Description
Get your students talking, laughing, and thinking on their feet with this high-energy 5-Second Game! Perfect as a back to school icebreaker or end of the year activity, this fast-paced classroom game challenges students to name three things in just five seconds.
Included with this 5 Second Game Icebreaker:
- 5-Second Game Slideshow – Microsoft PowerPoint® and Google Slides®
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- Use this slideshow to facilitate a class-wide 5-Second Game!
- 64 Ready-to-Print Game Cards
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- Ideal for small group or center-based play
- Includes a variety of engaging category prompts suitable for teenagers
- Editable Template for Custom Prompts
- Student Game Instructions Handout
- Printable Score Sheet
- Teacher Instructions for using these resources
How to Play this 5 Second Game:
Whether used as an end of the year brain break, team-building activity, or back-to-school icebreaker, this 5 Second Game is a lively and flexible addition to your classroom toolkit!
There are two options for playing this 5 Second Game: play as a whole class using the game slideshow, or facilitate independent play using the printable game cards.
Use the 5 Second Game Slideshow to facilitate the game with the whole class. Display a category prompt (e.g., “Name 3 school supplies”), and give one student five seconds to respond with three correct items. You can also have students play in pairs or groups and respond to each category prompt as they appear in the slideshow.
The slideshow includes a wide range of engaging and school-friendly topics for teenagers, from academic categories to pop culture and funny hypothetical situations. Responses must be quick, unique, and relevant – no repeats or pauses! This version of the 5 Second Game works well as a class-wide warm-up or team challenge.
For small groups or stations, use the Printable Game Cards, which mirror the slideshow prompts. These cards are ideal for in-person or center-based play, allowing students to take turns as readers and responders. The deck includes prompts like “things you do before school” or “things you’d do if your teacher turned into a robot,” making it both classroom-appropriate and wildly entertaining.
Customize the 5 Second Game with the Editable Template, which lets you create your own “Name 3” cards to align with specific curriculum topics, grade levels, or seasonal themes. Simply type in your categories, print, and play.
Distribute the Student Game Instructions Handout so players clearly understand the objective, rules, and penalties. The instructions explain how to take turns, when to start the timer, and how to handle questionable or inappropriate answers. Teachers are encouraged to use light consequences, like skipped turns or point deductions, to maintain a positive classroom environment.
Students can track performance using the Printable Score Sheet, which helps them keep an accurate tally of points after each round. After a set number of rounds or turns, the player with the highest score wins.
✨ Kindly note that due to copyright restrictions, this resource is not editable. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clipartists and software providers that have authorized their intellectual property for the development of this resource.
⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
