Whiteboard Scattergories | Vocabulary Building Whole Class Activity

30 Categories | Print + Digital | Student Recording Sheet Included

Scattergories is an engaging whole-class vocabulary game that gets every student thinking, writing, and participating. Simply display the category board (print or Google Slides), choose a letter, and students write one vocabulary word for each category that starts with that letter.

Example (Letter B):
Food → banana
Animal → bear
Color → blue

It’s fast-paced, interactive, and always a classroom favorite. Categories can be switched throughout the year to match the units you are teaching, making this an easy go-to activity for review, warm-ups, and brain breaks.

What’s Included

• 30 ready-to-use vocabulary categories
• Printable whiteboard game display
• Digital Google Slides version
• Student recording sheet
• Editable template to create your own topic cards for endless play

Categories

The included categories are perfect for lower–elementary ESL and EFL classrooms and focus on everyday vocabulary students are already studying (for example: food, sports, daily routine, verbs, adjectives, emotions, hobbies, places, school supplies, animals, clothing, and more).

How to Play

1. Display the categories (print or digital).
2. Choose a letter.
3. Students write one word per category that starts with that letter.
4. Review answers as a class and award points if you want to make it competitive.

Easy Scoring Ideas

• 1 point for each correct word
• Bonus points for unique answers
• Team vs. team scoring for whole-class energy

Skills Students Practice

• Vocabulary recall and spelling
• Quick thinking and category recognition
• Speaking confidence when sharing answers

This game is ideal for whole-class review, ESL lessons, early finishers, sub plans, and end-of-unit vocabulary practice. Play again and again with different letters and topics for year-long engagement.