Sparkle vocabulary game
Sparkle Game - Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities
Sparkle is a great group game that can be done as a warm up to get the brain thinking. Traditionally, it is played as a spelling game, but you can also do it with math problems, a memory verse, or focus on a specific subject instead. It’s a fun way to study previously learned or new information. The game is fast paced — with players constantly listening and ready to speak at any moment!
Sparkle Set-Up
This game is ideal for medium to extra large groups of people, and there is not a limit on the number of players. It can be played in both indoor and outdoor settings. The setup is fairly easy:
- Create a circle or line standing up.
- Assign one person to provide the words throughout the game.
- That person can either create a pre-made list of words or think of the words during the game.
How to Play the Sparkle Game
- Explain a memory verse, name a word, or a math problem—depending on which type of game selected.
- Arrange everyone in a circle or line, standing up, and facing the same direction.
- Choose one person to start the spelling. For example, if the word is ‘LEADERSHIP’, the first player would say the letter ‘L,’ the second player would say ‘E,’ the third player would say ‘A,’ and this pattern would continue until the word ‘LEADERSHIP’ is fully spelled.
- After the word has been spelled, the next person must say ‘Sparkle.’
- The player next to the person who said Sparkle must sit down.
- If at any point in the game someone says the wrong letter, then they must sit down. The person next to them will continue the spelling.
- If you are sitting, then that means you are out of the game.
- After a word is finished, a new one will be selected to spell.
- This pattern continues–spelling and sitting– until one person is left standing, who is the winner!
Variation
- Instead of spelling words, players can use math problems or memory verses.
- For a memory verse or song, teach the material first, and then assign different stanzas that players will have to memorize.
For a song example,
1. ‘Twinkle twinkle little star”
2. “How I wonder where you are”
Each player would sing one stanza until the song is complete.
- Follow a theme when selecting words — for example, leadership, accountability, marketing, brand, and feedback. All of these words relate to the topic of business.
- In a classroom setting, Sparkle can be played for students to memorize new vocabulary words in any subject. For example, if students are studying history, Sparkle can be combined with quiz questions, such as:
- Who was the first president of the United States?
- The students would have to know whom the president was and how to spell his name.
- G, E, O, R, G, E W, A, S, H, I, N, G, T, O, N
Categorized as Classroom Icebreaker, Large Group, Medium Group, Party Games, Small Group, Stationary, Talking Games
9 Fun DIY Spelling Word Games for the Classroom
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spelling word game with letter pieces
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Spelling can be fun to practice in the classroom.
These spelling games are perfect for specific spelling words or for reinforcing spelling rules in class. Keep reading to find ideas for fun spelling word games for all levels.
Baseball Spelling
Everyone loves a nice game of baseball! Use baseball terminology and rules to reinforce important spelling words in your language arts lesson.
- Draw a baseball diamond on the board (home, first, second, third plates).
- Split the class into two teams. Assign one team as the fielding team and the other as the batting team.
- Have each team write up a “batting order” that includes everyone’s names.
- Have the fielding team choose one “pitcher” to read the words.
- The pitcher reads the first word to the person who is listed first on the batting team’s batting order.
- If the batter gets the word right, they’re on first base. You can indicate this on the whiteboard baseball diamond.
- The pitcher reads the next word to the next batter.
If they get it right, they move to first and the previous batter moves to second. - If someone spells a word wrong, they strike out. When there are three strikeouts, the teams switch and the fielding team gets to “bat.”
Play as many innings as you need for everyone to get a turn and to review all the spelling words. Students can either stand in front of the class when they’re “at bat,” or they can spell from their seats.
Board Races
Students love writing on the board, running in the classroom and competing against each other – it’s a perfect fit! You can play board races with any subject, but it’s especially helpful for spelling because it’s so visual.
- Split the class into two or three teams, depending on how many students you have.
- Read the first word on the spelling list.
- The first student on each team races up to the board and writes out the word with its proper spelling. This includes capitalization for proper nouns.
- Whoever spells the word correctly (and legibly) gets a point for their team.
- Repeat the game until you’ve run through all the spelling words a few times.
For an extra challenge, use alphabet magnets instead of dry-erase markers for students to arrange in the correct spelling. You can also use this game to practice dictionary skills by calling out extra hard words that they’ll need to look up.
DESCRIPTION
word game using alphabet magnets on board
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RoterPanther / iStock / Getty Images Plus
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Used under Getty Images license
Catch the Spelling Word
Work on your students’ hand-eye coordination as well as their spelling. All you need is a spelling list and something soft to throw back and forth.
