Ways to use this list
- Verb charades: one child spins and mimes the verb, and whoever guesses it takes the next turn. Hop, sweep and yawn always get a laugh.
- Past tense drill: press Irregular past, cover the second word and pupils call out the past form before you reveal it.
- PE warm-up: spin an action verb and the whole class does it for 20 seconds: gallop, tiptoe, wobble, stretch.
- Language homework: press Spanish verbs or French verbs, spin one, and write it out in the present tense for I, you and we.
- Silly sentences: set Winners to 2 and write one sentence that uses both verbs, like "I juggle while I whisper."
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (60 entries)
- run
- jump
- swim
- dance
- sing
- laugh
- clap
- climb
- throw
- catch
- kick
- hop
- skip
- crawl
- wave
- sleep
- eat
- drink
- read
- write
- draw
- paint
- cook
- sweep
- wash
- build
- push
- pull
- fly
- hug
- whisper
- shout
- sneeze
- yawn
- stretch
- juggle
- knit
- fold
- pour
- stir
- dig
- plant
- ride
- row
- skate
- balance
- gallop
- tiptoe
- slither
- bounce
- chase
- wobble
- celebrate
- explore
- search
- rescue
- measure
- describe
- borrow
- decide
Questions people ask
What is a verb?
A verb is a doing or being word: it tells you what someone does (run, build, decide) or is (be, seem). Every full sentence has one. A quick check for children: if "I" or "they" fits in front of it and makes sense, it is probably a verb.
What makes a verb irregular?
Regular verbs add -ed for the past: jump becomes jumped. Irregular verbs change in their own way, like go becoming went and think becoming thought. They have to be learned one by one, which is what the Irregular past button is for.
Why do two Spanish verbs both mean "to be"?
Spanish splits "to be" in two. Ser is for lasting things, like who someone is or where they come from; estar is for states and locations, like feeling tired or being at home. Learners usually meet both in their first weeks.
Which verbs are easiest for young children to act out?
Big, visible actions: jump, clap, swim, sleep, wave and hop. Press Easy (act it out) for 30 of them, and save quieter verbs like decide or describe for older pupils who can explain instead of mime.
What is the difference between an action verb and a linking verb?
An action verb shows something being done, such as kick, write or think. A linking verb, such as be, seem or become, joins the subject to a description: "The soup seems hot." Some verbs do both jobs, as in "I feel the rain" and "I feel tired".