Fun Things to do With a Whiteboard: Games & Activity Ideas (2023)

If you’re looking for some fun whiteboard activities and games, then you’re certainly in the right place. Keep on reading for all the details about white board games for both kids as well as adults. There are lots of fun things to do with a whiteboard.

Fun Whiteboard Activities to Try out with your Students

Top 5 ESL Games for Teens | Fun TEFL Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Let’s get into the best whiteboard games for students to try out in class today!

#1: Flyswatter Whiteboard Game

This is certainly one of the most exciting and fun activities you can do with a whiteboard!

Write down a bunch of the target vocabulary words on the board. Then, give hints about a word, and the first student to slap it gets a chance to say it and gets a point for their team.

There are many, many more ways to do this, depending on the target grammar or vocabulary and level of students. Check out one of my favourite whiteboard games for kids here:

Flyswatter ESL Game.

#2: Disappearing Text Whiteboard Activity

Try out this quick and simple review activity. Write down a sentence on the whiteboard. Students have to say it all together as a class. Then, erase 1-2 words and students have to say it again. Continue until there is nothing left on the board but students are saying the entire sentence.

It’s a really nice way to reinforce key grammar or vocabulary concepts. Try it out with your students:

Disappearing Text Activity.

#3: Error Correction Whiteboard Game

#4: Draw an Idiom

Try out this fun whiteboard activity for smaller classes. Students have to draw a literal idiom on the whiteboard. For example, it’s raining cats and dogs. Then, compare pictures and talk about what the idiom actually means. It’s a fun way to make idioms into something that your students will never forget.

#5: Mixed Up Sentences

This is a very quick review game that uses a whiteboard. Write down a sentence but mix up the words. Students have to unscramble the words to make a grammatically correct sentence.

#6: 5 Senses Describing Activity

Five Senses is a versatile activity that can be done with either speaking or writing, including on the whiteboard. It’s possible to do this as an individual activity but you can also adapt it to make it a group activity using the whiteboard.

Bring in an object of some kind, for example, an apple. Then, write the different senses on the board. Students have to write some words that describe the apple under the different senses. For example, under taste, students could write sweet or tart.

Want to give it a try? Find out more here:

5 Senses ESL Activity.

#7: Dictation, A Fun Whiteboard Activity

#8: SOS Game, One of the Fun Things to do With a Whiteboard

Try out this fun whiteboard activity to review just about anything. I’m sure you remember playing SOS as a kid? You have to get three in a row in order to get a point.

I’ve adapted it so that students have to answer a review question before marking a square on the board. Find out more about it here:

SOS Review Game.

#9: Scrabble on the Whiteboard

It’s possible to play Scrabble, even if you don’t have the game board. Start with a letter in the center of the board. Then, students have to take turns adding words to it. I generally like to give bonus points for longer words to make it more interesting.

#10: Just a Minute

This is a fun speaking game that uses a whiteboard. Write a bunch of common topics on the board. Then, put students into groups of four, and one student can throw a scrunched-up paper ball at the board.

Whatever topic they hit, the first students in each group have to talk about it for an entire minute without stopping. The rest of the people in the group can each ask a follow-up question. Repeat the process until everyone has had a turn.

Sounds like a challenging speaking activity that your students will enjoy? Find out more:

Just a Minute.

#11: Word Association

For many topics like weather, hobbies, or food, it’s likely that your students have studied it before. If that’s the case, this is a nice warmer activity that helps activate prior knowledge.

It’s basically making a mind-map together as a class on the white board. Try it out! My students love shouting out words they know about a topic!

#12: Hangman Whiteboard Game for Kids

This is a classic time-filler activity that I’m sure you know. Choose a word and students have to guess letters until they can figure out what the word is.

Instead, I prefer to draw a face or a spider to avoid the hanging person thing!

#13: Vocabulary Review Game

This is a quick way to review new words that students may have learned. One student sits on a chair facing away from the board and his or her teammates have to describe the word that is on the board behind them. Play as many rounds as you’d like.

Find out more about it here:

Vocab Review Game.

#14: Word Challenge Whiteboard Race

#15: Sentence Building Games and Activities

There are a ton of different ESL games and activities that you can do to help students build better sentences. In my opinion, this is never a waste of valuable class time as it’s one of the most important things we can help our students with.

This article has lots of great ideas for working on sentence structure, many of which can be done on the whiteboard too, either as an individual activity or as a team. It can be valuable to do in front of the class to analyze what is correct and what is not in the sentences student make.

Want to check them out? Have a look:

Sentence Building ESL Activities.

#16: Typhoon ESL Whiteboard Game

If you want a seriously fun review game, then consider this one. It’s perfect for the class before a midterm or final exam and it’s so fun, that students talk about it for weeks afterwards. You will need a whiteboard to play it! Find out more:

ESL Typhoon Game.

Did you like these Whiteboard Activities and Games?

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults. The key to better English classes is a wide variety of engaging, interactive, and student-centered games and activities and this book will help you get there in style!

You can find it in a number of different formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Or, take the digital version with you to your favorite coffee shop for some lesson planning on the go. Finally, consider the audio version for some teaching inspiration when commuting.

Whatever the case, get ready for some ESL teaching awesome in your life. Head over to Amazon to pick up a copy of the book today:

FAQs About Whiteboard Games & Activities

Here is a quick guide to some commonly asked questions about whiteboard games and activities for ESL teaching.

What is a fun game to play on a whiteboard?

This is a list of fun whiteboard games and activities to play with students:

• Flyswatter
• Disappearing Text
• Error Correction
• Draw an Idiom
• Mixed up Sentences
• 5 Senses Describing Activity
• Dictation
• SOS Game
• Scrabble
• Just a Minute
• Word Association
• Hangman
• Vocabulary Review Game
• Word Challenge Race
• Sentence Building
• Typhoon

How do you play Scrabble on a whiteboard?

You will start with a letter from the center of the board as you would do with the actual Scrabble board. Then, students will take turns and add words to the existing letters. You can add a little bit of excitement by giving extra points for longer words.

How can I teach English games with fun?

Games and activities are an essential part of your lesson. It is hard to learn a second language without enjoyment. The good thing is that there are numerous educational games you can apply to your classes. One of the easiest types of activity is whiteboard games. All you need is a white board and a marker.

How do I make a class more interactive?

To make your class more interactive, you want to gamify learning. Set goals, give points, and reward students with badges. You want to keep your students engaged by incorporating active learning. An easy way to do so is to find the best ESL games and activities for your class. While some activities will require some preparation, whiteboard games need no additional props. Plus, students love them.

Have your Say about Fun Whiteboard Games for Students

Did you like these whiteboard games and activities? Do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

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Last update on 2022-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API