- Divide the class into small groups of 4-5 people.
- Get an inflatable ball, stuffed animal or anything that students can throw without hurting each other for each group.
- Have one group come to the front of the class with the ball.
- Set a timer for one minute.
- Read the first spelling word.
- The student with the ball says the first letter of the word.
- If it’s correct, they toss the ball to another student, who says the next letter.
- If it’s incorrect, they sit down and the next group stands up.
- If they drop the ball, they sit down.
- Once they’ve correctly spelled the word, read the next word.
- Repeat until the group’s minute is up. The group gets points for every word it has successfully spelled.
- Have the next group come to the front of the class.
You can adapt the game for groups to play at the same time or even for pairs to play. Middle and high schoolers may especially enjoy the physical part of tossing the ball back and forth.
Disappearing Spider
Disappearing spider is played like hangman (or hang spider) in reverse. This is an entertaining and competitive game that is perfect to play right before a spelling test.
- Split the class into two teams.
- Draw two stick-figure spiders on the board, each with the same 10-15 body parts.
- The first person on the first team says the word, spells it and says it again.
- If they are correct, they erase one part of the other team's spider. If the word is spelled wrong, it is the next team's turn. Keep going until one spider is no longer visible on the board.
If your class wants to be more creative, have them choose another animal to be their team mascot. One student can draw the animal on the board, and the other team can erase parts of it when they get the spelling words right.
DESCRIPTION
spider for spelling word game
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RKaulitzki / iStock / Getty Images Plus
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Kaboom
If you need a whole-class spelling game to play with a list of spelling words, try kaboom. This game requires enough Popsicle sticks for every student to have at least two.
- Write the spelling word on Popsicle sticks and put them in a cup. For every five words, add a stick with "KABOOM" on it. If there are 20 words, there would be four extra “KABOOM” sticks.
- The first student picks a stick without looking and hands it to the teacher.
- The teacher reads the word. The student spells it out loud.
- If the student spells it correctly, they keep the stick. If they spell it wrong, the stick goes back into the jar.
- When a student picks the “KABOOM” stick, they have to put all the sticks that they have collected back into the pile.
- The game is over when there are no sticks left in the jar. The student with the most Popsicle sticks is the winner.
If you don’t have Popsicle sticks, you can use pieces of paper or other supplies. You can also assign a student judge who has all of the words available to double-check their classmates’ answers.
Sparkle
Sparkle is a great game to practice spelling with a little competition.
You can play sparkle as a whole class or split the students into smaller groups. It’s also a great way to pass the time when students need to wait in line for a long time.
- Have students stand in a circle or straight line.
- Choose a student to call words out or call them out yourself. For example: “window.”
- When the first word is called out, the first person starts spelling it, saying only the first letter (“w”).
- The second person says the second letter (“i”). If a student says the wrong letter, they sit down or leave the circle.
- The third person says the third letter (“n”) and so on, until the word is spelled correctly.
- Whoever says the last letter of the word turns to the next person and says "Sparkle!” The person who would have been next is out because he or she got "sparkled."
The game continues with the leader calling out another word. The game continues until everyone is out except for one player, who is the winner.
DESCRIPTION
sparkle magic wand for spelling word game
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artpartner-images / The Image Bank / Getty Images
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Spelling Bee
Little kids can participate in a spelling bee game without the pressure of competition. This elementary spelling game is fun for young readers and older elementary students alike.
- One student is the bee and buzzes around the room while the students chant: "Buzz, buzz, spelling bee, you can't sting me!”
- The bee stops behind a desk and the teacher gives that student a word to spell.
- If the student spells it correctly, then the bee has to sit down and the student is the new bee.
- If the student is wrong, the whole class spells it together.
- Continue until every student has a chance to spell.
Another thing to do to keep the other students involved is to have them do a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" after the student spells the word.
You can also have the students sit in a circle in a similar way to the game duck, duck, goose.
Step and Spell
Step and spell uses a shower curtain that has the letters of the alphabet taped or written on it. You’ll also need a "start" and "finish" spot written onto the shower curtain.
- Spread out the shower curtain on the floor.
- The students sit on the floor around the shower curtain.
- One student stands on the "start" box. The teacher reads the first spelling word.
- The student goes to the first letter of the word, stands on it, says the letter, and goes on to the next one, finishing on the "finish" box.
- If they make a mistake, they start all over again.
