Preparing for Christmas is the best time to engage your child in holiday fun games and learning. Including some 11 Plus vocabulary games during Christmas family gatherings can make learning enjoyable.
Education games benefit children, and vocabulary games can be a great way to enhance language while having fun with the family. Let’s delve into several fun 11 Plus vocabulary games that can be played online or offline during this end-of-year celebration.
The Importance of Vocabulary for 11 Plus Exams
Vocabulary is essential when preparing for the 11 Plus exams, as it will help students solve comprehensive papers. The 11 Plus exams often involve exercises that require children to demonstrate their comprehension and application of language; therefore, several terms are vital.
Vocabulary is relevant in the comprehension part and increases general academic performance.
Playing 11 Plus vocabulary games can make a huge difference in a child’s word collection, and learning can become fun. Moreover, the games have the added advantage of helping children improve and build their vocabulary, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Offline 11 Plus Vocabulary Games
1. Christmas Word Bingo
The first game on our list is the Christmas Word Bingo. This game can be held during the Christmas season, and it’s aimed at helping your child expand their vocabulary. Instead of numbers, write vocabulary words on bingo cards and call out definitions.
The objective is to ensure that the players put in their hands a definition that matches a word on the other’s card. Additionally, this interactive game guarantees that Christmas enjoyment and learning go hand in hand.
How to Play
- Use a 5×5 square grid to make bingo cards.
- Use 11 Plus vocabulary words to fill in the squares.
- The definitions should be written on several pieces of paper.
- Draw each term and shout it out one at a time.
- Players mark the matching word on their bingo card.
- The winner is the first player to obtain five consecutive words in a diagonal, vertical, or horizontal direction.
Remember that your support is essential in helping your child overcome hurdles and develop strength. By actively participating in their educational journey, you may help them gain confidence and succeed.
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2. Festive Charades with a Twist
Second, we have Festive Charades with a Twist. This game combines basic charades with the requirement that the players use a particular word in their charade.
Put vocabulary words on paper slips, then have family members play them silently. It helps explain word meanings. However, this game improves Nonverbal communication abilities in addition to words.
How to Play
- On slips of paper, write 11 Plus vocabulary words.
- Put the slips in a bowl or hat.
- Split the players into two groups.
- Each team has a player who selects a slip and silently performs the word.
- Every group has a set amount of time to guess the word.
- Whoever makes the most accurate guesses wins.
3. Holiday Hangman
Holiday Hangman is another popular game that has an educational spin. Use the 11 Plus vocabulary words as the secret words.
This game keeps the festive spirit alive while improving spelling and word recognition. Therefore, this is very beneficial for helping children learn and memorise new words, and the Christmas touch makes it even more appealing.
How to Play
- Select a word from the 11 Plus vocabulary.
- A sequence of dashes should represent the number of letters in the word.
- Each player guesses a letter.
- Draw a portion of a hangman figure for each wrong guess.
- The game continues until the word is guessed or the Hangman is completely drawn.
4. Christmas Crossword Puzzle
Completing a Christmas crossword puzzle could be very enjoyable and instructive. Create a crossword puzzle using terms from the 11 Plus vocabulary list. The clues relate to definitions or synonyms.
The puzzle teaches problem-solving concepts and sharpens the player’s vocabulary. It is fun to compete with your child and seriously gets them thinking about words.
How to Create
- Select vocabulary words from the list.
- Make a grid and write the words, ensuring they fit together.
- Using synonyms or meanings, write hints for every word.
- Distribute the crossword puzzle to see who can finish it first.
5. Vocabulary Pictionary
This 11 Plus Vocabulary Christmas Edition game would also fall under a drawing and vocabulary build-up competition. Using 11 Plus vocabulary words, write them on the cards and let players pick them for others to guess.
Instructively and fun in an approach to this game, it provokes visualisation of the word’s meaning. It is an excellent method of making classes more creative and not only informative.
How to Play
- On cards, write vocabulary words.
- Split the players into two groups.
- Each side has a player who draws a word and attempts to depict it without using letters or numbers.
- Their group has a set amount of time to guess the word.
- The winning team is the one with the most accurate estimates.
6. Yuletide Synonym Search
The Yuletide Synonym Search is among the creative 11 Plus vocabulary games where the player searches for synonyms to given vocabulary words. Make a list of words and then time the players how many synonyms each can think of.
Thus, this game is suitable for developing vocabulary and understanding the relationship between words. It is a creative activity that lets people compete and learn new words.
How to Play
- Make a list of the terms from the vocabulary.
- Set a timer for a certain amount of time, like five minutes.
- For every word, players write down as many synonyms as they can.
- Examine the lists and talk about any intriguing or novel synonyms you discover.
7. Merry Word Association
In the Merry Word Association, one player speaks a word related to the prior player’s word. Employing context words, this game enables the players to assess the social context while playing.
Anyone can play it, and everybody gets the idea while having fun and making them think.
How to Play
- To begin, pick a word from the 11 Plus vocabulary.
- The first player says a word associated with the initial word.
- The following player says a word related to the preceding word, and so on.
- Until someone repeats a term or runs out of related words, the game goes on.
8. Winter Word Stories
Winter Word Stories is a creative game where participants create little stories from the words garnered from the 11 Plus list. Every pupil contributes a storyline, including a new word taught.
This game promotes contextual vocabulary use and creative thinking. It’s a fantastic method to improve 11 Plus vocabulary and narrative abilities.
How to Play
- Select words from the list.
- The first player uses one of the words to begin a tale.
- Every player after them adds a line to the narrative, using a different term from their story each time.
- Continue until the tale ends logically or all the words have been utilised.
Online 11 Plus Vocabulary Games
1. Holiday Scrabble Showdown (Online Version)
A Holiday Scrabble Showdown may be conducted using platforms such as Scrabble GO, which allows players to play the game from the comfort of their homes. To incorporate fun, ensure vocabulary words are contained in a game played with fun.
However, this digital version makes participating in the fun easier for those in different locations. Playing Scrabble online is very helpful for spelling, word formation, and strategic thinking skills.
How to Play
- Install an online version of Scrabble, such as Scrabble GO.
- Make a game and ask your family to play it.
- To compete and get points, use vocabulary terms from 11 Plus.
- Keep score and take pleasure in the friendly rivalry.
2. Seasonal Spelling Bee (Online Version)
An online seasonal spelling bee is an excellent idea if you want your child to strengthen their spelling and word memory this Christmas season. Give vocabulary words, and other family members read these aloud while spelling them.
It resembles a competition, but the children don’t feel like they are competing with each other. The game increases academic performance in spelling, and they also gain confidence in using the new words.
How to Play
- Use Google Meet or Zoom to arrange a virtual conference.
- Make a list of the vocabulary words.
- Alternately, spell each word aloud.
- After the session, keep score and announce a winner.
Make This Christmas Memorable With 11 Plus Tutoring
Incorporate 11 Plus vocabulary games into the Christmas holiday activities you do with your child, make learning fun and prepare the child for the 11 Plus exams! At 11 Plus Tutoring, our expert tutors provide personalised guidance for exam success. Give your child a gift of knowledge, and let them be confident. Discover the full possibilities of our resources and book a session with us now. Merry Christmas and happy learning from 11 Plus Tutoring!