OK- Everybody! Share your best classroom games!

Hi all,

I am a little bored with my classroom games, so I thought that I would start a thread and ask you all to share your best games that you use to review or drill material. I'll start!

1. Toss the ball- I use small soft nerf-type ball. I toss it to the first kid and ask a question. If he gets it right, he can toss it to a classmate and that person gets a question. If any wrong answer is given, I take the ball back and toss it to the student of my choice. They love this because they like to throw things in class, and also they want to get the answer right and be in control of throwing the ball to a friend.

2. King or Queen of (fill in the blank)- this is a SIMPLE game I started off the top of my head one day. I have been SHOCKED at how much they LOVE this game- even the 8th graders. I teach grammar, and reviewing the 10 sentences they just did silently to give the correct answers can get boring. I have them complete the exercise silently and when everyone is finished they all stand up with their books. I go through the answers, and if they get one worng they sit down. The last one standing is (for example) King or Queen of Participles, etc. Sometimes you have more than one student standing. I draw a big crown on the board in chalk and write the names in it. They LOVE this. I don't understand it. Really.

3. Chalkboard Baseball- this one again involves throwing balls. Draw a baseball diamond on the board but draw big circles around the 4 bases so that if the ball hits in the cirlce near that base it counts as a 3rd base hit, 1st base hit, etc. I make the sides of the board pop-fly outs. Take the small spongy nerf baseball and dip it into your chalkboard cleaning bucket filled with a bit of water and wring it out. Divide the class into even teams, and each player comes up "to bat" even though they are throwing the ball. Where the ball hits, that's the base they get. Sometimes I will take chalk and shade the entire board and then draw in the lines so I can see where the ball lands better. Have fun with this one if you have a class that won't go crazy on you!

4. Trash-ketball- this is an oldy but a goody. The trashcan becomes the "basketball net" and a wadded up piece of paper the ball, or use the soft ball I mentioned in the other games. I call a row up at a time and ask a question. If the child gets it right, that team gets a point. The child can then toss the ball into the can. If the student makes it, add another point. If the question was answered wrong, no point, and no chance to throw for an additional point.

I'm just now realizing I sure do throw a lot of stuff in my classes. I can't wait to read all about your best classroom games!

Trina in Alabama
Middle School teacher

 

1. Sparkle
2. Hangman
3. Tic Tac Toe (used with spelling or comprehension questions)
4. Duck Duck Goose (run to the board and spell or answer a question)
5. Relay Race (to the board to answer question)
6. I spy on the word wall....
7. 100 Puzzle, arrange 100 number flashcards into 100 day grid
8. Add/Subtraction War (after card game)
9. Word Go Fish (card game)
10. Bingo (word or math)
11. Dominos
12. Hot Potato or Boss Ball
13. Word Slap Jack
14. Invisible Ink Cards (file folder games, etc)
15. Word Dominos
16. Word or Math Going Fishing (like carnival game (pipecleaner poles))
17. Sorry (draw popcicle stick with word (invisible ink) and spell that word, then if they draw "sorry" stick, they put back all their words).
18. Cheer Chairs (cross between fast pace musical chairs and cheering-hard to explain).

 

We play Chalkdown to practice math facts. (It's called chalkdown because back when I was in school and learned to play it, we had chalk, and the chalk had to be down on the tray before you could ge the problem correct, and markerdown just doesn't sound as good!) Anyway, I divide the class into two teams and a person from each team goes up to the board. I give them a math problem to solve. The first one to get the right answer and put their marker on the tray with the cap on gets a point for their team. The kids love it when we play this, especially when I divide them boys against girls.

 

I recently started playing 1 vs (class size). Based on the TV show
1 vs 100.

This is really good if you are giving a multiple choice test. But it can be adjusted for all tests, if you can get a bit creative. My kids love playing this game.

