101 Classroom Games

101 Great

Classroom
Games

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101 Great

Classroom
Games

Easy Ways to Get Your Students

Playing, Laughing,
and Learning

Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan, Ph.D.

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Copyright © 2007 by Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan.All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under
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DOI: 10.1036/0071481249

Dedicated to Jerry. With his support and encouragement, all things are possible.
—A.A.L.

Dedicated to Ally, who always inspires me and invites me to play.
—A.E.S.

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For more information about this title, click here

Contents

Acknowledgments ix
The Power of Games xi
Let the Games Begin! xiii

General Fun Games for Any Subject . . . . . . . . . . 1

Language Arts Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Math Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

|Science and Social Studies Games . . . 179

|Strategy and Memory Games . . . . . . . . 205

Appendix A: Who’s First? 223
Appendix B: Creating Teams 225
Appendix C: Making Game Supplies and Pieces 227
Grid Index 235
Skills Index 241

vii

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Acknowledgments

This book would not have been pos- unflagging. Thanks also go to our dad, Bill
Ludewig, whose sense of humor has perme-
sible without our editors, Holly McGuire and ated our existence.
Charlie Fisher. We thank Holly for the origi-
nal concept and her faith in us as authors and A special thank-you goes to Ally Nisenoff,
Charlie for guidance through this process. a creative soul, who seems to invent a new
We owe our thanks to the teachers who have game every day. Her spontaneous play has
shared their game ideas and favorites with us, found its way into this book in so many ways,
especially Holly Geiger, Diane Repp, and the and she enthusiastically offered her point of
staff at Parker Lower School. view as we developed ideas. Jeff Nisenoff also
gave invaluable support in meeting some
We want to thank our mom, Lois Ludewig, computer challenges as well as managing the
who began the tradition of teaching in our important details of everyday life while this
family and played games with us at home book came into being.
before taking them into her classroom. Her
encouragement throughout this project was

ix

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The Power of Games

The remarkable power of games to video games, and they play tirelessly to move
from level to level.
engage our attention is evident all around us.
Individually, and as a culture, we spend vast Let’s face it, games are fun and fun is moti-
amounts of time, energy, and resources to vating. Along with food and shelter, fun is one
watch and participate in games. Athletes are of the basics of life people will seek. We will
well-paid, stadiums are lavish, video games are do something fun over and over again, just to
ubiquitous, and school calendars are arranged have the experience. Things that are not fun
to make sure that interschool sports can be will often be avoided, lied about, delegated to
accommodated. I’ll bet that your cell phone others, or generally shoved to the back of the
even includes some tiny games so that you closet—unless there is another payoff at the
can play while waiting at the fast-food drive-up end of the drudgery, such as a paycheck or
window. We are so awash in games every day some boost to our personal status.
that we may not even notice their abundance.
The fact is that most people willingly
Basic principles of psychology tell us that engage in difficult and even arduous tasks if
anything done so often, by so many, must be those tasks are in the context of a game. This
motivating in its own right. There are all sorts is the rationale for taking school skills and
of interesting theories about why games are wrapping them up in some fun to harness
motivating, but the bottom line is that there is the power of games for learning. The features
something rewarding about games and that that make some games fun and others dreary
“something” is very powerful. It doesn’t seem are tricky, but we know that people enjoy a
to be all about winning, either. Loyal fans of challenge, some fair competition, an escape
losing teams persevere as do gamblers who into another reality, and a bit of surprise, and
slip coin after coin in slot machines without so the games in the pages that follow contain
a jackpot. Neither does that powerful “some- those motivating features. Each game is an
thing” seem to demand that the game be easy opportunity to bring playfulness to skill prac-
to play. Multitudes of schoolchildren have tice in a way that increases the “fun quotient”
memorized hundreds of complex character and fuels the desire to engage in the game
names, characteristics, and rules for fantasy again and again.

