Taboo

(TESOL Worksheets--Speaking, Any Vocabulary Set, Time Killers and Time Fillers)
Google: drive, docs, pub
The Rules: docs, pub
Supplement 1: drive, docs, pub
Supplement 2: drive, docs, pub
Q Skills for Success Listening and Speaking 5: drive, docs, pub

Every ESL teacher has at one time or another created their own Taboo cards, so I guess I get no points for originality here.  But for whatever they may or may not be worth, here's my own contribution.
The resource center at my school has the original Milton-Bradley game, but the vocabulary is often too advanced for my pre-intermediate students.  Plus I thought it would be useful to have a version of this game in my files in case I'm ever at a different school in the future.  So I made my own cards.
I made up 60 cards.  More would have been better, but 60 was all I had time to create in the hour before class started.  (I may in the future go back and add to these.)
I also created blank cards for the students to write their own.
For anyone unfamiliar with this game, the rules are here or here.

DOG pet bark cat animal wolf	APPLE fruit red green food eat	EAT mouth food chew teeth swallow
SCHOOL teacher student study learn now	FAT thin big weight size small	FISH water ocean river lake seafood
MOUNTAIN high ocean valley hill top	BANANA fruit food yellow monkey eat	DOCTOR job hospital sick heal people
NOSE face smell eyes mouth head	TOP bottom high mountain tall roof	ROOF building rain snow chimney high
CHAIR sit legs 4 seat stand	ELEPHANT animal big trunk grey Africa	RED flag color bright blood look

COLOR red yellow blue green purple	FLAG country color fabric pole nation	WHEEL round car bike tire circle
POTATO food eat mashed baked fried	NEW YORK city America Statue of Liberty Empire State Building United States	CONCERT music audience perform sing watch
OCTOPUS ocean sea 8 arms fish	PHONE call text message talk ring	FOOTBALL soccer player goal World Cup score
CAT dog pet animal purr meow	CASTLE king queen old building Europe	MUSIC sing dance play instrument radio
CONTEST win lose prize people sports	WIN lose sports game prize play	CROW black bird fly eat animal

JOKE say tell funny laugh comedian	BRAIN head think organ body skull	SICK feel well disease healthy hospital
GUM bubble chew mouth eat food	PUMPKIN Halloween fall vegetable orange food	PRESENT give get birthday Christmas Santa Claus
HIKING walk nature mountain trail feet	TRAIL hiking woods mountain nature road	DOLPHINS ocean fish swim sea grey
FARMER farm grow cows chickens country	STOMACH eat food body inside digest	STOMACH ACHE hurt pain eat bad food
BROKEN bad hurt piece destroy wreck	LEG walk body foot knee run	NEST bird tree sticks egg live

BEACH sand ocean sun summer swim	BALL throw round catch play circle	CLIMB mountain tree up go dangerous
PIMPLE teenager skin cream oil ugly	ICE CREAM cone milk cake dessert delicious	DESSERT eat meal sweet cake ice cream
PRINCIPAL school head teacher office boss	OFFICE sit work room chair desk	SCIENTISTS study experiment earth chemistry stand
RESTAURANT food order waiter eat cook	SHOW see look watch people picture	TELL say talk information something communicate
TALK say tell communicate mouth sound	GIRLFRIEND boyfriend lover date kiss boss	SISTER family brother sibling girl daughter

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______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *
______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *
______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *	______ * * * * *

Taboo

Aim: The aim of this game is to get your team to guess the word on the top of the card without saying any of the 5 words below.

Procedure:

Cut up cards along the lines, shuffle, and stack into a deck. Divide the class into two teams, and position them on different sides of the room. Place two chairs at the front of the room. One person from each team comes to the front and sits in the chairs.  The player from team 1 is given the deck of cards first.  

Set a countdown timer for either 1 or 2 minutes (depending on the desired challenge level). During this time, the player from team 1 tries to describe the cards to their team.  They get one point for each card that their team guesses.  

The player must draw the cards from the top of the deck.  They are allowed to pass on a card, but then team 2 gets the point for that point.

While the player from team 1 is explaining their card, the player from team 2 is watching closely to make sure none of the taboo words are used.  If the player from team 1 says one of the taboo words, the player from team 2 can shout out “Taboo!” and get the point.

At the end of the time period, the points are totalled up, and then it is team 2’s turn.  

When both players have had a chance, they each return to their team, and 2 new players come to the front.  

Added challenge: use the blank cards to have students make their own cards.

This game can be used as a fun warmer with the generic cards, but you can also design your own cards to review vocabulary specific to the unit your students are studying.