Word Catch
Number of people:
Vocabulary:
Listening & Speaking:
JJ+
Time: 10 min. Level: Any
Opposites, synonyms, Word connections
Fluency
One-on-one play
1
2
Black White 4
3
Small Big 5
Strict … Team-play
3
Huge 1
Dark Black 2
Volleyball graphics from http://www.school-clip-art.com
PHOTOCOPIABLE Page 1 of 2 Philip Shigeo Brown (2011) One-on-one
1. The first player ‘throws’ by saying a word with an opposite or
synonym (e.g. Black).
2. The second player ‘catches’ by saying an opposite (e.g. White),
or synonym (e.g. Dark).
3. The second player then ‘throws’ by saying another word with an
opposite or synonym (e.g. Big).
4. The first player then ‘catches’ by saying the opposite (e.g.
Small), or synonym (e.g. Large).
5. Play continues until one person cannot think of a synonym or
opposite in 5 seconds, when the ball is ‘dropped’. The other
player gets a point.
6. The player who ‘dropped’ the ball starts again with the next
‘throw’. The player who gets the most points wins.
Options
• Change the thinking time limit to make it easier or harder
• Change the number of points needed to win (e.g. 7 points) or
the length of time to play for (e.g. 10 minutes)
• Play with other Word connections (e.g. collocations)
• Use phrases and sentences: E.g. The opposite of black is white.
E.g. Another word for big is large.
Team-play
This is similar to the one-on-one game, but team members must
work together. For example, the first team ‘throws’ (e.g. Black). One
player on the other team ‘catches’ (e.g. Dark), then their
teammate ‘throws’. Either player on the first team can
make the next ‘catch’ then the other player ‘throws’.
PHOTOCOPIABLE Page 2 of 2 Philip Shigeo Brown (2011)