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Verb Charades Game – Reinforce Parts of Speech

Roughly 78 action-verb words and phrases are spread across 13 picture-and-text cards for a mime-and-guess charades game.
Grades
K–2
File type
PDF
Preparation
Print ready

Updated Oct 02, 2021

Subject
Grammar, ELA
Topic
Action Verb, Grammar Charaders
Resource types
Parts of and Anatomy of, Worksheets & Printables
Preparation
Print ready

From the author

About this resource

Do you want your kiddos to REALLY learn verbs? I am sure you do. This Verb Charades game is a fun, easy and interactive way to reinforce or introduce the concept of verbs!

Using Verb Charades and acting out the verbs will support children in understanding that if you can do it, then it is an action verb! Easy to set up and combines learning and fun which is a winning combination!

The directions are similar to the good old game of Charades except you are simply acting out a verb or verb phrase.

My class and I created this game one day when we were learning about verbs. I always enjoy hearing what ideas the class will come up with when you present them with a challenge. Ever since this was created about 10 years ago, my students have LOVED playing it.

Some Ideas for USE:

  • You can glue the pictures onto a coloured popsicle stick or simply place them in a basket, box or jar.

  • I usually placed the cards on sticks face down in a plastic jar with the sign attached to the front of the jar and kept it by my easel for easy access and it was always a great game to give a sub for a filler.

  • The children also enjoyed playing it at Indoor Recess and if they had a choice activity,they would play this in small groups or with a partner!

  • The directions are similar to the good old game of Charades except you are simply acting out a verb or verb phrase

  • One child picks from the jar figures out what the picture and word shows, let’s you see it for proof and then acts it out for the class.

  • The class gets 3 guesses. Whoever gets it correct, is the next person to act out the verb.  

  • If no one guesses it, I use my picking sticks, which have the student’s names on them, to randomly choose the next person to act it out!

I hope your class enjoys this games as much as mine have!

Here is What is Included:

  • 13 Cards with 6 verb images or pictures and words that contain verbs or verb phrases on each card for a total of 78 cards.

  • 2 Different signs for the box or basket to label for storage.

Here are some other ways to use this game/resource:

  • Put a selected number of cards in a paper bag and have students pick one out and write a sentences for that word and draw a picture to go with it.

  • Use it in a writing centre as described above and pick 5 or more words. Then write sentences to go along with the action words.

  • Have students pick a word and describe the action without naming it and use clues to see if other class members can guess the action. Example: This is something you do when you play baseball. OR have the other students ask the cardholder questions that are answered with YES OR NO. Example: Is it something everyone does? Is it fun to do?

  • This would be great for a Morning Meeting activity.

  • Super for English Language learners to learn vocabulary.

I hope your class enjoys this games as much as mine have! ENJOY! Thanks for purchasing, downloading or browsing! I hope this adds a little sunshine to your day!

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • Identify a word as an action verb by recognizing it names something a person can physically do.

  • Act out an assigned verb using only movement, without speaking or mouthing the word.

  • Connect a classmate's movement back to its correct verb label, reinforcing verb meaning through observation.

Teaching tips

  • Set a shared guess limit, such as three tries per round, since more specific verbs like 'flossing,' 'dribble' or 'sledding' take longer to mime clearly.

  • Reserve the more specific sports and activity verbs (ice skate, surfing, sledding) for older students and start younger players on everyday actions like walk, push or clean.

  • Follow the game with a short writing task where students use the verb they guessed correctly in a sentence.

Skills covered

  • Action-verb identification — students recognize and act out words that name a physical action (walk, throw, climb, dribble).

  • Nonverbal communication — students convey a specific verb's meaning through gesture and movement alone.

  • Vocabulary application — students connect an acted-out movement back to its correct verb label across roughly 78 words.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

What kinds of action verbs are included?

A mix of everyday actions (walk, push, clean), sports movements (skate, dribble, swim), and more specific activities (flossing, sledding, chew gum) across roughly 78 words on 13 cards.

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