xi

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The games included here are obviously the occasional possibility of having good luck
not video games and might be considered old- beat skill, and the escape into an alternative
fashioned by some standards. But, remember, reality with some rather quirky rules.
if you have never done it, it’s new to you! So
the novelty of these games for today’s children Just because something is motivating,
is partly because they are three-dimensional, used frequently, and valued in popular cul-
rather than on a flat screen. In fact, novelty is ture, doesn’t mean that it should be endorsed
one of the things that makes a game fun and in the classroom. Since we have a few other
levels the playing field if you will, since no one goals for schooling beyond the simple pursuit
in the room is likely to have ever “been there, of fun and the thrill of winning, we have cre-
done that” before. Other features that increase ated these games to include the best aspects of
the fun quotient of these games are the the genre for use in supporting positive learn-
unusual uses for common household items, ing outcomes. 101 Great Classroom Games is
about fun with powerful, positive results.

xii The Power of Games

Let the Games Begin!

Each game in this book is a “recipe for fun” time away from an already jam-packed day.
Providing curriculum-relevant game materi-
with a purpose. If you are new to using games als at learning centers is an excellent way to
in the classroom, this book makes it easy to engage students who finish other work early,
get started, but it is also designed to be use- and well-designed games can make “free
ful for veteran gamers. The icons printed on choice” periods much more productive. It is
each page provide a quick way to decide if the all about making classroom time more rele-
game includes the subject areas that you wish vant, productive, and engaging. This book is
to reinforce. The games are rated for noise not about busywork!
level to let you know if the game is quiet and
calm enough for a learning center or better Parent volunteers, assistants, and com-
for an active setting. If a specific sort of game munity businesses should not be overlooked
is desired, then the Grid Index to Games and as wonderful resources for pulling together
the Skills Index to Games at the end of this materials to use in some of the games we
book will be helpful in locating the activity have included. Since there are no expensive
that suits your purpose. or exotic materials used in our games, a look
through the garage or a junk drawer may be
We understand all too well that class- all that is needed to bring some fun to a day at
rooms are busy places and that teachers school. Students themselves are also eager to
never seem to have enough time. With that bring in things to be used in a game they enjoy
in mind, many of these games use common to make it more personalized. An example of
school supplies and can be implemented this is found in “Pick a Pet,” in which actual
with little preparation, and that is a great pet pictures can be included as game pieces.
place to start if games are new for your class. Even sets of game questions can be created by
For example, “Back Words” or “Shoebox” students for later use. This is a great help to
can be played while a group is waiting in a the teacher, but also provides an extra oppor-
line, turning a fidgety transition time into tunity for students to interact with significant
an enjoyable bit of skill practice. These are subject matter before encountering it again
just two instances of games actually making in the game.
more time for learning, rather than taking

xiii

Copyright © 2007 by Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan. Click here for terms of use.

Each game in this book is written with Anyone has a shot at winning. In this way, a
a Setup section devoted to instructions for game creates its own world in which all man-
making the game components. We suggest ner of outcomes are possible.
that this section be copied and given to a will-
ing volunteer. Then, the rules for playing the The other psychological benefit that games
game are found separately in the How to Play provide is their repeatability. There can always
Section so that they can be copied and put be a rematch! How about two out of three?
with the finished game if desired. How easy This makes the winning and losing of indi-
is that? vidual games easier to accept and even leads
to a greater desire to play again. (Remember
Now that we have addressed time con- that powerful “something” that keeps us play-
straints in the school day and limits on prepa- ing?) As long as there is not a major tangible
ration time as potential obstacles to getting prize for just one winner on one play of the
started with games, some educators may feel game, winning or losing is often just an invi-
concerned about the psychological effects tation to play again. And, since everyone gets
of competition and winning versus losing a chance to experience winning and losing
when games enter the classroom. These are sometime, better empathy and sportsman-
not trivial concerns, especially for students ship can develop through time.
with disadvantages and handicaps. With this
in mind, most of our game designs include Whether we love it or dread it, dealing
suggestions for variations to adjust for special with competition is a part of real life. This
concerns. There are also games played just for is not a reason to bring harsh, all-or-nothing
the enjoyment of the group outcome, such as battles into the childhood experience, but it
“Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?” is a reason to consider games for children as
socially desirable. These games provide an
Our games can actually provide a venue emotional safety net for competition since it
for success that is not easily available in more is “all in fun” anyhow. These playful chances
conventional classroom tasks. Games offer to be beaten in the final play, misjudge your
the special combination of skill and a dash of own abilities, or just plain make a mistake
good luck that can put the underdog in the can help a player develop a resilient spirit to
winner’s circle. Extra sensitivity to this factor draw upon when these things inevitably hap-
can be noticed in the design of games with pen “for real.” Independent video game play
“instant win” sections on the boards and simply cannot offer this significant benefit to
lucky rolls of the die that allow any player to character development. Play with people and
make a big advance toward a win. We also sug- play with machines are fundamentally dif-
gest that younger players can continue with a ferent. In fact, there are few solitaire games
game beyond the “first winner” to determine in this collection precisely because learning
the “order of winners” so everyone can gain happens best in a social setting. Plus, the
some sense of finishing, rather like the fin- games’ shared reality and the need for players
ish line of a race. Far from being unfair, these to agree on rule interpretation are a metaphor
very aspects of playing make the game worth for serious real-world conflicts and negotia-
trying for someone normally less confident. tions. Seen in this light, the positive social

