Playing ThoughtMatch with kids and families

ThoughtMatch can be a great family word game and a handy classroom activity. This guide covers who it suits, how adults can make it easier for younger players, and how to keep it kind and short.

By Ansh R. Suryavanshi, creator of ThoughtMatch

Is it right for your child?

ThoughtMatch is a word game, so reading and spelling matter more than age. A player needs to:

• read other people's clues quickly, while the game is moving;
• think of words that start with a given set of letters;
• spell those words correctly, because every word is checked against an English dictionary;
• write a short clue that describes a word without using it.

A child who reads chapter books on their own and enjoys spelling games will probably pick it up fast. A child who is still sounding out words may find the pace frustrating when playing alone, but can still join in by teaming up with an adult (see below). You know your child best. Try one round together and see how it feels.

Words, clues and supervision

Secret words, clue words and contact words must all be real English dictionary words (plus common places, days, festivals and languages), with no people's names. The word list has offensive words filtered out, and they're blocked in the looser Any word and Hinglish modes too. That keeps the hidden words clean, but it doesn't cover everything. The clue text is free writing of up to 100 characters, and players can type whatever they like there.

So, a few common-sense steps:

• Play in rooms with people you know. People can only join with the room code or link you share.
• Keep the link within your family, class or friend group rather than posting it publicly.
• There are no accounts, just a nickname. Encourage children to use a first name or a fun nickname rather than their full name.
• Supervise younger players, especially when playing with anyone outside the household.

Adults as Dener: choosing easy words

The Dener picks the secret word, so the Dener sets the difficulty. When children are playing, it's often best for an adult to take the first few turns as Dener. Using the "host picks" setting for the next Dener lets you decide who goes next.

Choose words that are:

• Familiar: things a child sees every day, like CAKE, TIGER, GARDEN or PLANET.
• Fairly short: the secret word has to be 4 to 15 letters. Five or six letters is a good size for younger players. There are enough letters for a few contacts, but not so many that the round drags.
• Spelled the way they sound: words like YACHT or KNIGHT are cruel to young spellers, because they'll guess the right thing and spell it wrong.

The Dener can try to break any clue by guessing its word. Against children, an adult Dener might break a clue only now and then, so that contacts actually land and the kids see letters appear. For more on picking words, see word ideas.

Helping younger players

Normally each player uses their own device. With younger children, there are a few ways to give them a hand.

• Share a device. A younger child can sit with an adult and play as one player on one device. They choose the words together, and the adult helps with spelling and typing. Remember that this counts as one player toward the 3 to 12 player range.
• Whisper help. If a child has their own device, an adult sitting next to them can quietly suggest a word that fits the prefix or check a spelling. Whisper, though, or the Dener will hear it and break the clue.
• Talk through the prefix. When a new letter appears, say the letters aloud together and brainstorm words that start with them. That alone is good spelling practice.
• Use the plural rule. Singular and plural count as the same word, so APPLE and APPLES match. Tell children they don't need to worry about which one to use.

Our guide to writing clues has more ideas you can share with older children who want to get better.

Using ThoughtMatch in the classroom

The game fits neatly into vocabulary and spelling lessons. Every word a student types must be spelled correctly to count, and every clue is a small exercise in describing a word without saying it.

• Teacher as host and Dener. Create the room, share the code on the board, and take the Dener role yourself so you control the secret words.
• Words from the topic. Pick secret words from the current unit, such as MAGNET or ORBIT in a science lesson, or VOLCANO in a geography lesson. Students then think of other words with the same start, which stretches their vocabulary.
• Groups of up to 12. A room holds 12 players. For a bigger class, split into several rooms with a group leader as Dener in each, or have students play in pairs on one device.
• Short rounds. Set the round timer to 3 or 5 minutes and the rounds to 3, so a game fits in part of a lesson.

Keeping it kind

Children can take a game very seriously. A few habits keep everyone happy:

• Celebrate trying. A failed contact costs nothing, so praise players for having a go, whatever the result.
• No teasing about spelling. If a word is rejected, help fix the spelling and move on.
• Go easy as Dener. Breaking a child's clue again and again can feel unfair. Ease off.
• Use the give-up vote gently. If a word turns out too hard, players can vote to give up. When more than half vote yes, the round ends, the word is revealed and everyone moves on.
• Mix up the Dener. Let children have a turn as Dener once they understand the game. Choosing a word that stumps the grown-ups is a proud moment.

Screen-time-friendly sessions

ThoughtMatch is easy to fit into a fixed amount of time, because the host chooses both the number of rounds and an optional round timer.

• About 10 minutes: 3 rounds with a 3-minute timer. At most 9 minutes of play, plus a moment to choose each word.
• About 20 minutes: 3 rounds with a 5-minute timer, or 5 rounds with a 3-minute timer.
• A family evening: "everyone once" with the timer off. With four players, that's just four rounds.

Each game ends with a leaderboard, which makes a natural place to stop. Agree on the number of games before you start, and "one more round" is much easier to say no to. New to the rules? Start with how to play.