Set those boring worksheets aside and take your vocabulary lessons to the next level! Your kiddos will tap into their creativity, get up out of their desks, and work cooperatively to tackle their word study! Most of these ideas can be adapted for any grade level, but these are especially geared for 6th through 8th grade. Get ready to throw rote learning out the window for good and implement our list of effective vocabulary activities for middle school students today! Let’s take a look!
1. Vocabulary Quilts
Patch together colorful ‘quilts’ to support vocabulary development! By middle school, your kiddos should understand what the overall project is going to look like and will likely spend a bit more time creating the definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and pictures that relate to their vocabulary word!
Learn More: Instagram
2. Word of the Week
The Word of the Week activity is a great way to incorporate vocabulary into your morning routine! This routine exposes your students to new and sophisticated vocabulary that can go a long way in building their confidence. Be sure to give them the chance to practice using these words in their writing and speaking too!
Learn More: Instagram
3. Vocabulary Graphic Organizer
Graphic organizers are a super simple but effective way to build your kiddos’ word power! There are a variety of organizers out there that are specifically geared toward vocabulary, but this one offers your middle schoolers more opportunities to truly explore the words!
Learn More: Mrs. Warner Arlington
4. Vocabulary Bingo
Bingo is a classic and beloved game that works well to energize your classroom! Whether you use the definitions or the words from your vocabulary list on the boards, BINGO is sure to help build your middle school students’ academic vocabulary, while also letting them engage in a little friendly competition!
Learn More: YouTube
5. Sticky Ball Tic Tac Toe
Spice up vocabulary activities with sticky ball tic tac toe! Your kids will have a blast deciphering the meaning of words based on the hints you provide. When they know the correct word, a member from each team will throw a sticky ball at the whiteboard grid to score a point!
Learn More: YouTube
6. Think, Pair, Share
This video shows a collaborative thinking strategy to use with a Frayer Model. Your middle schoolers will first think about their ideas before partnering up to share them. You can then have them work together to create examples and non-examples of these high-level vocabulary words!
Learn More: YouTube
7. Context Clues Overview
If your learners don’t actually understand what context clues are, how are they supposed to use them? There are many types of context clues, but this activity cleverly focuses on just one, giving them practice with their knowledge of antonyms to figure out challenging vocabulary words.
Learn More: YouTube
8. Hot Seat
Your kiddies will love this guessing game! Have one student sit in the ‘hot seat’ with their back to a vocabulary word and let them try to guess the word from the hints provided by your other students. They’ll be having fun and expanding their vocabulary!
Learn More: YouTube
9. Pictionary Race
This game can be played at any grade level and all of your kids will love the competitive spin! Divide your kids into two teams with one member from each team drawing a picture of a vocabulary word on the board. Whichever team guesses the word first will get a point!
Learn More: YouTube
10. Bluff
Bluff is a bit more complicated, but it’s also super fun once your kids get their heads around it. It’s a great informal assessment to help you gauge your middle school students’ understanding of vocabulary words and it’ll also help them figure out their poker faces early on. Curious? Check out the video!
Learn More: YouTube
11. Vocab Ninja
This is another fun team activity to challenge your kiddos in both spelling and vocabulary. They’ll love guessing the vocabulary word from the hints you provide, and when they think they have it, call on a team to spell the word and provide a definition!
Learn More: YouTube
12. Vocabulary Trading Cards
What kid doesn’t love trading cards? This creative activity can easily be adapted as a DIY vocabulary activity for any subject area. Let your learners create the vocabulary cards themselves with their own pictures and definitions and then let them have fun trading their cards with each other.
Learn More: Mr. Elementary
13. Jenga
This one is sure to be a hit! Purchase Jenga, and tape or write the words from your vocabulary list onto the blocks. Each time one of your kids pulls out a block, they’ll have to define the word! This fun game can be used in small groups or if you have more than one set, make it into an exciting class tournament!
Learn More: Amazon
14. Word Wall
A word wall is essential in the middle school classroom. You can use your own vocabulary words, or for better recall and to ignite a little ownership over their learning, have your students create their own word walls! This type of constant reference of vocabulary words has been proven to aid learners in better vocabulary retention and spelling.
Learn More: Bright In The Middle
15. Free Rice
Give Free Rice a whirl to help your learners grasp the meaning behind essential vocabulary words. For every right answer that they select from the given options, a grain of rice will be donated to communities in need all around the world!
Learn More: Free Rice
16. Word Association
This game is a hit for both supporting vocabulary development and instilling a collaborative spirit into your classroom. Your kiddies will work together in groups or as a whole class to come up with different words associated with the target vocabulary word.
Learn More: Growing Play
17. Bean Bag Toss and Answer
This versatile game can be used in any classroom and for any word list! Simply write words on pieces of paper and have your kiddos toss their bean bags and give a definition for the word they land on. This game can also be played on a smaller scale with a ping pong ball and a muffin tin.
Learn More: Sight Words
18. Create a Gameshow Quiz
Your middle schoolers might not show their love outwardly for this game, but they will secretly crave it! Gameshow Quiz can be created with any list of vocabulary, questions, or definitions, and like many of our games on this list, this one can also be used in a healthy team competition!
Learn More: Word Wall
19. Crossword Puzzle
Instill a lifelong love of word games in your kiddies by showing them the fun of a good old-fashioned crossword puzzle. After finishing all of the other fun and engaging vocabulary activities they’ll love how easy completing a calming crossword puzzle will be!
Learn More: Puzzlemaker
20. Sticky Note Word Wall
Get your kiddos involved in the collaborative word wall with some ever-so-popular sticky notes! Just post vocabulary terms from a current unit around the room and have them get up from their seats and write a sentence or definition that relates to each word!
