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← Back to Ages 5-6 Games

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Category Race

Teams race to name as many words in a category as possible before time runs out.

⏱ 10-15 min⚡ Medium energy👥 Teams of 3-4

📚 Vocabulary

• animals

• food

• colours

• clothes

• classroom objects

• transport

🛠 Materials

• Timer or stopwatch

• Whiteboard to keep score

• Optional: category cards

📋 How to Play

Divide the class into teams of 3-4.
Teacher announces a category — "Animals!"
Set a timer for 60 seconds.
Teams take turns — one child from each team shouts a word from that category.
Each correct unique word earns the team 1 point.
No repeating words already said by any team.
When the timer ends the team with the most points wins the round.
Play 5 rounds with different categories.

💡 Teacher Tips

✓Use categories from the current lesson to reinforce new vocabulary.

✓Write words on the board as they are said so nobody repeats them.

✓This game naturally differentiates — stronger students say more obscure words.

✓Great as a review game at the end of a vocabulary unit.

🔄 Variations

→Play individually — each child keeps their own score.

→Restrict to words starting with a specific letter.

→Teams must use the word in a sentence to earn double points.

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