Modulo

Mad Libs

Recommended Ages

3rd–6th grades

Mad Libs is a classic fill-in-the-blank word game that sneaks in parts-of-speech practice under the guise of silly storytelling. Players ask each other for nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more without seeing the full sentence, then read the completed story aloud for guaranteed giggles. Created in the 1950s and still published in themed booklets, Mad Libs is beloved by teachers and parents because it reinforces grammar and vocabulary while feeling like pure fun. It’s inexpensive, highly portable, and works well in the car, at restaurants, or as a quick language arts warm-up. It’s not a full curriculum, but as a joyful supplement, it earns its space on the shelf.

Ideal for roughly ages 7+ who already have some awareness of parts of speech and enjoy wordplay and jokes, particularly in families looking for low-pressure language arts warm-ups or group activities. It tends to work well in multi-age settings, with older kids helping younger ones choose words.

Pros

Parents and kids love that Mad Libs turns grammar practice into a goofy game: filling in blanks with random nouns, verbs, and adjectives often leads to hilarious stories, lowering resistance for reluctant writers and making parts of speech more memorable. It’s inexpensive, highly portable, and easy to pull out in the car, at restaurants, or during a light homeschool day.

Cons

Because the prompts are intentionally silly, there’s no systematic instruction in grammar or composition; it’s a supplement, not a curriculum. Some editions include humor or references that feel dated or not to every family’s taste, and kids can get stuck using the same handful of “funny” words rather than stretching their vocabulary.

As an inexpensive trade book and game, Mad Libs is rarely a primary ESA or charter purchase, though some programs may reimburse it as a language‑arts supplement.

Free app. Books are $4-10 on Amazon.

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Mad Libs
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Skills

What kids will learn
View all collections
Grammar
Grammar
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Writing
Writing
ELA
ELA

Mad Libs Mission

Mad Libs' mission is to spark laughter and creativity while sneaking in practice with parts of speech, vocabulary, and storytelling. By inviting players to fill in blanks with unexpected nouns, verbs, and adjectives before seeing the finished story, the game turns grammar into a source of comedy and connection. Over the decades, Mad Libs has become a simple, portable way for families, classrooms, and friends to play with language together.

Mad Libs Story

Mad Libs was invented in the 1950s by comedy writers Leonard Stern and Roger Price, who were working on TV scripts and humor books in New York. According to Stern's own account, the idea grew out of a moment of writer's block while he was trying to find the perfect adjective; a playful brainstorming session with Price led them to imagine a story built entirely from surprise word substitutions. They spent several years refining the concept before publishing the first Mad Libs book in 1958, later founding the publishing imprint Price Stern Sloan to keep the series going. Since then, Mad Libs has expanded into hundreds of themed books, a game show, digital apps, and classroom editions, all while staying true to its original fill-in-the-blank format.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Mad Libs

A Mad Libs session usually ends in giggles as kids hear their own wild word choices—like “sparkly dinosaur” or “sneezing hero”—turn an ordinary paragraph into utter nonsense.

Mad Libs is a classic fill‑in‑the‑blank word game; you open to a story, ask your child for words that match parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), write them in unseen, and then read the silly finished story aloud.

Because it’s inherently social, someone has to prompt and record words and then perform the final reading, so parents or siblings almost always join in.

Mad Libs works best once kids have at least a basic sense of parts of speech, though younger children can still play by offering words while an adult supplies the grammar labels.

Mad Libs are playful grammar practice and can be delightful for verbal, ADHD, and autistic kids who like wordplay. For dyslexic or language‑impaired learners, it works best when someone else writes and reads aloud, focusing on parts of speech and humor rather than mechanics.

Mad Libs turns grammar and vocabulary into a silly fill-in-the-blank game, and dyslexia specialists often use it to give students low-pressure practice with parts of speech and spelling. Because the activity is collaborative and oral as much as written, kids with reading challenges can participate and enjoy wordplay without being judged on decoding speed.

Mad Libs turns grammar and vocabulary into a silly fill-in-the-blank game, and dyslexia specialists often use it to give students low-pressure practice with parts of speech and spelling. Because the activity is collaborative and oral as much as written, kids with reading challenges can participate and enjoy wordplay without being judged on decoding speed.

Any returns or refunds are handled by the bookstore or online retailer where you buy the book and follow that seller’s standard policy.

Not great as a core writing or grammar program, nor for kids who become embarrassed by reading silly sentences aloud or who struggle to keep bathroom humor in bounds.

Alternatives and complements include silly story apps like Rory’s Story Cubes, Story Cubes–style printable prompts, and more structured but still playful resources like Brave Writer’s Jot It Down or Night Zookeeper.

New themed Mad Libs collections are published regularly, covering holidays, hobbies, and popular fandoms, so it’s easy to find sets that match your child’s interests.

Use Mad Libs as a five-minute “brain break” between heavier subjects; before you start, review one part of speech (like adjectives) and challenge your child to use at least three brand-new words in that category during the game.

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Meet Roger and Leonard

Roger Price and Leonard Stern were the co-creators of Mad Libs and successful humorists in their own rights. Price was a stand-up comedian, cartoonist, and creator of "Droodles," while Stern wrote for classic television shows like The Honeymooners and The Steve Allen Show. Their collaboration on Mad Libs combined Price's love of visual and conceptual gags with Stern's skill at crafting punchy dialogue and scenarios. The enduring popularity of Mad Libs—over 100 million copies sold—reflects their instinct that inviting people to play with language could be endlessly entertaining and surprisingly educational.