Scattergories is a fast-thinking category word game — pick a category and a letter, then race to name things in that category starting with that letter before the timer runs out. A brilliant vocabulary warm-up and lesson starter. Play it on the whiteboard or let pupils join on their own devices. Free.
How do you play the category word game?
A category and a random letter appear. Players race to think of words in that category beginning with that letter before the timer runs out — the more original answers, the better.
Can pupils play on their own devices?
Yes — choose “Pupils join on devices” and they join with a code to type their answers each round.
Can I choose my own categories?
Yes — pick a ready-made set, generate categories from a topic, or write your own list of categories.
How long is each round?
You set it — choose the number of rounds and the time per round in the setup before you start.
Is it free?
Yes — it is free to play in your browser.
After more quick-fire word games for the whiteboard? Scrambler hides dozens of words in a 4×4 letter grid for the class to find, Anagram Smash races teams to unscramble topic words against the clock, and Linkage is another join-on-device game where pupils answer along on their own phones or tablets.