How to turn a textbook page into a classroom game in one minute

You have the textbook open, the lesson is in ten minutes, and you would love to finish with a game. Writing questions and finding pictures usually takes longer than the game itself. Here is a faster way.

Step 1: Pick the words that matter

Look at the page and choose 8–15 words: the new vocabulary of the unit plus a few words from the last lesson. Fewer words, played more times, beats many words played once.

If you use Oly, you can skip this step: take a photo of the page and the words are picked for you. You can still remove or add words before playing.

Step 2: Choose the question types

Mix two or three kinds of questions so the game doesn't feel repetitive:

• Picture → word: show a picture, students say or choose the word.
• Listen → picture: hear the word, choose the picture.
• Spell it: fill in the missing letters.
• Meaning: the word in English, its meaning in the students' language (useful for older learners).
• Order the sentence: put the words of an example sentence in the right order.

Step 3: Add pictures and sound

Pictures make vocabulary games work for young learners. Clear, simple drawings are better than photos full of detail. Sound matters too: students should hear the word, not only read it.

Step 4: Pick a game that fits the moment

• Warm-up (5 minutes): a fast picture flash or a spin wheel.
• Practice (10–15 minutes): tile grab or memory match, where every answer counts.
• Review at the end of a unit: bingo or a team race.
• Speaking: picture dice, where teams build sentences.

Step 5: Play, then look at what was missed

The most useful part of a game is what happens after it. Which words did the class miss? Play those again at the start of the next lesson.

The one-minute version

1. Open Oly and snap the page (or paste the words, or type a topic like "school things").
2. Check the words and pictures, change anything you like.
3. Pick a game, set the number of teams, press start.
4. Scan the QR code with your phone to use it as the remote.

That's it: the class plays on the projector or TV, no student devices needed. When the game ends, Oly shows which words to review and can turn them into the next game.

Questions teachers ask

Does it work with any textbook? Yes. It reads the words on the page, whatever the book.

What about older students? Use sentence ordering, spelling and meaning questions, and fewer pictures.

Is the photo kept? No. It is only used to read the words.

Try it with tomorrow's lesson, or start from one of the free ready-made games.