Mystery tiles: guess the hidden picture

A picture hides under nine tiles. Open them one at a time, from the edges to the middle, and let the class guess the word as early as they can. Great for suspense, attention and lots of speaking.

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Sample lesson: 8 animal words in Spanish, 2 teams. Free, no account.

el gato – cat
What the class sees
Ages
3–8 years
Players
The whole class, or 2–4 teams
Time
5–15 minutes
You need
A projector, TV or interactive board

How it goes in class

  1. Pick the words and, if you like, split the class into teams.
  2. Press → to open a tile. The middle tile, often the giveaway, opens last.
  3. The first team to name the word wins the point (press 1–4).
  4. Press R to show the whole picture with its word, then move on to the next one.

Tips for teachers

  • Give more points for an early guess: 3 points after one tile, 1 point after five.
  • Ask children to explain their guess: "I see a tail, so it's an animal".
  • Works best with topics children already know a little, as a review game.

Questions teachers ask

How many tiles are there?

Nine (3 × 3). They open from the corners and edges toward the middle.

Can I show the answer at any time?

Yes. Press R to reveal the picture and the word immediately.

Is it good for review?

Yes. It works well at the end of a unit, with words the class has already met.