For an extra challenge, arrange the letters on the shower curtain in keyboard (QWERTY) order. If you don’t have a shower curtain, you can write the letters on pieces of paper and spread them on the floor. If you’d like to play outside, write letters in chalk on the asphalt and have kids jump to the right ones.
Treasure Words
Spelling words correctly can be a treasure, but students don’t always know that! Send them on a treasure hunt for new spelling words with a game of treasure words.
- Write the spelling words on index cards and hide them in plain sight all over the room. You can tape them to walls, windows or wherever.
- Put the students in pairs and give each pair a spelling list.
- They find the word and one student turns his back to the word and spells it.
- The second student puts a check by the word if it was spelled correctly. Then they switch places and do it again.
- If the student spells it wrong, have them look at it again and do it over.
- By the end of the game, they will have two checks by each word.
This is a great activity because the students are seeing, saying and hearing the word. It’s best used when introducing spelling words to the class at the beginning of the week or a language arts unit.
Games Make Language Arts Fun
Drilling spelling words is boring for students, making it ineffective.
Engaging class activities help students internalize spelling rules and practice high-frequency words. Use this list of fun spelling games for the whole class and small groups.
After playing these games in class, students are sure to enjoy language arts a lot more. Keep the fun going with these cool grammar activities, or reinforce parts of speech with a collection of noun games.
Best word board games Top 20 word games for adults and kids
If you are a vocabulary master, word master or just love to play with words, these word board games are the right place to build your vocabulary. Board games with words can be used as an educational tool, as a fun party game, or simply as a way to keep your wordy wit about you. If you are not into word games, don't worry, word decoding tools can help you with any word game by improving your vocabulary.
So hello, here are our top 20 word board games!
Do you like word games? Why not also check out our list of Puzzle games and Quiz games that keep you mentally active but also have fun?
🏆 Our best board games with words
In a hurry, in a hurry? Take a look before you go.
Best Team Game
Decoding
$27.99 $24.99
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11 16:2022 GMT
Best Fast
Bananagrams
Best Overall
When I Dream
$39.99
When I Dream takes a simple concept and puts it together in such a fun and creative way. With so many new games published, it's always incredible when a concept that I've never seen before is brought to life so well. Try.
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11 16:2022 GMT
#1. When I dream
Players: 4-10
Game time: 20-40 min.
Put on your sleep masks and try to figure out your dreams!
When we fall asleep and enter the world of dreams, imagination and images can be truly magical. "When I Dream" turns players into dreamers. Be careful when entering the magical world of dreams, because the spirits of dreams want to have fun!
When I Dream is an innovative game that focuses on the creativity and imagination of the players. Put on your sleep mask and try to interpret the messages of the Dream Spirits. The game has fairies, mischievous spirits, and even the Boogeyman - lots of characters that make it challenging and give the game depth.
This is a great fast paced party game where you'll be telling stories before the Boogeyman wreaks havoc!
When I Dream
$39.99
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11 16:2022 GMT
#2. Werewolves
Players: 4-10
Game time: 10 min.
Guess the magic word!
In Werewords, players must guess a secret word by asking yes or no questions. Be careful, time is running out for you! As with most games, a villain always appears and tries to interrupt the game. In Werewords one player is secretly a werewolf. This player not only works against you, but also knows the Magic Word. Even if you don't guess the word in time, you still have a chance to unmask the werewolf and win the game!
The great thing about this word game is that it has an iOS/Android app that will provide thousands of words in hundreds of categories giving the game a high replay value.
Can you guess the word or will the werewolf catch you? It is better to entrust this matter to your best master of the word.
Werewolves
#3.
Players: 4-8
Game time: 30-45 min.
You know the secret word that your teammates must guess. You will give clues to help, but the other team has other plans. They made a list of "trap words". You can't say them or you'll be trapped in a dungeon full of terrifying monsters. Simple enough? Oh, there's still a time limit.
Word Trap is a fast-paced party game that seems like a simple task of giving clues, but becomes more difficult when you don't know what words to say.
If you are looking for a word game with a fantasy theme, Trapwords will take you to a fantasy world of dungeons and monsters.
Traps
#4. Explanation
Players: 3-8
Game time: 15-45 min.
Decrypto has a fun vintage aesthetic that is sure to make it a favorite among the hipster community. But in fact, this word game combines decoding and interaction with the player through interesting mechanics.
In this game, teammates try to transmit secret codes without allowing the opposing team to intercept them.
Using clever graphical anaglyph components, players insert cards into screens to unscramble words.
Communication restrictions make Decrypto a fun and challenging word game, plus you'll feel like a codebreaker sending secret messages.
