What do all kids around the world have in common? They love to play.
Classroom games are a great way to harness the power of play and use it to enhance your students’ learning experience. Not only are games fun and engaging, they can also:
Help students focus better
Present educational material in a new and interactive way
Give the whole class an opportunity to get to know each other better
Keep reading for 21 fun games to play in class, then build them into your lesson plans for more learning!
Math games
Student uses number blocks to play classroom math games
When it comes to new math concepts, students usually need lots of practice to master them. Use these math games for kids to make math practice engaging and effective – all while building their problem-solving skills!
1. Prodigy Math
Best for: 1st to 8th grade
Be your students’ math classroom hero with Prodigy Math, an online role-playing game (RPG) that turns math into an adventure.
As students explore the Prodigy world, complete quests and earn rewards, their success depends on answering curriculum-aligned math questions. Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm meets students where they are and tailors questions to their learning needs.
Plus, you can align Prodigy to your classroom lessons! You’ll get tools to help you:
Differentiate content for every student
Engage your learners with a new and fun way to practice math
Gather insights to inform the teaching strategies you use every day
Sign up for your free teacher account today and start making math class fun.
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2. Math baseball
Best for: 3rd to 8th grade
Divide your class into two teams to play math baseball — another activity that gives you full control over the questions students answer. Here’s how:
One team will stand at the front of the room and start at bat, scoring runs by choosing questions worth one, two or three bases.
“Pitch” the questions using flash cards, which range in difficulty depending on how many bases they’re worth.
If the at-bat team answers incorrectly, the defending team can respond correctly to earn an out.
After three outs, switch sides.
Play until one team hits 10 runs.
3. 101 and Out
Pile of colorful dice for classroom math games.
Best for: 2nd to 6th grade
101 and Out is a fun and effective way to end math class! The goal is to score as close to 101 points as possible without going over.
Divide your class in half and give each group a die, piece of paper and a pencil.
Groups take turns rolling the die, using their best strategic thinking skills to either count the number at face value or multiply it by 10. For example, if the first person rolls a six, they can keep that number or turn it into 60.
This game gets competitive quickly, and boosts excitement levels in your math class!
4. Get the Math
Best for: 6th grade and up
Make math come to life with Get the Math, a site that prompts your students to solve challenges related to math in different careers and real-world situations.
The website contains videos with young professionals in fields like fashion design or video game development, explaining how they use math every day. You can assign challenges to your class after watching, some of which involve playing fun games.
For example, one of the activities challenges students to use different materials and measurements to design a shirt for less than $35.
5. Fraction War
Best for: 2nd to 6th grade
Always a classic, the card game War can help students practice basic math skills in a more engaging way than traditional worksheets.
This version teaches students the basics of fractions. Each student is dealt two cards, one numerator and one denominator. Once they calculate which fraction is larger, the person with the larger fraction wins and gets all four cards! Keep playing until all the cards are gone.
Not teaching fractions? No problem! Use War to give students practice multiplying or dividing with two cards, or challenge students to practice place value and build a number bigger than their opponents’.
English and spelling review games
Picture of scrabble board with tiles on it.
Make english class F-U-N with these games that boost reading and writing skills. Use them to practice the week’s vocabulary words or give ESL students more practice.
1. Hangman
Best for: 2nd to 6th grade
Can your students solve the puzzle before the hangman is complete? Use this classic game to introduce new sight words to the class or review vocabulary.
Divide students into small groups with pads of paper, or stand up at the front and play as a class. Think of a word and put down one blank space for each letter. Have students guess letters, and write them in the blank spaces if they’re correct. If they’re incorrect, add another part to your stick figure.
You can also replace the hangman with a snowman for more festive (and kid-friendly) fun.
The game ends when students have either guessed the correct word or the hangman is complete!
You can even let your students take the lead in the game by asking one of them to choose the word, while the rest of the class attempts to solve their puzzle.
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