Are you looking for ways to make learning fun and engaging for your middle school students? Look no further! In this article, we will explore a variety of fun classroom games that will level up the learning experience and have your students excited about coming to class every day.
Playing games in the classroom not only breaks the monotony of traditional teaching methods but also helps in enhancing critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Whether you are a teacher looking for new classroom ideas or a parent searching for educational games for your child, this article has got you covered. Get ready to transform your classroom into an exciting learning environment with these captivating games. Let the fun and learning begin!
Blooket
My Students' Favorite Fun Classroom Game!
I want to start with Blooket. My students found this at the end of last year and they just about lost their minds over it! Keep in mind that my students are sixth graders, so pleasing them can be a challenge at times. It is definitely the definition of fun classroom games! Blooket offers a great free version and their paid upgrade comes in at a super low $2.99/month.
Students have ten game board options to choose from when beginning. This is an awesome feature! Even if your students get tired of the questions, just change up the game board and it becomes an entirely new experience! My students particularly loved Battle Royale, as they could “steal” money from their opponents – mostly me! I love to play with them whenever possible.
Blooket offers many pre-made games to choose from, but also offers the option to make your own game. I definitely recommend checking this game out with your class this year!
Fun Classroom Game #2
Factile is an online Jeopardy style quiz game. Factile reports teachers can make a game board in minutes. Like most online classroom games, the basic version is free and simple enough to use, the the paid version at $5.00/month offers tons more features. This price comes in a lot higher than the paid version of Blooket, but there are definitely a lot of features available for that price.
I played around with the free version of this game and it is definitely something I will periodically use in my class. One feature I didn’t like is that you cannot upload an image, video, equation or sound without the paid plan. Even the free version of Kahoot allows pictures, videos and sounds. However, one really cool feature of the paid plan is a buzzer option. I know my students would love to use that during a game.
Fun Classroom Game #3
Just like Factile, Baamboozle offers a free and an upgraded paid version. Baamboozle’s free version allows you to add up to 24 images in a single game. There can be up to four teams per game. Its paid version allows more pictures, more teams and the option to edit any of their 500,000 games. I personally found 24 pictures to be enough at the free version.
A typical game is set up like the picture on the right. Teams take turns choosing a number, then trying to answer the question.
Along with play mode, students can also study and see a slideshow of the questions. Study mode gives your students a chance to view the questions and answers without the pressure of a game. The slideshow is pretty much just that, a viewing of the questions and answers. This would be good as a sneak peek before the actual game.
QR Code Treasure Hunt
Fun Classroom Game #4
Unlike the aforementioned games, this online game can be played without internet. This game needs a bit more prep from the teacher, but is definitely worth the time. The teacher enters a series of questions and answers, and the website generates QR codes for each. Next, cut out the codes and hide them around the area you plan to use. I suggest actually hiding them, such as underneath desks, behind the door, etc. That way they will have to work to find them!
This game will get your students up and out of their seats. The sky is the limit as far as this game. Play it in your room, throughout the school or even outside!
Teachers must submit a minimum of 5 questions in a certain pattern which is very simple to follow. I definitely recommend downloading a QR reader app (free) instead of using your device’s camera. The app makes the question a lot easier to read and manage as opposed to using the camera.
Quizalize
Fun Classroom Game #5
For a free online review game, Quizalize offers a large amount of features that would be suitable for online or in-school learning. Signing up for an account is very easy, and teachers have the ability to make their own classes. Quizzes can be played or assigned, and classes can be aligned to your state’s standards. I really like that part!
Images and audio are included in the free version. I was really impressed by the choices offered after the student has finished the quiz. Depending upon the grade students’ earn, teachers have the ability to assign another quiz, a YouTube video, PDF file, or a different web activity. That’s very impressive!
Teachers can offer timed or untimed, limited or unlimited attempts, and many other features. I just love all the features in this review game.
I would definitely check out Quizalize if you like to personalize your students’s learning and you also want to stick to the standards. The paid version is available for $5.75/month.
Finally, Quizizz is another quiz type of online review game that has preloaded games and allows teachers to make their own. Teachers can assign homework or play as a whole class. During whole-class play, this platform offers an automatic name generator. As a middle school teacher I appreciate this feature, as I have had to kick out some students who have had inappropriate names in the game.
After some questions, Quizizz shows funny memes that the students love. There is also a leaderboard so kids can check out how they are performing compared to their peers.
No matter what grade you teach, having a list of fun classroom games is always a useful tool. I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know your favorite games.
If you are looking for some back to school ideas, check out this blog post! They are geared toward not making your middle school students cringe!
End of Year Activity – Escape Room
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Earth Day Activities – Escape Room Game
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