Here is a quick list of how I do things:
The aim of the game is for one contestant to answer questions against (class size) others and eventually try to eliminate them all.
The 1 is selected (however you want to choose)
The player is asked a three-way multiple choice question.
The "(class size)" are given six seconds to answer by selecting the letter A,B, or C, that are written on 2 separate sheets of paper.
The "1" can then give their answer in their own time. If the 1 is correct, they stay in the game. If they are wrong, they leave with nothing.
If any of the class members get a question wrong they are eliminated, and for each elimination the 1 receives ($1000 in the real game, I give them free time minutes). However, to get their hands on the money they must eliminate all their opponents.
In order for the player to get the (reward) he/ she must answer all the questions correctly and get rid of the opponents.
The class, has a goal to stay in the game. IF they successfully knock out the 1, then they split the (reward.)

Hope this helps.

 

I teach 1st grade. My students LOVE 4 corners on a rainy day. Sometimes I put sight words, vocab. words or vocab. pictures in the 4 corners so they can get familiar with them. They also like Heads Up 7 Up.

A game I came across that my students go wild over is called Digits. We start out with everyone sitting on the carpet. 2 students stand and face each other. I count to 3 and they each put out their hands holding out different amounts of fingers. Whoever says how many fingers the other person is holding out first wins. (You can tell right away who knows addition facts and who does not.) The loser goes to their seat, the winner stays on the carpet for round two. We keep going until there is only one person left. I suppose you could have them multiply the digits instead of adding.

If you have a smart board I have a really fun dice game that I made up for place value, comparing numbers, addition, subtraction or multiplication.

 

For higher grades, I like One Minute Mysteries. It doesn't matter what subject you're teaching as they're about getting students to get into critical thinking/logic mode. It's a good activity for start up or to break up a block.

 

4 corners is a hit as is 7up. Oddly enough most of my kids,
2nd-5th love 20 questions. I have had some memorable
words and reactions. One day the smartest kid was up in front
with me (he never talked or cracked a smile). His word was toilet.
One kid asked, "can you make music on it." We looked at each other
and almost passed out giggling. ( i guess you had to be there).

 

I am a HUGE fan of Kagan Cooperative Learning...they have some good classbuilding/team building exercises...and just some of the structures or ways that lessons are taught are "fun"

http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/clfiles.htm

this has some nice links/worksheets etc

But i also play:
5 in 10
Divide the class into teams (if big enough) and one person from each team stands in the front of the class/others...the questioning team comes up with a category...."NAME 5 STATE CAPITALS" ...the person or team then has 10 seconds to list 5 Whatever....i used this in Eng classes...NAME 5 ADJECTIVES.... it works for most subjects as review or as a brain break

Quick Questions
This is a listening game...or just silly fun....the students sit in a circle...i have everyone think of a question or two...then one person starts by pointing (or saying the name of) to another student and asks a question...the person asked the question points/names another student and asks a question...you can send the question back to the person who asked it...sorta like tossing a ball or what not...there are some rules:
1. It is called QUICK questions...if you hesitate or are slow, you are out
2. They must be QUESTIONS ...you cannot answer the question
3. No profane or mean or sexual questions...(i taught HS) you cant ask someone what size bra they are wearing etc
4. all questions must be done in ENGLISH...we had an exchange student from Romania that would mess up people...LOL
5. NO one word questions...Who? What? are not acceptable
6. You can repeat a question that HAS been asked...but not the one directly asked to you...if i point to Bob and say, How old are you? He CANNOT turn to Jessica and say "How old are YOU?" its the same question...but since I did not ask Jessica how old are you...she can turn to Joseph and repeat MY question...you just cant repeat the question asked directly TO you...this one takes a bit of explaining sometimes....

and yes...you can play until only one person is left or just keep tally or not...but my students LOVED it! its like the Hot Potato or one of those games...but students have to (gasp) TALK...i havent ever played with an object like a ball...mostly b/c i would drop it ...so the pointing or name thing works

KDS

 

