Board games are fun and adventure in the comfort of your home. They are equally interesting for both kids and youngsters. The best thing about board games is that they are easy to understand and can be played at any place. Not only do they help you relieve stress, but also improve your vocabulary and word power. Let us explore the best 7 board games to improve your word skills.
1. Scrabble
This classic game revolves around word wizardry. You arrange letters to form words on a board, earning points along the way. You are given some letters on a playing board and you need to arrange them into words.
Letters help you earn points and there are some special tiles on the board that allow you to earn extra points.
The challenge? Outsmart your opponents by crafting the most impressive words and strategically placing them on the board. Don’t worry if you’re not a walking dictionary – You can get high scoring words for Scrabble using a word finder tool, Using a Scrabble word finder can enhance your performance and chances of winning the game.
2. Apples to Apples
Perfect for sharpening your understanding of parts of speech. Apples to Apples is very easy to play and every player needs to put a card face down, which is described the best by another special card on the board. There is a judge who turns over the cards and selects the one that seems best. The player who placed the card earns a point and someone else becomes the judge for the next turn.
Apples to Apples is also a bit funny, as the combinations of cards can be sometimes ridiculous. The words on the cards can be nouns or adjectives and their definitions are listed on the cards. So, you don’t need to hold a dictionary in your hand while playing this game.
What makes it exciting? These connections are subjective and personal, leading to some hilarious debates.
3. Once Upon a Time
As the name suggests, this game is all about storytelling. One player takes the role of the storyteller, using a deck of cards to weave a tale. Other players try to hijack the story with their twists, aiming to become the new storyteller. It’s not about winning or losing, but the journey of storytelling with a twist.
It’s a card game in which you and other players tell a story. Every player gets some cards that have some story elements and another card that has an ending. The player telling the story starts by using the cards in his hand and leads the story to the ending they have. Other players in the game can interrupt the narration by placing down their cards and continuing the story with a different idea.
It’s a fun game in which no one wins but the purpose is to tell a story that creates interest and entertains your friends. Players can use the game to make their cards with words they want to learn. So, go ahead and have fun by using as many words as you can in the storytelling.
4. Balderdash
The dictionary meaning of the word Balderdash is ‘nonsense’. In this game a player is chosen as the ‘dasher’ and given a less-used or obscure word. The dasher is asked to create a definition for the same. He or she is also asked to write the definition on a piece of paper.
Now, the other players also write a possible definition of the same word. Players who write the accurate definition are given 3 points while the players who guess it get 2 points. For some people, the rules of the game may seem confusing at first, but the game is a fun way to learn new words.
5. Bananagrams
In the world of Bananagrams, you’re in for a wordy race against your pals to craft your very own word grid. Each player kicks off with a handful of letter tiles, and as soon as the game kicks off, everybody dives into the wordy challenge by individually arranging their tiles into a personal crossword-style grid.
The challenge here is to connect those letters and whip up some real words. No need to twiddle your thumbs waiting for your turn; you can shuffle around your grid as much as your heart desires until you strike that sweet spot of word placements. It’s like having your very own word puzzle to tinker with!
And guess what? In this game, there are no boards, no agonising waits, and no scoring fuss during the gameplay. The sole aim is to be the first to exhaust your stash of tiles by piecing together valid words that mesh and meld like a bunch of bananas all clustered together.
What’s the cherry on top, you ask? Well, it’s the game’s portability! These tiles come stashed inside an adorable banana-shaped pouch, making it a breeze to carry Bananagrams along on your adventures. Play it in the comfort of your home, in the serene park, or even on those never-ending journeys.
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6. Funglish
Funglish is a board game that’s all about blending ‘fun’ with ‘English.’ To get the ball rolling, you’ll need three or more players and a stack of tiles, each bearing intriguing descriptions. One player gets the hot seat and is handed a card featuring six words. This player’s mission? To get the other players to guess those words, all within the tight time frame of 3 minutes.
No theatrics or chit-chat is allowed here. Instead, the player must provide clues using only the phrases ‘definitely,’ ‘definitely isn’t,’ and ‘might be.’ For instance, if the word is ‘pink,’ the hints could be: is a colour, definitely isn’t a bird, and might be worn by boys.
7. Scattergories
Scattergories, the game of creative thinking, encourages you to break free from the ordinary and let your imagination soar. Here’s how it works: You’re handed categories such as “colours” or “things that are chilly,” and your task is to find the words that perfectly fit these categories.
But before each thrilling round, there’s a dice roll that determines the chosen letter. The timer then starts, and it’s a race against time as everyone vies to outdo each other by thinking of words that both commence with the selected letter and align with the categories.
The real trick here is scoring big points by coming up with words that no one else in the game thought of. For example, if your designated letter is “I,” and the category is “chilly things,” instead of jotting down “ice cream,” you might brainstorm “igloo.”
Scattergories nudges you to consider less common words and their meanings, making it an excellent tool for language practice. And if you happen to play it with a native English speaker, you’re in for a bonus treat as you pick up new words and phrases from them.
What’s even more appealing is that you can dive into a game of Scattergories without the need for any fancy equipment. Just craft your categories, set a timer on your trusty smartphone, and voilà! You’re all set to play.
Summing Up
The best thing about these word games is that you don’t need any special equipment to play them. Moreover, you can play it at any place, be it school, home or office. Even high-tech video games cannot match the stress-busting ability of word games. So grab your letter tiles, and call your friends or family members to play any of these word games.
