These school games are great for students of all ages! Incorporate fun into learning with this list of the best games to play in class or on the playground.
50 Fun School Games for All Grades and Subjects
Despite what some people may think, games have their place in the learning environment. Whether it’s to help students study for a test, or to kill a few minutes at the end of class, fun school games can be useful tools for teachers!
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite fun school games, from those using the smart board to those played during recess. Let this list inspire you for the next time you want to incorporate fun into the classroom.
Smart Board & Electronic Games
There are plenty of fun school games that can be played as a class using the smart board. This is a great way to incorporate technology into learning.
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Kahoot!
Kahoot is an interactive game-based learning platform that allows teachers to create quizzes, surveys, and discussions.
Players can join the game using a unique code and answer questions in real time using their devices. It promotes engagement and competition, making it a popular choice for classrooms to review material and assess student understanding.
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Quizlet Live
Quizlet Live is a team-based learning game based on the popular Quizlet flashcard app.
In this game, teams of students must work together to match terms with their correct definitions. Each team member has a subset of the answers, so effective communication and teamwork are essential to winning.
Quizlet Live is an excellent tool to help the class study and to reinforce concepts learned.
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Booklet
Blooket is an innovative and engaging educational game platform that allows teachers to create and host games on various topics.
Students can join these games using a unique code, similar to Kahoot!, and participate in a variety of game modes. These modes include quiz-based games, team competitions, and solo challenges. Blooket's flexible design and diverse game options make it a versatile tool for reviewing material, reinforcing concepts, and keeping students motivated and excited about learning.
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Pictionary (Digital)
Digital Pictionary is a take on the classic Pictionary drawing and guessing game. Students draw their image on the smart board while their classmates guess what it is they’re drawing.
The digital format of this fun game allows for easy sharing and saves on paper and other materials.
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Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is one of the best games you can play to help students study a wide range of concepts. It’s a perfect fun school game to play in classes leading up to a big test.
This take on the popular quiz game show can be easily adapted by teachers. Tailor the categories and questions to your unit.
Students can play individually or in teams, selecting a category and point value to answer the corresponding question. The interactive format encourages active participation, reinforces knowledge, and adds an element of fun competition to the learning process. Online Jeopardy games can be shared via a smart board or other digital devices, making it an engaging way to review material and assess student understanding.
Jeopardy! is a fun school game for any age, but can be particularly fun and useful for middle and high school students.
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Digital Bingo
Digital Bingo is a modern twist on the classic Bingo game, utilizing technology to enhance the gameplay experience.
In Digital Bingo, students can participate using their devices, such as tablets, laptops, or smartphones. The game can be hosted on various online platforms that automatically generate unique Bingo cards for each player.
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Scratch Coding Games
Scratch is a free, visual programming language and online community created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where students can create their own interactive stories, games, and animations. It provides an intuitive platform for learning the basics of programming and computational thinking through a simple drag-and-drop interface.
There are a variety of games that can be played on Scratch, including maze games, interactive quizzes, and more!
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Typing Club
Typing Club is an interactive online platform designed to teach and improve typing skills. It offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes lessons, exercises, and activities tailored to various skill levels, from beginners to advanced typists.
The platform tracks progress, providing feedback and adjustments to help users improve their speed and accuracy.
Typing Club is well suited for beginners at typing, such as older elementary school students.
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Gimkit
Gimkit is an interactive game-based learning platform that allows teachers to create quizzes and assignments in a game format. Students can join using a unique code and participate in various game modes such as Quizlet-style live games, team competitions, and more.
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Google Earth Quizzes
Get creative with Google Earth and send your students on a digital scavenger hunt across the globe! Create prompts that students use to find specific landmarks, geographical features, or historic sites.
This game is particularly fun for History and Geography students, as it lets students see the landmarks they’ve learned about in class.
Related: Our Favorite Back to School Games
Fun School Games Using Pen & Paper
While school games using the smart board can be fun, it’s also handy to have some non-electronic games in your back pocket. These classic games can be played using only a pen and paper!
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Hangman
Hangman is a classic school game that can help students with vocabulary. It can be particularly useful in language classes!
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Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-Tac-Toe is a game that can be used to kill time at the end of a lesson. Divide students into pairs for this game.
Use the game as a means to help students study by giving them a list of questions they need to answer correctly before each turn.
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Word Search
Word Searches are a great way to reinforce vocabulary and to introduce a new unit. They can be quietly completed at the start of class as a warm-up activity.
TeacherVision has a vast library of word searches that can easily be printed for your class!
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Crossword Puzzle
Similar to word searches, crossword puzzles can be used to practice vocabulary and introduce new concepts. They can also be used to quiz students on their knowledge midway through a unit.
TeacherVision has a vast library of crossword puzzles that can easily be printed for your class!
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Dots and Boxes
Dots and Boxes is a classic pencil-and-paper game for two or more players. The game starts with an empty grid of dots. Players take turns drawing a single horizontal or vertical line between two adjacent dots. The objective is to complete the fourth side of a 1x1 box.
When a player completes a box, they write their initial inside the box and take another turn. The game continues until all possible boxes are completed. The player with the most completed boxes at the end of the game is the winner.
This game is excellent for developing strategic thinking and spatial awareness.
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Mad Libs
Mad Libs is a word game where players fill in blanks with different types of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) to create a humorous and nonsensical story. One player prompts others to provide words without revealing the context and then reads the resulting story aloud for everyone to enjoy.
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Battleship
Battleship is a fun partner game that can easily be adapted to the classroom environment.
It promotes critical thinking, strategic planning, and spatial awareness. Additionally, it can be adapted to reinforce various subjects:
- Math: Use coordinates to teach and practice graphing skills.
- Geography: Label grids with geographical locations to enhance map-reading skills.
- Vocabulary: Integrate word grids where students must spell words correctly to "hit" a ship.
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Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts in class are an excellent way to engage students in active learning. They promote problem-solving skills, teamwork, and critical thinking. Print out some clues on pieces of paper and hand them out to teach team of students.
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Sudoku
Sudoku can be used in the classroom to enhance students' logical thinking and problem-solving skills. It helps improve their concentration, attention to detail, and ability to recognize patterns. Teachers can use Sudoku puzzles as a warm-up activity, a brain break, or as part of a math lesson to practice deductive reasoning.
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Paper Fortune Teller
A paper fortune teller is a fun and interactive paper craft that children can use to “predict fortunes” or answer questions. It is made by folding a square piece of paper into a specific pattern, creating a device with four flaps that can be moved and opened to reveal hidden messages or fortunes.
Players ask a question, choose a number or color, and then open and close the fortune teller according to their choice, finally revealing the answer or fortune written inside.
Recess Games, Games Requiring No Material, and Board Games for School
Along with the fun school games listed above to help your students study, there are also some classic games that can be played in school during recess or free time that require no material from the teacher!
Games Requiring No Material
- Simon Says
- Charades
- 20 Questions
- Red Light, Green Light
- Duck, Duck, Goose
- Freeze Dance
- Telephone
- Heads Up, Seven Up
- Musical Chairs
- Hot Potato
Recess Games
- Tag
- Capture the Flag
- Kickball
- Four Square
- Relay Races
- Hopscotch
- Tug of War
- Sack Races
- Hide and Seek
- Obstacle Course
Board Games
- Chess
- Checkers
- Monopoly
- Scrabble
- Connect Four
- Clue
- Candy Land
- The Game of Life
- Battleship (board version)
- Risk
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