I'm not sure if this would be classified as a game or more of a review activity, but my 6-8th graders love it! It works best with social studies and science topics. The teacher who taught it to me just called it Graffiti Review. I generally use it before a big test/exam as you need topics/words that are not too specific. You take several words or topics from your unit, eg. galaxy, sun, star, astronomer, satellite. Write each one in the middle of a piece of chart paper. Spread the chart papers around the room (wall, desks or floor). Give each student or group of students a marker (different colours if you can). Each student/group starts at one chart paper. When you say "go" they have to start writing down everything they know/can remember about the word or topic. Use a timer, and call "switch" after whatever interval you decide to use (30 sec., 1 min., 2 min. etc. for me it depends on the topics and the class). At "switch" they must rotate to the next paper. When all students/groups have written on each paper, I collect them. One at a time, I put them up on the board, as a class we read through what has been written, and I correct any inaccurate information or mention any important information that has been missed. It does not lend itself as an end or period or every class activity though. I find I usually need 30 min. to an hour to do it properly.

 

This is an intro/review activity I saw the art teacher use with the 2nd graders when I was student teaching. When she would introduce a new artist or style of artwork, she gave all the kids sentance strips with a key word/phrase/fact on it. They had to listen for whatever the card said, then put it up on the board. Sometimes she'd give a VERY quick preview by talking about some of the things on the cards. The kids loved it, and it ogt them listening for specifics.

 

There are some really really great ideas here.

One review game I have played was where the kids are in groups and are given a mini puzzle. Then for every question they answer right, they get a piece. The first group to put their puzzle together wins.

 

I like this one!

 

My high school kids love vocabulary bingo. I say the definition, they cover the word (if they have it).

I used to play hangman, but got in trouble over it. I had a student that had found a family member... (I didn't know this at the time).. she got upset and ran out of the classroom. When I explained to the counselor what happened, she asked why did we have to play THIS game?

Good question.

Just a thought.

 

Wow...Ouch! I modified my version after something similar...We don't play hangman, we play stickman...build the stick figure...of course now I guess it would be called Cubix.

 

Around the World
First student stands beside student 2's desk. I ask a review question, who ever says the answer first goes to stand by student #3. A player tries to go as far around the room as he/she can before they lose and have to sit down.

Jeopardy
Takes some teacher prep beforehand making categories and questions. Split the class into two teams. Draw the Jeopardy grid on the board. I used to have a student play "Vanna" and erase the chosen boxes and keep score.

Family Feud
Split the class into two teams. Have a player from each side come to the "podium" (a desk with two empty stapers) When I ask a review question whoever slams the stapler first gets the point for their team.

When studying geography we made a huge map with masking tape on my rug. Then when I called out a country the player that got there first got the point for their team.

Speed Writer
Two teams. Each sends a player to the board. I ask a question and the first to write the answer completely gets two points. If they don't know the answer they turn and give the white board pen to a team member who can try to get it for one point.

 

Thanks Trina! THis is a great thread for the cold dismal months. I "crowned" an intransitive verb king and queen. The kids loved it!

 

you dont EVEN want to know what i read instead of "intransitive" Queen

 

Shame on you! I could not believe how excited they were about being the "queen"

 

thanks! and followup for everyone

Mary, I'm glad you had a good time with king and queen! I'm sure you were as shocked as I was at how the kids love this silly little game.

I LOVE ALL THE NEW GAME IDEAS!! THANKS EVERYONE!

I LOVE the grafitti game- will put that one to use very soon. I did the Jeopardy game already. I put the terms in rows on a sheet of acetate for the overhead projector, adn then covered each term with a little piece of sticky note. Then I drew a grid on the chalkboard and put dollar amounts at the top of each square and named each column a letter (I didn't have time to make actual categories, plus I had more than one sheet of terms). When I turned the projector on, I lined up each covered up term with the squares on the board, and viola! JEOPARDY! The student would call out A for 200 and I would just pull off the little piece of sticky note and the answer would appear on the board. We had great fun!