Learn More: Devin’s Meandering Mind
21. Online Flashcards
Paper index cards are fine but sort of boring. Meet your learners in the digital age with Quizlet! The best part about this user-friendly website is that it takes almost zero advanced preparation and your kiddos will love using the resource – it’s a win-win!
Learn More: Quizlet
22. Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt
There’s no need to hide things around your classroom for this fun online activity! Pick one or two website articles that relate to the unit you’re teaching. Your kiddos won’t need to read the entire article but will just skim and scan for words they don’t yet know. You’ll be surprised by what they’ll learn!
Learn More: Vocabulary Luau
23. Vocab Cubes
This academic vocabulary activity goes above and beyond simply reciting a basic definition! Your kids will love using cardstock or paper to add their own creative touches and bring their word list to 3D! Each face of the cube will encourage them to examine and define their chosen word.
Learn More: Vocabulary Luau
24. Relay Game with Vocabulary Words
Let’s get your kiddos moving! Tape up sheets of paper around the room that each has a vocabulary word from a current unit. Place your kiddos into groups of four and have them race to write a sentence on each page that correctly uses the word – the first group finished wins!
Learn More: Sadlier’s
25. First Letter, Last Letter
This one takes almost no advanced preparation time! Choose a topic and have one of your kids think of a word that relates to it. The next student has to think of a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word and so on. Your students will love continuing the chain until someone fumbles.
Learn More: Word Finder
26. Vocab That’s Debatable
Your middle schoolers are sure to love a healthy debate! Pair up your students to chat about two sides of a debatable topic. Give them a checklist of commonly used debate vocabulary and phrases, such as “excuse me, but that’s not quite correct…” and prepare to be convinced!
Learn More: ESL BUZZ
27. Riddle Me This
What’s a fancy word for guess and a part of the scientific method? Hypothesis! Your learners will enjoy creating a series of riddles where the answers are their vocabulary terms. This activity is great for reinforcing academic vocabulary across the subject areas!
Learn More: Innovative
28. Vocabulary Cartoons
Your budding artists will truly appreciate this word study activity. Creating vocabulary cartoons is a fun, challenging, and creative way to explore new vocabulary! Think about adding a technology component by having your techies create their cartoons in Adobe Illustrator or Canva!
Learn More: Curriculum Choice
29. Vocab Mad Libs
Everyone loves Mad Libs! It’s not only a great way to review vocabulary, but it offers a refresher on some word study knowledge! Create a couple of paragraphs about a topic that your students are learning. Then have them replace all the blanks with correct vocabulary and let the fun begin!
Learn More: Hobby Lark
30. Prefix Word Wheel
There’s nothing subpar about this prefix activity to help your kids see vocab in a different way! First, they’ll divide a circle template into sections, placing a prefix on center stage! They’ll label each segment with corresponding prefix words and pictures in this extraordinary activity!
Learn More: Smekens
31. Snippets
This game has fewer rules than other word games making it perfect for all levels! Pick a three-letter grapheme, prefix, or suffix to start, and write it on the board. Split your class into teams, set a timer, and have each team come up with as many words as possible. Ready, set, go!
Learn More: Snippets
32. Brain Power Words
What’s better than some instant differentiation? After you give your kiddos their own ‘just right’ article, have them find any unfamiliar words. They’ll learn to use context clues by substituting other words that make sense. What a way to highlight their new learning!
Learn More: Missouri Education
33. Speed Word Search
Ready, set, go! Time to pull out the old clunky hardback dictionaries – we promise it will be fun if you add a bit of competition! Just call out a word, any word will do…how about… “Collywobbles!” Your students will love racing to be the first to find the definition and win the round. Phew!
Learn More: Dictionary Games
34. Interactive Notebook
Why be flat when you can have flaps? Print out the template and have your kiddos create a visual vocab notebook. Each section includes a part of speech, picture, sentence, and definition that will deepen their knowledge of vocab words. This is great for home studying where they can even quiz themselves!
Learn More: Second Story Window
35. Digital Notebooks
If your kiddos aren’t already using Google Slides, here’s a great way to get them started! Have them make colorful slides for each vocabulary term and encourage them to get creative by adding graphics, synonyms, antonyms, sentences, and parts of speech!
Learn More: Vocabulicious
36. Create a Prezi Vocabulary Presentation
A flashy alternative to Google Slides is Prezi, so pull out those Chromebooks and level up your middle-school vocabulary instruction! Your kiddies will really get into their word study by linking definitions to visuals and they’ll love playing around with all the super fun features!
Learn More: Sadlier
37. Vocab Pictionary
Pick a word, any word! This game is similar to the Pictionary race organized around team competition, but it can also be played in pairs or small groups. Your kiddos do their best to draw a vocabulary word well enough for their classmates to guess. If working in pairs, mini whiteboards work great!
Learn More: Top Notch
38. Vocabulary Charades
Ditch any vocab test jitters with this one! Your kiddos will act out a word as their classmates try to guess it. To allow for some more think-time, try assigning it as homework! Just give everyone a word and have them make a quick two-minute video of themselves acting out the word!
Learn More: Teach-nology
39. Vocab Match
his classic memory-matching game could be a fun station activity or an awesome task for your early finishers. You can either put all the word definitions on the backs of the cards or separate the words and definitions. You’re kiddos will love this leveled-up version of the old childhood game!
Learn More: ELA Matters
40. Connect Two
This is great practice for developing word association. List the vocabulary terms and make a second list that relates in some way to the first. Go in any direction – choose synonyms, antonyms, connotations, whatever you like! Your kiddos will make matches and explain their connections; there’s not necessarily one right answer!
Learn More: Reading Rockets
Civil Rights Activities For Middle School: Art Projects, Video Lessons, And Discussions