Match Opposite Words With Our Antonyms Board Game

Learning about antonyms strengthens your students’ understanding of word relationships and boosts their ability to articulate a word’s definition. 

In this activity, students will use their reading, logic, and vocabulary skills to match words with their antonyms.

Players take turns pulling the top card from the deck and reading the word. Then, they move their game piece to the first space that contains an antonym of that word. If there are no more spaces with an antonym, the player loses their turn. Play continues until a player draws a card that matches the last space on the game board.

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by providing visuals like an anchor chart or an antonym poster. 

Challenge fast finishers who understand the concepts use the antonyms in a sentence (written or orally, depending on proficiency). 

Get our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies here! 

Use Our Antonym Board Game In More Ways Than One

We created this resource for your reading center as an independent practice activity. We also suggest using it to reinforce your small group and full-class lessons in the following ways: 

🖼️ Scoot Activity

Display all 18 word cards around the room. Working either alone or in pairs, assign a starting card to each student and have them write an antonym for their word on a sheet of paper numbered 1-18. When you say, “Scoot,” students will rotate through the cards until they have written an antonym for each one. Project the game board for reference if needed. 

👋 Swat! 

During small group instruction, lay 3 cards on top of a table and give each student a fly swatter. Provide students with an antonym for one of the visible cards—the first student to swat the word’s opposite gets to keep the card for scoring.

🃏 Upcycle Into Playing Cards

Print a second set of word cards and use them to play games like Match It, Go Fish, or Snap, to name a few. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Look no further for antonym activities and teaching resources—we got you covered!

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