I'm so glad someone explained how Around the World works because I've heard of it but could not get the gist of it.

Will someone please explain 4 Corners?

Oh- I forgot something I do- not really a game, but a great motivator. I issue the "Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge" when we have a really hard list of spelling and vocab words. I give a practice test on Thursday and the final one on Friday. The kids who make a perfect score on the practice test do not have to take it on Friday. When I issue the C.C.C.C., those kids get to eat chocolate chip cookies while the other kids take the test on Friday. I bake them on Thursday nights (Sam's big tub of premade dough- scoop and bake).Pretty cruel, huh? But I get FAR more students making perfect scores because they want to be eating cookines on Friday rather than taking a test watching their classmates eat them. On Thursday I draw a big cookie on the whiteboard and write "These are the smart cookies" and as I grade them, I write the names of the perfect score kids inside the big cookie.

Keep the games coming! Thanks!

Trina in Alabama

 

Four Corners
One student comes to the front of the room and turns their back on the class and closes their eyes. You have already as a class decided which corner is what number (1-4) Then you say go and all the students run to a corner. Then the student at the front picks a number. Anyone at that corner is out and sits back at their desk. Play repeats until there are only 4 players left. Then the rule is they each must pick a different corner. The last one standing wins and can be the caller next game. For some unexplained reason they love this game

 

When you want a quick game with no preparation, use the Brain Quest cards, set the kids up in teams, and play for points. My kids also like a game where I think of a word, tell them the meaning, and have them guess what it is. I'm not sure why they like it, but they do. To review for social studies every week, I split them into teams and ask them questions for points. They confer with other team members before answering. For some reason, they think this is a game. I know it is really review!

I've also played Bingo with everything - matching word form to algebraic form, matching decimals to fractions, multiplication, sums and products with integers, spelling words, social studies facts, holiday words ........ The key is to let the kids make their own bingo boards from a list of items you provide. Make sure to provide more items to choose from than there are spaces on the board.

 

I had totally forgotten about 4 Corners from my years teaching elementary. Why not make it a review game by making each corner a letter (a,b,c,d) and use multiple choice questions. Students go to the corner of the correct answer. You could win a prize if you're the only one at the correct corner. The prize would encourage them to think for themselves instead of following the flock.

 

Yeah, the thought of hangman always seemed grousome to me, and I don't like to play it. I'm glad you mentioned it (though it's sad that your student had to go through that experience she went through.) Instead, we think of a picture, (usually a clown or something) and I tell the students "for every turn you miss, I add on to my clown. If you figure out the word first, you win, If I finish my clown first, I win!" Exact same idea.

 

Buns Up

 

LOL! my husband who also teaches said the same "shame on you"

i love all these games...they are also great ice breakers for the workshops i teach

 

Okay, a neat game went over well this morning. Here it is. I wanted to practice interesting word choices. We focused on verbs, synonyms for run. I wrote different verbs on pieces of paper and the kids each picked one. Then they had to pantomime the verbs - scramble, dash, flee, race, etc. The rest of the kids had to guess the word. I put a list of all the possible choice son the board. They loved it. I have a small class, so I put them in teams and had them discuss the words and actions before the game started.

 

We did sparkle,but chnaged it to the season...instead of saying sparlke we'd say hearts for valentine's...the kids loved to change it up.

We played hangman as well, but again used a snowman for winter a butterfly for spring.

More review for first grade but the kids thought it was a game. We were talking about verbs & nouns, so I traced a child & cut out 2 figures We the made noun girl & verb boy. I had them come up with as many nouns ie arm, leg & we wrote the parts in their proper or close to proper places then to verbs our bodies can do ie running we'd write in the feet. They loved it we spent a great amount of time working on them.

Around the would with flash cards, the game Bang 2 or more...small groups kids loved it!!!

