write an acrostic poem for each vocab term, using the letters to determine the first word in each line. This can get really challenging when words are longer!

Learn more: Vocab Acrostic/Upper Elementary Snapshots

29. Play vocabulary board games

Everyone knows that playing games is the best way to learn! Try some of these fabulous board games with your students and watch their vocabularies grow!

Learn more: 11 Vocab Games to Make the Learning Stick

30. Become a Word Collector

This is one of those picture books that grown-up kids will enjoy as much as little ones. Use it to remind your kids that they don’t need a vocabulary list to learn new words—new words are all around them. Encourage them to keep a word list or journal of their own to record new words they want to explore and use more often.

Buy it: The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds on Amazon

Reading poetry helps students expand their vocabularies. Check out these must-share poems for elementary school and middle and high school.

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