The classic, with a phone in every hand. Each turn one student gets a secret word on their phone (they pick from three) and acts it out at the front of the room, while the board shows the category and the letter blanks. Guess by typing on phones, checked automatically with faster guesses scoring more, or switch to shout-out mode and tap whoever yells it first. Actors get one skip. Easy, medium or hard school-safe prompts, or type your own: historical figures, science vocabulary, verbs in Spanish.
Screenshots
What students learn
- ✓Standing up in front of the class and performing, a few seconds at a time
- ✓Communicating without words: gesture, expression, acting out ideas
- ✓Thinking fast and reading other people
- ✓Any vocabulary you choose: type a unit's words and it becomes review
How it works
- 1Each turn, one student gets three secret prompts on their phone and picks one to act.
- 2They act it out at the front of the room. The board shows the category and the letter blanks.
- 3Classmates type guesses on their phones, and faster guesses score more. Or switch to shout-out mode and tap whoever says it first.
- 4Letters fill in as time runs out. The actor scores for every classmate who gets it, and gets one skip.
- 5The game ends with a "Take a bow" podium and a recap of every performance.
A 35-minute lesson plan
Go over the actor rules: no talking, no mouthing words, no spelling and no pointing at things in the room.
Give everyone a turn, or set 6 or 10 turns (about 20 minutes).
Ask the class which performance was easiest to guess, and what the actor did that made it clear.
Discussion questions
- What did the best actors do first?
- How do you show an idea, like a feeling or a job, without words?
- Was it harder to act or to guess? Why?
Teacher tips
- Type your own words to turn it into review: historical figures, science vocabulary, verbs in Spanish.
- Shout-out mode is great for younger classes. Typing mode keeps a big class quieter.
Questions teachers ask
Can I use my own words?+
Yes. Choose Your words in the lobby and paste a list.
What age is it for?+
Every grade. Easy words suit K–3, medium suits grades 4–8 and hard words suit high school.
More answers in the help center.