Classroom games can increase student engagement in a hurry! In elementary school, you can call just about any activity a game and you will see their eyes light up. Fun classroom games are a great way to review content, provide additional student practice, and can even be used as an assessment. The possibilities are truly endless. In this post, I will share 4 ideas for classroom games that are sure to increase student engagement.
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1. Classroom Scavenger Hunt
When you think of a scavenger hunt, you probably think of a number of clues that give you riddle-like hints of where to find the next clue. Now, as fun as that would be in the class, that is not what I’m talking about today. In a classroom scavenger hunt, the clue is the answer to the question the student just answered.
Here is how it works:
A student answers a question or solves a problem. Once they get their answer, they will go looking for that answer on another question or problem. When they find their answer, that is the problem they solve. The students continue this process until they complete all of the questions.
My 4th grade students loved our Wizard Addition and Subtraction Scavenger Hunt. They each started at a different task card. After choosing their first task card, they solved the addition or subtraction problem on that card. The answer that they got was their clue to find their next card. They found the answer they got on the top of the next card. My students continued to solve the problems on the different task cards until they circled back to their first card.
Although, this is a different take on classroom games where students are not necessarily in competition with each other. Students are still highly motivated because it still feels different than your typical math practice activity.
2. Task Card Games
The great thing about task cards is that they have so many uses. One of my favorite ways to use task cards are playing task card games. Task cards can work in so many games. I have a few favorites to share.
Scoot Classroom Games
Scoot games are simple and can be used with any set of task cards. This classroom game is simple. Set task cards out around the room. Each student goes to a task card and completes it. Then, they scoot to the next task card and complete that one. This repeats until time is up or students have completed every card.
There are a couple ways to manage this game. The first is to have all students scoot at the same time. Wait for all students to finish their task card, and then say “Scoot”. Doing this task card scoot game this way makes it easier to manage. The downside is that some students may be sitting waiting for others to finish. The second way to manage this game in the classroom is to let students work at their own pace. Once they finish one task card, they can scoot to the next task card. I prefer this way because students are all working their hardest and at their own pace.
Jenga Task Card Games
This is another simple way to use task cards and turn them into classroom games. Students pick a card, every person in the group completes the task card. When every student in the group is done, students compare their answers and help any student who had a mistake. The student who chose the card then gets to choose a Jenga Block to remove from the stack. They remove the block, stack it on top, the next student chooses another task card, and the process repeats.
The great thing about Jenga task card games is that you can use any task cards to play this game. There are also a variety of options of task cards that are made specifically for Jenga games that you can purchase or find for free.
Board Games with Task Cards
Similar to Jenga, board games can be played with task cards, as well. The process is much the same. One student chooses a task card. All of the students in the group complete the task card and compare their answers. The student who chose the card then gets to roll the dice and move on the board game.
This type of classroom game adds a little challenge to a typical board game while simultaneously increasing student engagement and motivation to complete the task cards.
3. Digital Escape Room
I mean, we can’t completely transform our classroom into a full-blown escape room. Well, you could, but that isn’t always feasible. Digital escape rooms are great classroom games that can take very little prep. They are often done on Google Slides or Google Forms, but there are a lot of possibilities out there.
Most escape rooms are self-paced and self-grading. This allows students with immediate feedback. Students work through problems or questions on a digital platform. As they get answers correct, they move forward through the escape room. If they answer incorrectly, they are given feedback and a chance to work their answer again.
My students worked through a rounding escape room. The engagement and motivation was sky high! There were three things that I attribute to this excitement:
- It was Olympic themed.
- They had just completed an entire Olympic Rounding Unit.
- They were doing an Escape Room!
You can see more about how I used math tasks to help students gain a deeper understanding of math concepts here.
4. The Amazing Race Classroom Games
Is anybody else a huge fan of The Amazing Race? Why not bring this excitement into your class? The Amazing Race has so many possibilities for classroom games. Any subject, skill, or content can be used in this game.
This is a little more time consuming, as you have to prep the pit stops, detours, and speedbumps. But, I promise you the prep is totally worth it!
If you use this template, all you have to do is type in your information and use. I know that your students will be begging to do this activity over and over again. And, you may even want to, too. Traditional games for classrooms don’t even come close to how fun this Amazing Race game is!
Need More Classroom Games Ideas?
Quick Games to Play in the Classroom
Classroom games increase student engagement, but there is one caveat. These ideas for classroom games are meant to advance the learning forward. Having games that are just fluff, are not helpful. Although students will be engaged, their learning will not be progressing. Add games into you lessons that are rigorous and advance learning.
Need an already created guide to engaging students? I have created a guide just for you, packed with 20 easy to implement student engagement strategies that you can use today! Fill out the form below and I will send you my New Teacher Guide to Student Engagement straight to your inbox.
Get your students engaged in the learning process with these 4 games. Engaged learners are our goal. Real learning takes place when students are engaged and interested in the lesson. Use classroom games to make this happen in your classroom.
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