xiv Let the Games Begin!

outcomes of game play could be the most sig- With all those potential obstacles out of
nificant benefit to putting a little game board the way, now is the time to wave the green
on a table in your room! flag and let the games begin!

ICONS KEY General Fun
Language Arts Memory
Math Strategy
Social Studies
Science

Let the Games Begin! xv

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101 Great

Classroom
Games

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General Fun
Games for
Any Subject

Copyright © 2007 by Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan. Click here for terms of use.

Bolt to the End

Teams collect points by answering questions and then use their points in a race
to spin bolts along a rod.

Age Range: 9 to 12 on a Friday afternoon. The event is something
Skills Used: factual knowledge, strategic players will look forward to doing.

thinking “Bolt to the End” is best played in teams
Number of Players: 5 to 13 of at least two players with an additional per-
Noise Level: moderate to high son designated as a game director. There can
Activity Level: moderate be as few as two teams or as many as four,
Materials: question-and-answer cards, if desired. For Part One of the game, each
stopwatch, threaded metal rods (2 feet team determines an order of play within
each), thirty bolts, paint their group, similar to a batting order. Using
a set of question-and-answer cards, the game
Setup director poses a question to the first player of
the first team, then moves to the first player
The starting end of the threaded metal rods of the second team, and so on. Whenever a
should be painted in a distinctive color to dis- player answers correctly, that team keeps the
tinguish it from the finishing end, and the card and scores one point. If the answer is
bolts should be checked to make sure they fit incorrect, the card is placed back in the stack.
the rods and spin freely. Teams continue to answer questions until all
the cards have been used or each team has
Question-and-answer cards should be pre- had at least 10 turns. This part of the game
pared and given to the game director. Any ends with each team having a certain num-
single subject area or a combination of fac- ber of points.
tual information can be used for the ques-
tions. For example: What is 7 ϫ 8? (56); What In Part Two of the game, the team mem-
is the capital of Wisconsin? (Madison); Who bers decide how to “spend” their points. Points
invented the lightbulb? (Thomas Edison); are exchanged for bolts and time limits. Each
Spell the word research; What is the English point can be exchanged for one bolt or 15 sec-
translation for the Spanish word gato? (cat). onds of time. All teams must buy at least 15
seconds in order to participate in Part Three,
How to Play but the final decision about exactly how many
seconds and how many bolts to choose is a
This game is played in three parts. While all strategic decision. Exchange decisions should
three parts can be played in one session, the be done secretly. Teams will not know what
final two parts would be fun to save for a cul- their opponents have chosen until Part Three
minating activity to a larger unit or enjoyed of the game.

