Playing Games in the Classroom

How many of you play games in the classroom or at home with your own children? If you are a teacher or parent that does NOT play games, then your students might be missing out. Games can improve knowledge, increase testing scores, and do so much more.

I love games! When I first started teaching, I quickly realized kids LOVE games too! They are more engaged and are involved in an activity when a game is being played. They have fun and they don't even realize they are learning either. Plus, games provide much needed practice on curriculum standards. 

Did you know that playing games helps with:
1. Sportsmanship- Students learn to be good winners and losers. There are no "In your face or I'm the best" behavior when they win. There are no, "you cheated, you suck, I don't want to play anymore" behavior when they lose. Congratulations are in order and definitely a rematch! Games will help students interact with their classmates and get to know them better. When you get to know your classmates, you will treat them better and hopefully become friends. 
2. New concepts to learn- Student's brains are in overload when they learning something new. Learning new vocabulary words or memorizing math facts can be overwhelming. Games helps ease learning. If students are needing to practice math facts, rolling 2 dice and adding them together can help students practice and be engaged at the same time. Most of them won't even realize they are learning and practicing math facts. When learning new vocabulary words, a fun Jeopardy game can help students practice reading and reviewing words. 
3. Develop skills- Many games will have your students developing many skills when they play games. Think about Monopoly. When they play, they are learning about money, counting money, reading big numbers, and developing an understanding of life like paying bills. 
4. Improve skills- Games will provide practice with skills. When students practice, they become better at it and improve. Think about baseball. If I play everyday and practice, it will improve my baseball skills.  
5. Motivate students- Students are more motivated to practice a skill by playing a game than doing a worksheet. Students will be more willing to participate and become involved when playing a game.  
6. Engagement- When students play a game, they are engaged so much that they don't even know they are learning or practicing skills. 
7. Challenging- Some games challenge students. Some games use higher level thinking or involve strategies to stay in the game. For example, battleship or chess are games that use strategic thinking. These games are good in keeping the brain focused and learning new strategies by making better moves.

Games in the classroom are proven to improve skills. When students are engaged and involved, their learning goes way up! They will remember more and exercise the brain with much needed skills and strategies.   

In my classroom, I set up a station for games to be taken home to play. I use it the same way they would if they were checking a book out of the classroom library. I take a gallon size plastic baggie and glue the directions on the front of the bag. I provide all material that's needed for the game and put in the baggie like dice, scratch paper, pencils, task cards, gameboard, and game tokens. Students sign a sheet or card letting me know what game they took home and the date they took it home. Once they return the game, they can check out another game. If students like to play a certain game, think about how you can let them take it home to play. 

I have a ton of games that are educational, engaging, and challenging for your students for a variety of classrooms. Click on the pictures below to be taken to my TPT store to make purchases. 

Spelling games are great for the whole class, with partners, or as individuals. Check out the Spelling Games and Centers.

  

Phonics Games! These are great for beginning readers.

 

Super Power Thinking are great for adding and subtracting by 1s and 10s.

These games come in 2 versions:

 

Dice Games are engaging for students. 

These are great for learning facts.

 

 

Here are board games you may like that I found on Amazon:
Connect 4
UNO
Sequence
Life
Clue

Here are games for the classroom that I also found on Amazon. These are games I have used in my own classroom:
Coin Counting Game
Bingo Sight Words
Silly Sentence Game
Bananagrams Spelling Game
Addition and Subtraction Bingo

Have fun playing games.
See you soon,