 

I also play Sparkle, but I added my own twist. Instead of the student that gets "sparkled" being out, he can save himself by spelling the word correctly. If he spells it right, then he stays in, and I pull a stick (with students' names on them). The person's name I pull is out. Some kids love it, some hate it. Some even claim their stick is cursed because I pull it so much!

 

Would you please explain how to play Sparkle?

 

This is how I play "regular Sparkle." You give the kids a word to spell. They go down the line with each of them saying one letter of the word. After the last letter is said, the next person says "sparkle." The next person in line is out.

I play my version as described in my last post. Enjoy!

 

I found this Jeopardy Board online one day - I was rather excited that I didn't have to make my own!

http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/download/blankjeopardy.ppt

 

oooh...i like it! THANKS :wow:

 

what is four corners for primary?

 

SILENT BALL - THE BEST GAME EVER!

Students sit silently on top of their desks. A small, soft ball (like a hackey sack ball) is thrown around the room randomly. Students are not allowed to talk so they have to use eye contact to know if the ball is coming to them. If the ball is thrown to them and they miss they have to sit back down. (Or you can judge that it was a bad throw and the thrower sits back down.) Anyone who talks is also out. Game continues until 2 are left. Kids love it and it's QUIET!!!!!

 

i agree silent ball is excellent but i play in a circle...when there is two left they have to take a step back each time....then we finally have a winner!

 

I think most teachers call this game CLUE. It's good for second language learners. The chosen student sits in front of the class with his/her back to the white board. You write a word on the board and the students have to tell the student what it is without saying the word. King Kong: He's big and hairy. He was in a movie. He doesn't like airplanes.

Verbs can be more difficult, depending on the verb. In fact all parts of speech can be used with some slight alterations.

Another is giving directions. You hide something in the classroom then blind-fold a student and have the classmates guide him/her to the object. Depending on their level it's likely you'll get past .. go right, go left .. to better commands like: bend down, reach in/over, slightly to the right, etc. Careful they don't hurt themselves.

 

Practice add and subtraction facts. Relay teams. Divide class into three groups. Be sure and put some fast students on each team. Teams are in a line. First person from each team goes to the black board and you say a fact. First one correct gets a point for their team.
Multiplication War
* You need a deck of cards - Pull out the jack, queen, king
* kids draw two cards from deck, multiply them together.
whoever has the higher answer wins all the cards.
Spill the Beans ----Take a bag of dry lima beans. Spray paint one side a bright color. Then give each group a cup with a predetermined amount of bean. (Say 14 for the example.)
They spill the beans on their desk. I sometimes used a piece of felt to soften the sound.
Next they write an addition problem for the spill.
5 red + 9 nonpainted = 14
5 + 9 = 14

This helps with basis facts. Not every group needs the same number of beans per cup. That makes it to easy to know the answer for the problem.

If you tell them the number in the cup ahead of time, you can do this game for subtraction.

They know there are 14 beans in the cup. Spill the beans. 3 are red. The rest are natural. Write a problem for this spill.
14 - 3 = 11
Multiplication Baseball
* Draw a diamond on the paper. Have two "players" (game
pieces)
* Use two or three di (or the dice with 10 sides work great)
If you want you can make up sets of cards labelled 1 - 10 that
the player can draw from too!
Player one starts at home and rolls, depending on the
multiplication answer he will move around the baseball diamond
until he scores a run. Also, certain answers are an out. Once
he has three outs, player number two is up
answers: 1-5 are outs ( ex: 1x5 )
6-20 is one hit ( ex: 3x2 )
21-35 is a double (ex: 7x5 )
36-55 is a triple (ex: 6x1x6)
over 55 is a homerun ( 8x8)
After all the innings, compare the number of runs to find the
winner.
Materials: popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Each player has only one turn. During a turn, the player places all popsicle sticks facedown and mixes them up.

2. The player then turns over the sticks one by one. Add up the numbers as you turn
them over. The object is to get a sum close to but not more than, 20.

