Charades are a fun and cheap way to explain idioms to students of all ages. The game can be played in a several ways aimed at different professional or age groups. In acting charades, a player is given an idiom and has to act out the expression without the use of verbal communication. The first person to answer correctly will then take over. Charades can also be played by drawing the expression on a board without the use of words. Again, the first one to answer right will be the next person to go to the drawing board. The idioms can be narrowed down to be relevant to specific groups by using idioms that are important within the area of the players. Play charades with school idioms, including "hit the books" or "teacher's pet," or workplace-related expressions such as "bigwig" or "head's will roll."
Like charades, quizzes are easy to facilitate and adjustable to any age and language level. Quizzes can be played several ways. In a multiple-choice quiz, individuals or teams are given a sentence with missing words, and the players have to choose from several options a suitable idiom from to fill the void. Players with advanced language skills can be given an unfinished sentence, and they have to find an idiom that might fit. Quizzes can also be adjusted to be played according to relevance for the players. Prepare a quiz with medical and health idioms, including "on the mend" or "under the weather," or "cook up" a food quiz to give "food for thought."
Many websites by English as a foreign language organizations or educational institutions, offer games and activities online. In games for children and students, animated characters usually guide through a variety of idioms for which the player has to find the right definition among multiple choices. In other games, animated characters perform the literal action of the idiom, and the player has to click on the right expression. In online games for older users, the player is given questions with scroll-down menus that either contain a choice of idioms or several definitions.
Several educational board games promote the comprehension and usage of idioms in the English language. "Befudiom" is a family game that combines charades and hangman when players have to figure out what idioms are written on the cards of the opposing team. The game cost $14.99 at time of publication. "From Rags to Riches" is a game for children from second grade. The players are given multiple-choice questions related to idioms, which they have to answer correctly in addition to performing classroom tasks to earn dollars. At time of publication, the game cost $49.95. "Play It Up" is a board game aimed at learners of English as a second language. The game gives players the choice to find the correct idioms, to explain the meaning of idioms or to match idioms with definitions. At time of publication the game cost $39.95.