Part Three uses a two-foot-long threaded
rod and nuts that spin easily on it. The chal-

2 101 Great Classroom Games

lenge is to move the metal nuts the entire ing the starts and having all teams finish at
length of the rod as quickly as possible. The the same time. More supplies are needed, but
team with the fewest bolts begins by placing the excitement of the finish can be worth it.
all their bolts onto the rod. The bolts should be A contest like this can be a bit noisy and is
tight together and even with the starting end, fun to watch, so it should be scheduled for a
which has been painted a distinctive color. time when others nearby can take a break to
The game director controls the stopwatch watch.
saying “Go” and “Stop” for whatever amount
of time the team “bought” with their points Tips
from Part One. The teams work to move their
bolts from the starting end of the rod all the ᭿ Placing a towel under the rod is advisable
way off the other end in the amount of time to stop the bolts from bouncing out of sight
chosen. The final score is one point for each on the floor after they are sent down the rod.
bolt all the way off the rod, with a five-point
bonus for getting all the bolts off within the ᭿ This game begs to be played more than
time limit. once. Simple practice with the rods should be
restricted in order to keep the game fresh and
The team with the next most bolts then to keep teams from having too much expe-
takes up the challenge and so on. The team rience with how many bolts can be removed
with the highest number of points from the in a given time. Different positions of the rod
bolt race is the ultimate winner. and hand positions for spinning nuts can
be decisive and add an interesting factor of
Variation chance and strategy to the game. These vari-
ables are best discovered in a real play of the
᭿ This game can be exciting and fun when game so that the question-and-answer por-
all teams are spinning their bolts at the same tion remains motivating.
time. This variation can be done by stagger-

General Fun Games for Any Subject 3

Common Threads

Players are challenged to figure out the common characteristic or category for
lists of three related items.

Age Range: 4 to 12 Variations
Skills Used: factual knowledge, reasoning,
᭿ For younger or beginning players, make
listening all of the items on the list belong to one cat-
Number of Players: 3 to 8 egory, such as triangle, circle, square (shapes)
Noise Level: moderate to high or red, yellow, blue (colors).
Activity Level: low
Materials: cards with lists of three related ᭿ For slightly older players, make all of the
items items on the list have a similar characteristic,
such as horses, lions, alligators (all have four
Setup legs) or grapes, pumpkins, cucumbers (all
grow on vines).

Create cards listing three items that have ᭿ For older or more advanced players, make
something in common. For example: hooves, sure the items sound dissimilar yet still have
paws, talons—kinds of feet; sash, cummer- a common thread, such as tile, checkerboard,
bund, belt—things that go around your waist; knot (all are square); a cherry, Edgar Allen Poe,
Ford, Allis Chalmers, John Deere—kinds of an arm (all have pits); or a needle, a potato, a
tractors; a hunter, Robin Hood, Cupid—all spider (all have eyes).
shoot a bow and arrow; and so on. Include
the answer at the bottom or on the back of ᭿ Let players take turns reading the list. The
the card. other players can write their answers. The
reader verifies and awards a point to each per-
How to Play son with the correct answer.

The game director reads the list on the card
and asks, “What’s the common thread?” The
players, or teams, quickly say their answer.
The first correct answer is awarded a point. If
two or more players answer at the same time,
only those players are eligible to answer the
next card to earn the point. Once the point
has been given, everyone is back in the game.
The player (or team) with the most points is
the winner.

4 101 Great Classroom Games

Tips ᭿ Give credit to those who can think of
another common thread for any given list.
᭿ Add more than three items to your lists
for those just learning the game or if you ᭿ Take the cards with you to play while wait-
want to reinforce certain vocabulary or ing in line.
characteristics.

᭿ Challenge players to think of additional
groupings to use at another time.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 5

Fishy Facts

Using poles and hooks, players collect fish and add to their catch if they can
successfully answer a question that is written on the side of the fish.

