Words games are a great gameschooling resource – in our homeschool, language arts consists of reading, narrating, copywork/handwriting. Beyond that I just try to make writing and words and vocabulary and language fun and relevant and interesting, and games are the best way I’ve found to do it.
Codenames is a spy-themed clue-giving-word-guessing-game that is really fun for families to play together. My husband and I love playing and the kids love playing, and it’s one of our favorite games to play all together.
To set up, lay out a 5×5 grid of word clue cards. Each card has the word written twice so that people on either side of the grid have a right-side up version to read. Stack up the agent, double agent, and innocent bystander cards next to the grid.
Choose one KEY CARD – the lights on the outside of the key card indicate which team gives the first clue. This card has blue going first.
The configuration of colors and squares on the key card shows which cards in the grid are red agents, blue agents, innocent bystanders (tan squares), and the assassin (black square).
Each team chooses a spymaster. Only these two players see the key card.
Spymasters come up with a one word clue and a number. The goal is to relate as many words as you can together with a single clue.
The spymaster gives the clue and the number, and the rest of their team makes guesses equal to the number the spymaster gave based on the clue.
- If a word is guessed correctly, the spymaster puts an agent card over the top of the word card to show that it has been identified.
- If a word is guessed incorrectly, that team’s turn is over and the word is either covered by an innocent bystander card, the other team’s agent card, or the assassin.
If the assassin is guessed, the game ends immediately. Make sure your clue does not lead to the assassin!
The game comes with a giant stack of word cards, and each play through produces a different grid of cards, so the game has never-ending replay value.
Every game is different with different words, different spymasters, different field agents, and hopefully a growing mastery of vocabulary and clue giving skills!
Kids love the spy theme and clue-giving and word guessing is a great language exercise. Codenames is a great way to build and use a wider variety of vocabulary words. And the more they play, the better their vocabulary will get!
Thanks to Czech Games for sharing with us!
