Teaching shouldn’t always be textbooks and writing notes. All kids love to play, and that’s why every teacher needs a great selection of fun classroom games to keep kids engaged.
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Classroom games can be used for all kinds of purposes in the classroom. Whether it’s getting kids to know each other better, reinforcing the material they’ve learned in class, or if it’s simply getting them out of their seats, classroom games are an important part of any teacher’s toolkit.
When Should Teachers Use Classroom Games?
As a teacher, I know how difficult it can be to plan fun yet productive lessons all the time, especially ones that include enough academic content without being boring.
Using interactive games such as the ones listed below has changed my lesson planning as a teacher. I can see how much my students benefit from playing games, and they look forward to learning in this way. Interactive games are a fun and effective way to get students engaged and improve students’ focus.
However, interactive games should be used at specific times throughout lessons, helping to break up the time spent teaching and lecturing the class and instead making learning more interactive and fun.
Classroom Warm-Up
Many of these games lend themselves well to being a great warm-up to class. Using interactive games in this way can help students settle into their lessons and create a positive atmosphere before class has even started.
You can also link the warm-up game to the topic of the lesson, where possible, but even if it seems completely irrelevant, that’s fine too! The aim is to get students involved in the lesson as soon as possible.
- An Assessment Tool
Whether you use educational games with elementary or high school students, many of them can be a great way to assess how much students have learned in class.
Math and literacy games in particular can be adapted to suit the topics you have been studying with students, getting them to use creative thinking skills or memory skills in a specific way. - Brain Breaks
Students need a break from sitting down, writing, and sometimes even just thinking about the content they’ve just learned. That’s why using fun games and team-building games can be a great way to relax students, meaning they come back to learning feeling more refreshed and energized.
Using a fun game such as Simon Says or Balloon Pop can also give you, as the teacher, a much-needed break from teaching and help you to build better relationships with each student.
Fun Games to Incorporate Into Your Teaching
We’ve organized our choice of the best classroom games into different categories, to help you decide which games you can use with your students. These categories include:
- Icebreaker Games
- Quiz and Puzzle Games
- Problem-Solving Games
- Physical and Kinesthetic Games
- Language and Literacy Games
- Math Games
Icebreaker Games
Icebreaker games are an important part of helping students get to know each other. These games are best used at the beginning of the school year, or when introducing a new topic to the class.
- Two Truths and a Lie: Students take turns sharing three statements about themselves, two being true and one false. The challenge lies in guessing which statement is incorrect and encouraging students to engage with their peers and learn more about each other.
- Human Bingo: Students mingle around the classroom with a paper grid and interview their classmates, aiming to fill in the boxes with their classmates’ names who match certain descriptions, such as ‘A Student Who Plays the Piano,’ or ‘A Student Who Loves to Read.’
- Who Am I?: Students attach the name of a famous person or historical figure to their backs, and through yes or no questions, they must guess who they are with the help of their classmates.
- Would You Rather: Pose various hypothetical scenarios and ask each child to choose between two options. Participants take turns explaining their choices, teaching them to justify their opinions, and promoting discussion in the classroom. This is a fun way for kids to get to know each other and creates fun conversation starters.
- Cup Stack: In teams, students have to stack plastic cups on top of each other without the cup tower falling over. To make this game more interesting, students must answer a question about themselves or about a topic before stacking the cup.
Quiz and Puzzle Games
Quizzes and puzzles help to reinforce the material you have studied with students in class, in a fun way that doesn’t even feel like learning!
These classroom games can help students improve their teamwork ability, and bring a healthy competitive element to lessons.
- Jeopardy: Based on the popular game show, teachers can create customized Jeopardy-style quizzes to review previously covered topics. Students compete in teams, answering questions and accumulating points.
- Kahoot!: This digital platform allows teachers to create interactive quizzes, as well as use pre-made ones, providing a lively learning experience for students. As questions are projected on a screen, students use their devices to submit answers in real time, fostering healthy competition and engagement. You can use Kahoot to test all kinds of topics, from science concepts to new vocabulary words.
- Crossword Puzzles: Adapted to fit classroom subjects, crosswords can reinforce vocabulary, key concepts, and build problem-solving skills.
Problem-Solving Games
The best classroom games to help students gain confidence in their abilities are games that involve using critical thinking skills.
We’ve listed some of the best classroom games to test your students’ problem-solving skills.
- Riddles and Brain Teasers: Riddles and brain teasers challenge students to think creatively and apply problem-solving skills to solve problems. There are lots of these activities available online, and a simple search will yield lots of results that you can use as classroom warmers, or at the end of lessons if you have some time left over. You can create games using new words or concepts that students have recently learned, too.
- The Marshmallow Challenge: Provide students with a limited amount of materials (such as spaghetti, tape, and string) and a marshmallow. They must work together to build the tallest freestanding structure using only those materials.