Age Range: 5 to 7 Set up the game for play by sliding the
Skill Used: factual knowledge fish—tail first—into various slots so the writ-
Number of Players: 2 to 4 ing on the body of the fish faces the players.
Noise Level: moderate
Activity Level: low How to Play
Materials: shallow box, such as a soda case
box, painted blue; cutouts of fish; short Players take turns choosing a fish to catch
“fishing pole” stick; paper clips; string by reading or solving what is written on
the fish’s body. The player says his or her
Setup answer to the other players, hooks the fish,
and then pulls it out with the fishing pole.
Using sturdy paper or tagboard, cut out 12 to If the answer on the fish matches what was
20 fish that are approximately 6 inches long said, the player keeps the fish and play goes
with tails about 2 inches wide. Write a question to the next player. If the answer is different,
on the body of the fish and write the answer the player slides the fish back into an avail-
on the tail. For example, write “2 ϩ 6 ϭ” on able slot and it becomes the next player’s
the body and “8” on the tail. The fish can also turn. The game ends when all of the fish are
be prepared for learning paired information caught or at the end of a set time. The player
like foreign language translations, antonyms, with the most fish is the winner.
or definitions of words. You can laminate the
fish if you wish. On the back, tape a paper clip Tips
to the head of each fish so that from the front,
only one loop of the clip shows. ᭿ Find art of a fish online or use an art soft-
ware program. The art should be easy to cut
Turn the box over so that the bottom becomes out. Copy, paste, and resize the fish art in a
the top. Use a knife to cut twenty 2⁄1 2-inch slits document several times so you can print off
randomly in the box’s surface. Slide the knife a whole sheet of fish. If a color printer isn’t
through each slit several times to make the slot available, run the pages off on different color
wide enough to easily slide in the fish. Paint the paper for each skill.
box blue to make it look like water.
᭿ Draw a wide blue line across the slits to
Get a small stick to use as the fishing pole. make them very easy for the players to see
Attach a short string to the pole. For a hook, when they are setting up the game. Decorate
tie a paper clip that has been bent open at the the edge of the box.
end of the string.

6 101 Great Classroom Games

Get in Line

Players compete to put a set of cards in order, according to a characteristic, in
the fastest time.

Age Range: 5 to 8 Variations
Skill Used: sequencing
Number of Players: 2 to 8 ᭿ Play in teams with no talking. Signaling is
Noise Level: low to moderate okay. Everyone on the team must agree with
Activity Level: low the sequence before they can say, “We’re in
Materials: pack of cards for each player line!”

Setup ᭿ Award points as players finish their
sequence. If there are four players, the first one
For each player, prepare a pack of cards of done receives four points, the second one gets
items that can be put in sequence, such as three points, the third one earns two points,
numbers from 1 to 10; the alphabet; numbers and the final player gets one point. Keep track
counting by 2s, 5s, 10s; words to alphabetize; of points earned during the time of play.
and so on.
᭿ Flip a coin with heads being “high” and tails
How to Play being “low” prior to sequencing the cards. If
heads (high) is flipped, players will sort the
cards from high to low and vice versa.

Each player takes a pack of the same type of Tips
cards. When all of the players have a pack,
in unison they say, “1, 2, 3, get in line!” Each ᭿ Let younger players take a token each time
player tries to put his or her set of cards in they are the fastest to help them remember
the right order. When complete, the player how many rounds they have won.
announces, “I’m in line!” When everyone is
finished, players compare sequences. Play ᭿ Place packs of matching cards in a plastic
multiple times until a player is the fastest self-sealing bag. Label the bag with the skill
three times. That player is the winner. and the number of packs.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 7

Hide and Seeds

Players shake and roll a jar in an effort to find the items lurking in the seeds.
Once spotted, the items are checked off a list.

