Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity - Fun Literary Devices Practice

Make review days active and engaging with this hands-on figurative language game designed to get students thinking and collaborating. This interactive sorting activity includes 100 sentence cards that allow students to practice identifying and distinguishing between key literary devices, including metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, idiom, pun, and irony. Instead of completing a traditional worksheet, students collaborate in small groups to analyze each sentence and determine which type of figurative language is being used. The format encourages meaningful discussion as students defend their choices and explain their reasoning. This figurative language game works well as a review before a test, a station activity, small-group practice, early finisher work, or a lively whole-class competition.

Included in this Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity:

➡️ Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity Teacher Instructions: Clear, detailed instructions explain how to set up and run the figurative language game in your classroom. The guide includes multiple implementation options, from small-group collaboration to stations, whole-class review, or competitive team play. These directions make the activity easy to facilitate and adaptable to different classroom needs and time frames.

➡️ Figurative Language Student Reference: This half-page student reference sheet provides clear definitions and examples of each literary device included in the activity. Students can use this as a guide while sorting, making it especially helpful for review, mixed-ability groups, or classes that benefit from quick access to definitions during practice.

➡️ 10 Figurative Language Sorting Mats: Each sorting mat is labeled with a specific type of figurative language and provides a designated space for students to place matching sentence cards. The mats help keep the activity organized and visually structured so students can clearly see how many examples they’ve identified for each device.

➡️ 100 Figurative Language Sentence Sorting Cards: The activity includes 100 sentence cards, each featuring a clear example of one figurative language type. The variety of sentences ensures students see multiple examples of each device, strengthening recognition skills and helping them differentiate between similar literary techniques. You can use the full set for a comprehensive review or select specific card types to target particular skills.

➡️ Figurative Language Envelope Template: A printable envelope template is included to help you organize and store the cards once they are cut. This makes it easy to reuse the figurative language game year after year without losing pieces.

➡️ Teacher Answer Keys: Detailed answer keys identify the correct literary device for each sentence card. These keys can be used for quick grading, student self-checking, or whole-class review and discussion after the sorting activity is complete.

How the Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity Works:

• Divide students into small groups of 3–4. Each group receives a randomized set of sentence cards along with the sorting mats.
• Have students cut out the cards, assigning each group member one or two pages to prepare. Use the included envelope template to store the cards.
• Students work collaboratively to read each sentence, discuss which literary device is being used, and place the card on the correct sorting mat.
• After completing the figurative language game, students check their answers using the included answer keys or review the results together as a class to reinforce understanding and clarify misconceptions.
  
  

Sample Sentences From The Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity:

Want a quick preview of what’s included in this figurative language game? Below are sample sentences from the card set so you can see the types of clear, context-based examples students will sort and analyze.

• Metaphor: “The skateboard was a blazing rocket, propelling Brad skyward as he shot off the edge of the half-pipe.”
• Simile: “The yellow taxis darted through the streets of New York like bees zipping from one corner to the next in a frenzy.”
• Personification: “The car crawled up the hill toward the mechanic’s building, its engine complaining as it exhausted the last of its energy.”
• Hyperbole: “After a night of endless studying, Sofia hoisted her thousand-pound book bag onto her shoulders and dragged herself to school.”
• Alliteration: “The snake slowly slithered through the tall grass, its scales sparkling in the sunlight as it moved with graceful precision.”
• Onomatopoeia: “The lightning flashed brightly, thunder following with a deep boom that shook the ground beneath.”
• Oxymoron: “The couple sat at each end of the couch, a deafening silence filling the room as the therapist waited for someone to speak.”
• Idiom: “Jake braced for the impending lecture, fully aware he was in hot water for skipping class for the third time this week.”
• Pun: “Maya sank into the couch, her eyes scanning the pages of the anti-gravity book that she simply could not put down.”
• Irony: “Smoke engulfed the fire station, flames covered the walls as the firefighters hurried to extinguish the blaze.”

What Teachers Are Saying About this Figurative Language Game Card Sorting Activity:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I put the different categories at stations and had students work in teams to solve. Worked great and the visuals are amazing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was such a great resource to include as group work and gamification, making the learning fun.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I like how interactive this resource is! It is awesome to work on over time as well

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