- The Tower of Hanoi: This classic puzzle game involves moving a stack of different-sized disks from one pole to another, following specific rules. Students must strategize and think critically to find the most efficient solution. This game improves logical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Escape Room: Design or find pre-made escape room puzzles and set up a scenario in the classroom. Divide students into small groups and provide them with clues and riddles to solve within a set time. They must work together to decipher the clues and escape the “locked room.” Students love this unique game and it can be a great accomplishment for them to “escape.”
- Sudoku: Provide students with traditional Sudoku puzzles or create your own game based on their ability level. Sudoku puzzles require logical thinking, deduction, and problem-solving to fill in the grid with the correct numbers.
- Mystery Bag: Fill a bag with various objects and have students take turns reaching into the bag without looking. They must use their sense of touch to describe the object and guess what it is. Students enjoy playing this fun game and it’s definitely a memorable one to play.
- Logic Puzzles: Provide students with challenging logic puzzles, such as grid-based puzzles or riddles with multiple possible solutions. They must use deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills to solve the puzzles. This game enhances problem-solving and logical thinking abilities.
- The Robot Game: Divide the class into teams and provide them with a set of materials to create a “robot” or contraption that can complete a specific task (e.g., moving an object from one point to another). Students must work together in their team to brainstorm, design, and build the robot effectively.
Physical and Kinesthetic Games
Kids learn best when they have a break from sitting in their seats, writing, and copying down material.
It’s important to incorporate some physical games into your lesson planning, giving appropriate time for students to relax and recharge their brains, but also to help improve their motor skills, too.
- Simon Says: This classic game is always a hit with students. Through following commands, all the students engage in physical activities while practicing active listening skills.
- Human Knot: As a whole class, students form a circle and reach out to hold hands with two different people across the circle, creating a “human knot.” They then have to find a way to untangle themselves, encouraging communication and cooperation.
- Charades: This simple game always creates funny moments in class. One student must silently act out a movie, TV show, or book name, whilst other students guess. To ensure everyone gets a turn, consider setting a time limit, too.
- Ball Toss: During this game, one student must answer a question before tossing a beach ball to another classmate, fostering both teamwork and subject knowledge.
- Balloon Pop: The teacher will write different questions on small pieces of paper and insert them into balloons. Inflate the balloons and have the students take turns popping them by sitting on them or using their hands. Each student must answer the question inside before moving on to the next round, promoting conversation and interaction.
- Freeze Dance: Choose some fun songs, and when the music starts, the whole class has to dance around and show off their best moves. When the music stops, students stand still, holding their position. Any students who move and can’t freeze are out, and the game continues until one student is left standing.
- Four Corners: In Four Corners, one student is blindfolded and must stand in the middle of the room and count to 10. Whilst they are counting, all of the other students must run to a corner of the room. The blindfolded student must point to one of the four corners, and all students standing in that corner must sit down.
Language and Literacy Games
As an essential skill for all children, language and literacy games can help kids improve their reading and writing, as well as allow them to use their imagination and creativity in a fun way.
- Word Chain: Students generate words based on a specific category or theme, with each word having to start with the last letter of the previous word.
- Story Cubes: Students roll dice with images, and then collaboratively create a story incorporating those elements, enhancing creativity and language skills.
- Flashcard Duel: In this game, students stand back-to-back, each holding flash cards. The students must take two steps forward and then turn around. The fastest student to correctly answer the question on their opponent’s flash card gets to keep their card. The students with the most cards at the end are the winners.
Math Games
Math games help to bring the elements of math to life in a fun way for kids. These games help to build on the math skills that students learn in class, in a way that makes math less daunting for students who may struggle to enjoy it.
- Math Bingo: Create bingo cards with mathematical equations or problems instead of numbers. Students solve the problems and mark the corresponding answers on their bingo cards. The first student to complete a line or pattern yells “Bingo!” to win.
- Math Dice: Provide students with dice labeled with numbers and mathematical symbols. In groups or pairs, students take turns rolling the dice and using the numbers and symbols to create equations. This game promotes mental math skills and quick thinking.
- Math Scavenger Hunt: Hide math-related clues or problems around the classroom or school. Students work individually or in teams to locate and solve the clues, progressing through the scavenger hunt. This game encourages problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.
- Math Relay Race: Divide the class into teams and create a relay race where students solve math problems at different stations. Each student must complete their problem correctly before tagging the next team member. The first team to complete all the problems and cross the finish line wins the race.
Use Our List of Interactive Games to Help Students Learn
Incorporating classroom activities such as these within educational settings is essential for all teachers, helping you to impart educational concepts, foster collaboration and communication, and improve student engagement.
From icebreaker activities to logic puzzles, teachers have a variety of fun ways they can get students to practice answering questions and work together as a team. The importance of play in the classroom cannot be overlooked.
By effectively integrating classroom games into their teaching, teachers have the opportunity to transform typically mundane learning experiences into exciting and interactive adventures that leave lasting impressions on their students, giving them a chance to play and learn simultaneously.
Eleanor Griffiths
Eleanor is a qualified English teacher and has received a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), specializing in Secondary English, and holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature from Liverpool John Moores University. She is certified to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) and has worked with students in the U.K. and South East Asia. She currently works as an English teacher in Vietnam, teaching students across a range of ages.
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