Age Range: 4 to 12 started, and the group begins manipulating
Skills Used: visual discrimination, reading, the jar. As each item is found, it is checked
off the sheet. If desired, teams can compete to
record keeping find a greater number of items than the first
Number of Players: 2 to 6 group given the same time limit.
Noise Level: moderate
Activity Level: low Variations
Materials: clear plastic jar with a secure lid,
small toys and objects, birdseed, timer, ᭿ This game can be changed to fit different
game sheet holidays and units of study simply by chang-
ing the items that are hidden in the seeds. For
Setup a unit on space exploration, for example, the
toys can be rockets, astronauts, star-shaped
Various objects and small toys are used for beads, foam moon shapes, space program
this game. They can be related to a particu- patches, and planet models.
lar theme or subject of study. For a dinosaur
theme, for example, the objects might include ᭿ A more difficult task is introduced to the
toy dinosaurs, archaeological tools (brush and game if alphabet beads are placed on bits of
small hammer), bone models, a plastic egg, pipe cleaner to spell words that fit the theme
and a bit of silk fern. A list of the objects is of the jar. For the variation above, for exam-
written on a game sheet, which also includes ple, the beads could spell out “Apollo 13” or
spaces for checking off the items as they are use number beads for “1969” as a reference to
discovered. Once the items have been placed the first moon landing.
in the jar, the remaining space is filled with
birdseed, leaving an inch or so of empty space ᭿ A further challenge can be added by ask-
so that the seeds will move around enough to ing players to make a list of the objects that
reveal the hidden objects. they locate. Lists then can be compared
among groups to see which team has located
How to Play the most items within the time limit.

This game is best played as a cooperative Tips
activity with a group attempting to uncover
as many items on the game sheet as they can ᭿ The jar used for this activity must be clear
within a specified time limit. The timer is plastic. The size of the jar can make the game
easier or harder as desired. Larger and wider

8 101 Great Classroom Games

jars have more hidden space and are more chal- allow the game to be changed as desired to
lenging. The shapes of certain objects make use again and again.
them extremely difficult to find in this game
as well. If the object fills with seeds at one ᭿ Be sure to make a comprehensive list of
end, for example, that heavier part will tend the objects in the jar before pouring in the
to stay hidden in the center of the jar and only birdseed. Once hidden, it can be very hard to
the lighter parts will protrude from the seeds. remember the items or find them again to
Objects that are the same color as the seeds create the list.
will also be much more difficult to locate.
᭿ Using several similar items with color
᭿ If you believe that your players will resort variations is a way to add complexity to the
to opening the container to discover the con- game or increase the number of target items,
tents, it might be advisable to use sturdy if desired.
tape to secure the lid. For some groups, the
warning “Do Not Open” written on the cover ᭿ Players can be asked to contribute items for
might be enough. A floor full of birdseed is the game in advance of the setup to add some
not a good ending for this game! Gluing the interest to the activity. These can be returned
top on the jar is not suggested as it does not after the game is recycled to another version.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 9

Pick a Pet

Players answer questions and roll a die to collect pet supplies and ultimately
“pick a pet.”

Age Range: 5 to 9 “Toys” for the six pets could include:
Skills Used: pet care knowledge, factual
Cat—feathered ball
knowledge Dog—bone or tennis ball
Number of Players: 2 to 6 Horse—fence to jump
Noise Level: moderate Fish—aquarium cave or treasure chest
Activity Level: low Mouse—exercise wheel
Materials: pictures of pets and pet sup- Bird—bell or mirror
plies, die, question-and-answer cards,
game key Game cards should be prepared with
a question or prompt on one side and the
Setup answer on the reverse. This format allows
for self-checking as players participate in the
The game pieces for “Pick a Pet” are lami- game. The content of the questions can suit
nated pictures of pets and their supplies. most any subject, but all cards for the game
For each pet represented in the game, there should address the same area. Various subject
should be a picture appropriate for each of examples include: A spider is an insect—true
the following categories that will correspond or false? (false); On which continent is Egypt?
to values on the die: 1—habitat, 2—food and (Africa); 6 ϩ ___ ϭ 10. (4). There should be at
water, 3—exercise and play, 4—a special item least six cards per player.
specific to that pet, 5—a vet, and 6—a picture
of the pet itself. Suggested pets are cat, dog, How to Play
horse, fish, mouse, and bird. The pictures do
not need to be in scale with each other to be The question-and-answer cards are shuffled
used for this game. and placed on the table with the question side
up. The player who is chosen to go first answers
“Special items” for the six pets listed above the question on the top card. If correct, that
could include: player rolls the die that corresponds with a pic-
ture category as shown in the game key. A roll
Cat—scratching post of 1 allows that player to choose a habitat and
Dog—leash and collar get started collecting the remaining pictures.
Horse—saddle If the roll is 2 through 6, no picture is chosen
Fish—tank light and the next player takes a turn.
Mouse—chewing stick
Bird—cuttlebone Once a player has obtained a habitat, he or
she can begin to collect supplies by choosing