3. A player may stop at any point and keep that score. The player turns all the sticks face down and mixes them up for the next player.

4. Players add their scores as follows:

• If your sum is less than 20, your score is the sum of the popsicle sticks.
• If your sum equals 20, you receive 30 points.
• If your sum is more than 20, your score is 0.

5. The player with the highest score wins.



Buy a beach ball at the dollar store. Write addition facts on the ball with a permanent marker. Students stand in a circle and toss ball to each other (make sure everyone is included) what ever fact your right thumb is on when you catch the ball, say the fact out loud and give the answer.

Take the number of feet in a mile. (5,280) divide by the number in a quintet 5, add the number of inches in a foot 12. What is the answer? 1068



Write the numbers 123456789. All students in the first grade are to multiply that number by 9; those in the second grade by 2x9 or 18; those in third grade by 3x9 or 27. In other words, each grade multiplies that number by 9 times its grade number. If the problem is worked correctly, the answer for the first grade will be all 1's, for the second grade all 2's, for 7th grade all 7's and etc.

Students love to play SKUNK.
Each letter of the work SKUNK makes a column and is a round. Each student in the class stands. Teacher rolls the dice. The students then have to add or multiply the dice and they get that many points. Now each student has to decide if they want to remain standing or sit down because if a one is rolled those who are standing lose their points for that round and the round ends. Play then goes to the next letter or round. Students can decide at any time in each round to sit down and save their points or stay and risk them. If two ones are rolled, those who are standing lose their points for the whole game. The students learn strategy and review math facts at the same time.
12 inches in a foot
3 feet in a yard
A yard is 36 inches
Now that's not hard
We'll go on a measuring spree
(Point) Be my partner
You can measure with me
http://www.auburn.wednet.edu/everydaymath/gamesK3/gamcorrk3.htm math centers/games

 

MY preschoolers are really interested in Doggie Doggie right now...

all the kids sit in a circle, someone hides their eyes and then someone gets a "bone" (I often play with a beanbag, but any small object would work." The kids chant, "Doggie, doggie where's your bone? Somebody stole it from your home. Guess who, Scooby Doo." The person opens their eyes and gets 3 guesses to guess who has the object.

I don't know where the chant came from, it's just what my school uses.

I've also done a game where someone leaves the room, someone else is designated the "leader." Leader starts a movement... tap knees, clap, pat hair, whatever... keeps changing motions whenever they want to. Everyone else follows the leader. Guesser comes back in and tries to figure out who the leader is.

 

I teach 6-8 grade science and my classes love paper ball fights. You have to use half a sheet of paper and write whatever you want on them. If we're doing element names, I write the symbol on it. Rules are 1-don't hit the teacher 2-when time is called you stop, if not you're out 3-no aiming for the face 4-must stay behind the desks (we move the desks to make 2 separate walls that they can't cross. that way no one is too close when they throw) with this we can do several things 1-quiz-when time is called write your symbol down and answer 2- odd man out - we open the paper and go around the room if you don't know the answer you're out. if someone is out they can answer and be allowed back in.

we also do nerf ball reading or to check answers - toss the nerf ball to the next person

down to the wire - have 2 judges who check the answers
the teacher needs to have questions made up and 2 groups who are in a line sitting on their desks.additional rule answers can not be yelled out, if they are you lose a point. For example if I want students to be able to write down the name and the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an element the judges pull an element from the box. they say H and astudent runs to the board an writes down the name (hydrogen) and # of protons, neutrons, and electrons and have to go back and sit on the desk. everyone has to stay on the desk before the judges can check the answer. the first team with all the members sitting and with the correct answer gets the point. kids love sitting on the desks! i also let the judges come up with additional rules. last time we played they class was too excited and the judges had to repeat themselves. so the judges decided that if they had to repeat themselves the team asking would lose points. the class made sure to listen.

we also play bingo for just about everything