Word association games are interesting and fun for students of all ages. What really makes these games fantastic is that students can expand their vocabulary and improve recall and memory abilities. Association-style games are entertaining because students can come up with some pretty amusing associations. As long as they can come up with a fitting association, anything goes! Encourage students to think creatively while trying out our 25 compelling word association games listed below!
1. Word Association Game Show
Have you ever hosted a game show? If not, now is your chance! First, you will need to split the class into teams. One player from each team will compete to see who can come up with an association word within 5 seconds of being given a specific category.
Learn more: ESL Vault
2. Partner Guessing Game
For this activity, students will guess what words their partners use to associate with words or pictures. You can make it more fun by having the students guess what association words their teacher will use for the same activity.
Learn more: ESL Vault
3. Interactive Video Association Exercise
You can use this video as an interactive learning tool. Play the video and set a time limit for students to respond. If they’re ESL learners or rather young, pause the video to give students more time.
Learn more: Useful Reference
4. Keywords and Categories
A simple association method is to use questioning strategies to ask students about words based on keywords and categories. For example, you could start with “holidays”, or “school subjects”, and ask students what comes to mind when you name a specific holiday or single subject.
Learn more: Prodigy Game
5. Everyday Objects Word Association Game
I recommend this activity for your classroom word association game list! I like how each card includes words and pictures. To play, students will match up words that are associated with one another. For example, “needle” and “thread” are a match.
Learn more: Twinkl
6. Word Associations Using Compound Words
I am a big fan of this association game option! Students will work in pairs to play this game. Each pair will be given half of a compound word and will need to guess the other half of the word. There are multiple possible answers for this game which makes it all the more fun!
Learn more: Centervention
7. Word Association Coloring Book
There are many pathways of associations for children to learn! This coloring book can be used to review the alphabet and word associations and you can also use it as a fun word association test.
Learn more: Amazon
8. TAGS Family Word Association Game
TAGS is a fun word association game for ages 10 and up. Each player will collect marbles when they find words that correspond to a specific letter and topic. Everyone will have 15 seconds to find as many words as possible during their turn.
Learn more: Amazon
9. Word Escape Activity
This word escape activity is a fun way to practice word associations. The idea behind this game is that the words have escaped from their home. The child’s job is to match the correct word to the picture on each home.
Learn more: Etsy
10. Word Association Bingo
Through Bingo students will learn all about vocabulary and word associations as they play. Students will mark the associated word when the teacher or leader calls out an object. When they reach Bingo, they can call it out for a special prize.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
11. That’s Fishy
Students will answer the question, “What does not belong?” for each group of items shown on the colorful fish. For example, students are shown a bus, a truck, a car, and a boat. The one that doesn’t belong would be the boat since the other 3 items are land vehicles.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
12. Linking Words Activity
This game can be played when you are out with your child. Ask your child about a specific word or point out a nearby object and ask them what the first thing is that comes to mind.
Learn more: Help My Kid Learn
13. Word Association Search
This activity is a word search and word association game all in one! Students will find the words from the wordlist in the word search puzzle. Then, they will place the words in the correct category based on association. For example, they will write the word “peas” in the “vegetables” category.
Learn more: Learny Kids
15. What’s the Topic?
Start by splitting students into teams and writing 10 topics on the board. Teams will come up with 3 words associated with each topic. The teams will take turns sharing the 3 words they selected, and the opposing team will guess topics.
Learn more: Teach-This
16. Password
Password is a fun team game that encourages students to use their imagination. To play, one student from each team will be shown a secret “password”. These students will share word clues associated with the password. The team who guesses the password wins!
Learn more: Teach-This
17. Category Game
This category game is an interactive, online game in which students will click a button to spin the wheel. The wheel will land on a category, such as “animal noises” or “sports”. The student will have a set time to name 3 things from the selected category.
Learn more: Word Wall
18. Word Association Wheel
Students will spin the wheel and will have to pick a word that best fits the selected question. For example, the wheel may land on the question, “Two people working together on a project?” and an acceptable answer would be “Partners”.
Learn more: Word Wall
19. Association Presents
For this activity, students can work in pairs to match the cards together to make a complete present. Students will match the cards by finding the words that are the most closely associated with one another, such as “lock” and “key”.
Learn more: Ms. Gardenia
20. Word Association Dominoes
Students will play by matching dominoes to similar words. For example, if there is a picture of a music note and a jump rope, the student will pick an item associated with singing or exercise. Students will play until someone uses all their dominoes, or there are no more word associations.
Learn More: The Dabbling Speechie
21. Tree-Pinecone Word Associations Game
Students will match up the pinecone with the pine tree when they find two words that go well together, such as “toothbrush” and “toothpaste”.
Learn more: Communication Station: Speech Therapy PLLC
22. Heart Puzzle: Word Association Game
Children will complete the heart puzzle by finding associated word matches. This resource includes two sheets of nine-heart puzzles and blank hearts to add more. Laminate the puzzle pieces to keep them in good condition.
Learn more: Communication Station: Speech Therapy PLLC
23. Word Associations Task Cards
Students will take turns pulling task cards and completing the question or activity on each card. This is beneficial because it requires students to explain their decision-making process.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
24. Word Association: Locations
The directions for this activity guide students to circle the two pictures that go together based on their place of occurrence. This activity would be helpful for pre-readers because it uses pictures.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
25. Category Questions
Students will sit in a circle with a small group. The teacher will provide a category and students will give clues as to the object they are thinking of. The objective of the game is for students to guess correctly and continue with various words and categories.
Learn more: GeogSoc
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