You know that game where someone shouts out a letter and a category, and you race to think of a word that fits?
My family used to play a version of it, and we loved it. Competitive, fast-paced, lots of laughing when someone blanked on an obvious answer. So naturally, I tried it with my adult ESL students.
And it was a raving success total flop.
I’m talking silent crickets. Confused faces with eyebrows clearly signaling that I may as well have just asked them to solve a calculus problem in their heads while juggling. The energy I’d imagined, nay, looked forward to? Nowhere. And where was the fun? Yep, dead on arrival. This game did NOT make me look good whatsoever.
Here’s what went wrong: the categories were all over the place. One second it was “animals,” the next it was “things you find in a kitchen,” then “words that contain the letter W.” Students’ brains couldn’t keep up with the constant mental shifting. Plus, there were no visual cues, so half the class was asking me to what the category was while the other half sat there stuck. And the scoring? I was collecting papers at the end of each round to score them myself, which meant students just sat there waiting for me to finish.
Big mistake, right? All the work landed on ME instead of the students doing it themselves (which they were perfectly capable of doing, if things were set up properly).
So I shelved it. The game worked with my family, but it clearly wasn’t ready for ESL students who needed more support. And that was that. I assumed it was never meant to be.
But something changed. Years later, I couldn’t stop thinking about that game. What if I rebuilt it with all the support structures ESL students need? What if I could fix what didn’t work?
So, what flopped & how did I fix it?
The problem wasn’t the game itself. The problem was that I threw students into deep water without a life jacket.
First off, you see, those random categories that make it harder to think were FUN for my family…but we weren’t learning English. When your brain has to rapidly shoot off in a completely different direction for each word, it’s exhausting. But when categories are themed (like “Food” or “Animals With…”), once your brain gets going, it stays in that zone. Students can build momentum instead of constantly restarting.
Second, the random bits of scratch paper that worked for my family didn’t work for my students. We didn’t have any pictures, but again, we weren’t learning English. That wasn’t the case in my classroom, of course. No visual support meant some students got stuck before they even started. Without clipart or visual cues, some students had to ask me what each category meant. That killed the pacing and made weaker students feel behind. So, I added clipart versions for key beginner categories so that students can get started immediately without having to ask. They might still get it wrong, but they’ll be close and feel confident enough to just go for it. I mean, it’s a game, not high-stakes testing. If they get it wrong, it’s a learning opportunity that won’t hurt their grade. Plus, it gives them something to blame (if they need that kind of thing) because they can always say that the picture is why they messed up. Built-in face saving!
Finally, I was doing all the scoring. I collected papers at the end of each round, which meant students sat there twiddling their thumbs while I worked. The game has a self-scoring system now. Students score themselves and each other, which keeps them engaged and puts the work where it belongs (on them, not the teacher).
What do you get in THINK FAST?
This isn’t just a stack of random vocabulary sheets. Think Fast ↗ has 20 themed game boards that build from basic to advanced, with options for beginners who need visuals and clear instructions so you’re not figuring it out on the fly.
Of course, there are the core categories like Colors, Food, Home, and Things Found in Nature that ease students in. These boards include clipart versions for beginners who need that visual anchor.
Want to play this in your grammar class? You’ll love the Language Arts categories like Parts of Speech (two levels), Words Ending In…, and Simple Opposites, all of which sneak in grammar practice without making it feel like grammar practice.
Ready to hear some creativity? Creative thinking boards like Reasons To… and Negativity push students to go beyond basic vocabulary. “Reasons to quit a job” could get students discussing real-world scenarios in English after that round.
There are also some lifestyle categories like Leisure Time and People which let students talk about their lives. And the Imagination board (fairytale creatures, fictional characters, legendary beings) gives advanced students something fun to sink their teeth into.
The teacher guide walks you through setup, scoring, and game management. No guessing and no spending Sunday night trying to figure out how to make it work.
This game doesn’t feel like a vocabulary lesson.
Here’s the thing: this game doesn’t feel like a vocabulary lesson, probably because it’s not. It feels like a competition. And competition gets students engaged fast.
Students are immediately involved. There’s no waiting for their turn or zoning out while someone else answers. Everyone’s writing at the same time, racing to fill in as many words as they can before time’s up.
The scoring phase is where the real learning happens. Students compare answers, debate whether “tomato” counts as a vegetable (it does for this game), and discover words they didn’t know. That’s social learning. That’s discussion. That’s exactly what we want in an adult ESL classroom, right?
Plus, because it’s reusable, you can play the same board multiple times with different letters. No prep required after the first print.
Got 10 minutes? Got 45 minutes? Either works.
Need a warm-up that gets students’ brains moving? This does it in 15 minutes. Or less. Totally up to you.
Got 10 minutes left at the end of class and nothing planned? Pull out a game board.
Want a full 45-minute standalone activity? Play multiple rounds with different letters and watch the energy build.
It doesn’t work as a review tool (it’s not testing specific vocabulary), but it’s perfect for vocabulary building, quick thinking, and getting students comfortable with categorization.
The Bottom Line
I loved playing this game with my family, and I wanted it to work with my students. It didn’t, but it niggled at me for years.
So I rebuilt it with the support ESL students need: themed categories that help brains stay in the zone, visual cues for beginners, and a self-scoring system that keeps students engaged instead of waiting on their teacher.
You don’t have to spend hours prepping. You don’t have to figure out how to make it work. Just print, pick a letter, and watch your students race to fill in the blanks.
That’s it from me. See you in the next post!
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Want to get my Think Fast game?
It’s available in my TpT store!