10 101 Great Classroom Games

items after rolling a 2, 3, 4, or 5 in any order, Tips
according to the key. (A roll of 6 in this part
of the game results in a lost turn because the ᭿ Magazines and pet catalogs are good
player doesn’t have all the supplies needed to sources for pictures of pets and pet supplies.
be ready to “pick a pet.”) For example, a roll Your local pet store would probably allow you
of 3 allows the player to take an item meant take digital pictures of their pets and supplies.
for exercise or playing with a pet. Players are Players can also be asked to bring in photos
not required to take items that correspond to of their own pets and supplies. A mixture of
any particular pet. Mixing items may upset these resources can be used to obtain enough
some players, but most will enjoy the silliness pictures to play this game.
of putting an exercise wheel in a stable or a
saddle on a fish. When all the supplies have ᭿ It is helpful to laminate each category of
been collected on various turns, players must picture with a uniquely colored border to
roll a 6 to take the pet picture of their choice. make game play easier. For example, all habi-
Any other roll results in a loss of a turn. The tat pictures can be glued to yellow cardstock
first player to “pick a pet” is the winner. that extends beyond the edge of the picture
before laminating. Pictures need not match
Variation in size.

᭿ Adjust the difficulty level of this game ᭿ A copy of the game key should be provided
by choosing or creating an appropriate set during the game. Use the key provided, or
of question-and-answer cards. These should make your own. Include the category, the
not be so difficult that players seldom get to color of the picture border (if used), and the
roll the die. The cards could be omitted com- value of the die. For example, the key could
pletely for the youngest players. In this case, show “Habitat—yellow—1,” “Food and water
they would simply roll the die on each turn. —blue—2,” and so on.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 11

Pick a Pet Game Key

1 Habitat
2 Food & Water
3 Exercise & Play
4 Special Item
5 Vet
6 Pet Picture

Pop a Wheelie

Players assemble pictures of bike riders by rolling a die and answering
questions.

Age Range: 7 to 12 How to Play
Skill Used: factual knowledge
Number of Players: 2 to 4 To play the game, all the picture pieces are
Noise Level: moderate spread out on the table in full view and the
Activity Level: low game key is displayed. The player chosen to go
Materials: bike pictures, die, question- first takes a card and answers the question. If
and-answer cards, game key the answer is correct, the player rolls the die.
A roll of 1, called a “wheelie,” must be earned
Setup first to start the picture. Once a player has the
first wheel, the frame must be added next.
This game uses full side-view pictures of rid- Then the other wheel, handlebars, and pedals
ers on bikes. A full picture is needed for each can be added in any order. The rider is earned
player of the game and it is more interesting last. If any player answers incorrectly, he or she
if the pictures do not match each other. To doesn’t get to roll and play passes to the left. If
prepare the game pieces, the pictures should a player already has the piece designated by his
be laminated and cut into parts. Each picture or her roll, he or she passes and loses a turn.
should be cut into seven pieces that show The game ends when a player adds the rider to
these elements: two separate wheels, frame, complete a picture, winning the game.
seat, handlebars, pedals, and rider wearing a
helmet. Tips

Use the game key provided or prepare a ᭿ Popular biking magazines and bike cata-
key that tells which bike parts correspond to logs from bike shops can be a source for
the values on the die. These are: 1 for wheels, appealing pictures of stunt bikers. Players
2 for frame, 3 for seat, 4 for handlebars, 5 for can be asked to contribute pictures from their
pedals, and 6 for rider. Question-and-answer own magazines for use in making this game.
cards should be chosen and shuffled in prep- Or for a personalized game, players can have
aration for the game as well; they are useful digital pictures of themselves taken on their
for self-checking during game play. Almost own bikes to be used as game pieces.
any subject area can be used to create a set of
game cards. For example: What are the three ᭿ Mount each set of pictures on a different
states of matter? (gas, liquid, and solid); What color to help in selecting pieces from the same
is the opposite of dilatory? (punctual). picture if desired, but mixing up the picture
parts can make the game more fun and could
be allowed.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 13

Pop a Wheelie Game Key

1 Wheels

2 Frame

3 Seat

4 Handlebars

5 Pedals

6 Rider

᭿ Earn a wheel first.
᭿ Then add a frame.
᭿ Add another wheel, the seat, the handlebars, and the pedals in any order.
᭿ Get the rider last.

