Hot Seat: Guess the Word Game
One student sits with their back to the board. The word comes up behind them and the class gives clues without saying it. Use a built-in list or type your own words. Free, with no login.
Playing with Animals: 24 words, 60 second rounds.
Who is in the hot seat?
- The hot seat faces the class, back to the board.
- The class describes the word on the board. No saying it, spelling it or rhyming.
- Guessed it? Tap Got it. Stuck? Tap Pass.
Words: Animals (24)
Spelling words, unit vocabulary, book characters. Up to 200.
At the board: Space or Enter starts a round and marks a word as guessed. P passes.
Want cards for small groups? Australian teachers sell guessing game cards, vocabulary games and Celebrity Heads sets, most for under $5.
Guessing and vocabulary games by Aussie teachers
More classroom games
How to play Hot Seat
- Put a chair at the front, facing the class, with its back to the board.
- Choose a word list, or type your own words under the board.
- Press Full screen, then Start the round. A word appears behind the hot seat.
- The class describes the word. They cannot say it, spell it, or say a word that rhymes with it.
- Tap Got it for each correct guess, or Pass to skip. Count the score when the timer ends.
Ways teachers use it
- Vocabulary revision: paste the key words from a science or HASS unit. To give a clue, students have to explain what the word means, which is the revision.
- Spelling words: use the week's list. After each guess, the hot seat spells the word for a bonus point.
- Novel study: characters, settings and events from the class novel.
- Languages and EAL/D: clues in the target language, or the word in one language and the clues in another.
- Relief day: the built-in lists need nothing prepared and take a class through fifteen minutes.
For a small-group version where the player asks the questions, see the Celebrity Heads guide. More word games are in the literacy games guide and the vocabulary activities guide, and every other game is on the classroom games page.
The built-in word lists
Animals (24 words): kangaroo, koala, wombat, platypus, echidna, emu, kookaburra, crocodile, shark, dolphin, elephant, giraffe, penguin, octopus, butterfly, spider, frog, horse, owl, snake, whale, bee, turtle, cockatoo.
Food (24 words): banana, spaghetti, sausage roll, meat pie, lamington, watermelon, popcorn, ice cream, pancake, sandwich, pizza, carrot, cheese, egg, honey, mango, toast, soup, chocolate, strawberry, rice, pumpkin, fairy bread, hot chips.
Sport and play (24 words): cricket, netball, swimming, soccer, basketball, tennis, surfing, skipping, hopscotch, handball, running race, high jump, gymnastics, bike riding, skateboard, trampoline, hide and seek, tug of war, relay, umpire, goal, whistle, trophy, footy.
Jobs (24 words): teacher, nurse, firefighter, farmer, chef, pilot, dentist, builder, bus driver, vet, scientist, artist, lifeguard, librarian, plumber, baker, police officer, doctor, astronaut, author, electrician, gardener, paramedic, principal.
Around Australia (24 words): Uluru, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Great Barrier Reef, the outback, beach, gum tree, boomerang, didgeridoo, thongs, barbecue, Tasmania, Canberra, lighthouse, rainforest, desert, billabong, ute, surf club, bushfire, cyclone, wattle, Opera House, road train, caravan.
At school (24 words): whiteboard, assembly, library, canteen, recess, lunchbox, pencil case, school bag, bell, playground, oval, excursion, homework, ruler, glue stick, scissors, hat, bubbler, principal, buddy, timetable, sports day, book week, report.
Maths words (24 words): triangle, hexagon, cube, cylinder, fraction, half, quarter, even number, odd number, multiply, divide, equals, perimeter, area, angle, right angle, symmetry, graph, tally, decimal, kilogram, centimetre, litre, o’clock.
Science words (24 words): gravity, magnet, shadow, evaporation, volcano, planet, moon, habitat, life cycle, seed, root, skeleton, heart, lungs, energy, electricity, solid, liquid, gas, weather, fossil, recycle, thermometer, microscope.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Hot Seat in the classroom?
One student sits in a chair facing the class with their back to the board. A word appears on the board. The class describes the word without saying it, spelling it or using a rhyme, and the student in the hot seat guesses. Tap Got it for a correct guess or Pass to skip. The round ends when the timer does.
Can I use my own words?
Yes. Type or paste your words under the board, one per line or separated by commas. Spelling words, unit vocabulary, book characters and maths terms all work. Press Copy link to save a link that opens the game with your list already loaded.
What year levels is Hot Seat for?
Year 1 to Year 10. Younger classes do best with the Animals and Food lists and a longer round. Older classes can use the Maths words and Science words lists, or your own subject vocabulary, for revision before a test.
How do I play with teams?
Choose Two teams. Each team sends one student to the hot seat for a round and only that team gives clues. The board keeps both scores and tells you whose turn is next.
How is this different from Celebrity Heads?
In Celebrity Heads the player asks yes or no questions to work out the word. In Hot Seat the class gives the clues and the player only guesses, so it is faster and the whole class is talking. Both build vocabulary and questioning.
Is it free, and do students need a login?
It is free, with no sign-up and no login for you or your students. It runs in the browser on an interactive whiteboard, a laptop or a tablet.