Decoding
$27.99 $24.99
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11 16:2022 GMT
#5. Letter Jam
Players: 2-6
Game Time: 45 min.
Your friend tells you. Can you guess your secret letter?
Letter Jam is a cooperative word game where players work together to form meaningful words from letters around a table. But the twist is that only other players can see your letter cards, not you.
Letter Jam combines team play and player retention skills.
Get together in one team, find clues and reap the benefits of cooperation!
Come out on the next in-game night and decipher the codes!
Letter Jam
No.6. Bananagrams
Players: 1-8
Game time: 15 min.
A fun game for everyone that will take you to the bananas.
Gather your friends and family and compete against each other to build crossword puzzles. Bananagrams is an educational and entertaining game with which you can teach kids how to spell words while having fun at the same time.
In Bananagrams, players must build their words from letters as quickly as possible. Race to the finish line, speed and excellent vocabulary make the game super addictive.
The game comes in a real banana-shaped case, making it a great travel game.
Bananagrams
#7. Clean sheet
Players: 3-8
Game time: 20-35 min.
A game in which great minds think alike.
Blank Slate is a fortune telling game. "A game in which it's great _ _ _ _ _ think the same way!" Easy to learn and fast to play, Blank Slate is a fun game for all levels. After choosing a clue word, you will write which word you think best completes the phrase. To take it one step further, you'll have to try and match it with the other player's words.
In this smart party game, divination skills are the key to finding words. If you become good enough, you will soon win _ _ _ _!
Blank sheet
#8. Code names
Players: 2-8
Game time: 15 min.
'A top-secret word game. Win or lose, solving clues is fun!
There are good reasons why codebases have become a staple on the shelves of table gamers. Codenames is an amazingly cool game, easy to learn and perfect for parties.
Codenames is a social pun in which two rival spies know 25 secret agents. Their teams only know the agents by their codenames.
Contact all your agents first and win. While this game can be challenging, the social component keeps everyone entertained as they strive to finish first.
It's a fun game when you win, but even better when you lose.
Coded
$19.95 $15.97
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11 15:2022 GMT
#9. Poetry for Neanderthals
Players: 2-12
Game time: 15 min.
A word game in which you must "speak well" or get hit with a stick.
Poetry for Neanderthals is a competitive word guessing game. Players are only allowed to use one-syllable words to give the team clues to guess the phrase. For example, the word "broccoli", you would need to say something like "green food, live long".
Speaking with a big word, you will get hit on the head with a 2-foot-long inflatable baton.
From the geniuses who brought us Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neanderthals is another fun addition to the nightly games. This fun, challenging and relentless game tests the patience of logophiles everywhere in just 15 minutes.
Poetry for Neanderthals
№10. Only one
Players: 3-7
Game time: 20 min.
A cooperative party game in which you'll have to work together to discover the secret of the word!
Just One starts with one player taking a card and choosing a number from it. Each player gets one keyword and together you will try to solve the mystery word. Just One is a brilliant word game as it combines cooperative skills with deduction, memory, and creative thinking.
Easy to learn and easy to play make Just One a relaxed game for everyone.
Only one
$24.
99 $20.33
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11 16:2022 GMT
#11. Punderdome
Players: 3-99
Game time: 30-90 min.
A card game for the pun lovers among us.
Punderdome will make you laugh out loud with its cards and creative play style.
Once upon a time, the creators of Punderdome saw the word game market as a place for family and friends to play with words. With puns on the back of each card, you can keep the crowd entertained while waiting for a pun to come up. Some may take longer than others, but you can play without time limits.
If you're a pun lover, this is a great card game that you won't regret buying.
Panderdome
$20.00 $18.18
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11 16:2022 GMT
#12. Quiddler
Players: 1-8
Game time: 30 min.
Quiddler: Just for fun with words.
Quiddler is a short word game that is great for those who love word games and those who don't play with words. In this card game, the goal is to stack the cards in your hand to create one or more words. If you distribute more cards, you will have more opportunities to create words. At the end of the game, the highest score wins.
Quiddler is a kind of Uno-style word game, as some cards can double letters and add bonuses to your score. By sharpening your verbal skills and a little bit of luck, you can win at Quiddler!
Quiddler
#13. Hot words
Players: 4-16
Game time: 20-30 min.
Hot Words is a party game you can't say the same about.
In Hot Words, you will describe words while your team tries to guess what the word is. In each of the 4 rounds, your team will choose a spicy jalapeno card that says "Hot Word" that you can't pronounce.
It gets hotter and harder with each round, but it's also more fun trying to avoid all the Hot Words your team has accumulated. With the addition of fun elements like ghost peppers, a 90-second sand timer, a dinner bell and little hot sauce bottles, Hot Words is a fun and addictive party game!
Can you handle the heat?
Hot words
№14. Play around
Players: 2-4
Game time: 30-60 min.
A game you can play if you can spell!
Dabble is a fast paced word game that is both educational and fun. To start the game, you say "GO!" and players compete to make up 5 words using 20 tiles. The first person to speak their word wins!
splash
No.15. Word round
Players: 2
Game time: 20 min.
Race to guess the word!
Word a Round is a challenging word game where you have to quickly figure out where a word starts and then read it out loud in front of your opponent.
When you answer on the spot, the game gets a little more difficult as you rush to answer. Mistakes are made under pressure, so players need to think about them.
Word a Round is an award-winning card game that is a great educational tool in the classroom or at home. It helps develop critical thinking skills, making it a favorite among speech therapists. If you are looking for a fun game that will also help you learn, this is a great choice.
Word round
No. 16. Word on the street
Players: 2-10
Game time: 20 min.
Cheerful words.
Word on the Street is a card game in which players take turns turning over category cards and racing for hours to find the answer. With each correct answer, you move closer to the sidewalk... and to safety.
With 432 different categories, there is a huge amount of variability and replayability. This game is especially focused on learning. It helps players improve vocabulary, practice spelling and develop social skills.
Word on the street
№17. Wordplay: Family Edition
Players: 2
If your family loves word games, WordPlay is a fast paced game that everyone plays every round.
The fun spinner determines the letters and category for each round. For example, 'Food and Drinks' means that you can only use words beginning with the letter 'E'. The difference with this family edition is that even if you think of things that don't start with the right letter, you still score.
This game is a friendly and inclusive way to help kids learn and experience the wonderful world of word games.
Wordplay: Family Edition
No. 18. Upwords
Players: 1-4
Game time: 90 min.
Upwords is a game of quick accumulation and hacking of words.
In this word building game, the higher you stack, the higher your score. When each player starts with 7 words that you can play up or down, the game is almost like rummaging.
But here you can stack letters on top of others. When you stack letters higher on top of each other, you earn more points. This makes Upwords more intense and strategic.
Upwords is very versatile and can be played solo to challenge yourself, kids or friends. Experience this high-stakes, high-level word game and build up your vocabulary as you go!
Upwords
#19. Verbal
Players: 2-8
Radical, word-building dice race!
Wordical is another educational word game in which players roll vowel dies and combine consonants to make a word. This is a fun way for kids to develop their spelling skills and expand their vocabulary. It is easy to learn and moves quickly so there are no long pauses.
This is a great game for schoolchildren or students who struggle with their acoustics.
Verbal
No. 20. Wordsmithery
Players: 2-99
Game time: 20 min.
A game for all wordsmiths, young and old.
Wordsmithery is a fun and dynamic game where you can test your vocabulary skills. Draw a word, read it to your opponent and see if they can guess the meaning from the three options.
With some difficult words like "blatant" or "phalanx" this may seem difficult for kids, but 50 easier flashcards for kids are included. Various difficulty levels make this word board game for the whole family.
Word Mastery
News Brief
What are your favorite word games? We hope you enjoyed our selection of the best word board games! Let us know in the comments if you've tried any of these, or if we've missed something you think should be on the list. We would like to hear from you!
Successful creativity!
FIREFLY: Word game "Needle - saw" (Oksana Ushakova)
Word game "Needle - saw" (Oksana Ushakova)
Tasks. To develop the sound culture of speech of preschoolers.
Develop speech breathing, diction, articulatory apparatus of children. Continue to shape children's ideas about syllabic composition of the word, about the verbal composition suggestions. Enrich children's vocabulary figurative words and expressions. Involve children in playful interaction with peers.
Contents.
- In the words ball, poppy, beetle, onion, cancer, steam - one syllable; and how many syllables are in the words needle, bear, spoon
- What kind of needles do you know? What items do we call this word? (Needle at the hedgehog, at the Christmas tree, pine, larches.)
— How are all the needles alike? (All needles are sharp.)
— What kind of needles does the Christmas tree have? (Spruce.)
- And what about pines? (Pine.)
- What is the difference between needles of a Christmas tree and pine needles? answer quickly, which one is longer? (Pine.)
- And what is the difference between the needles of the Christmas tree and larch? (Spruce needles are hard, hard, and deciduous - soft.