Rubber-Band Rodeo

Rubber bands round up corresponding pairs of items, and the player with the
most correct matches wins.

Age Range: 5 to 10 How to Play
Skills Used: matching, factual knowledge
Number of Players: 2 Each player selects his or her color of rubber
Noise Level: low band to use for this game. Players take turns
Activity Level: low matching the pairs of items in the cowboy
Materials: game board, 20 rubber bands and calf columns. If players disagree with
(10 each of two colors) an answer, they can use one of their rubber
bands to lasso a calf that has already been
Setup roped.

Copy and use the sample game board provided When all of the items have been matched,
or create game boards having four columns. players check their answers using the back of
Make the inner two columns half the width of the game board. The person with the most
the outer columns. Divide the columns into calves correctly lassoed is the winner.
an even number of rows. In the wider outer
columns, create a matching activity by fill- Tips
ing in words with definitions, equations with
answers, pictures matching vocabulary words, ᭿ Add cowboy or western graphics to each
pictures corresponding to initial or ending game board.
consonants, states and their capitals, and so
on. Be sure that the matching answers are not ᭿ Make an extra copy of the game board,
all next to each other on the game board, but cutting off the outside columns so only the
randomly ordered in adjacent columns. Cowboy and Calf columns remain. Draw
the correct roping pattern. Store this in a
Draw a dot in the middle of each space pocket on the back of the game board. At the
in the narrow columns. Put a paper fastener end of the game, players can lay the answer
through each dot. Loop rubber bands around strip on the completed game board to check
the paper fasteners to match each pair your- their answers. If you use this method and
self and then draw lines on the back of the have more than one of these game boards in
game board so players can self-check their your classroom at a time, be sure to label the
answers. answer strip so it can be matched with the
proper game board in case pieces get mixed
up.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 15

Rubber-Band Rodeo Game Board
Cowboy Calf

Which One?

Players move to separate parts of the room to show their preferences.

Age Range: 4 to 12 movie or play?
Skills Used: listening, self-evaluation concert or museum?
Number of Players: 2 to 30 orange or purple?
Noise Level: moderate to high fancy or plain?
Activity Level: high big or small?
Materials: list of fun “choice” questions tree or flower?
boot or sandal?
Setup snow or sand?
inside or outside?
A list of questions is prepared for this game to
provide fun choices to evaluate. They do not How to Play
have to be opposites to be interesting. Select
questions with abstract preferences in this This game is best played in a large room in
format: “Are you _____ or _____?” Avoid pair- which some running is allowed. One per-
ings with a perceived “good” or “bad” choice. son is designated as the game director and is
An example with an abstract preference is positioned in a central location. Two different
“Are you math or reading?” Other sample parts of the room are chosen as destinations
questions include: for the players. The game begins with all play-
ers in the center of the room with the game
Are you . . . director.

mountain or valley? The questions pose two choices for the
ocean or lake? players and they “vote with their feet” to show
cat or dog? their preference, going to the side of the room
music or art? with the other players who make the same
glove or mitten? choice that they do. The game director points
bike or skateboard? to the opposite sides of the room as the parts
day or night? of the question are given and no one moves
hot or cold? until both choices are read.
loud or quiet?
bird or fish? Variations
hamburger or hot dog?
paper or plastic? ᭿ This game can be played with two people
who both read the question and share their
answers quietly with each other.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 17

᭿ Several pairs can do this at the same time ᭿ The game director can “freeze” the groups
and record their number of “same” and “dif- at any time if two teams are needed for any
ferent” choices to compare with other pairs. other activity or game.

᭿ If a question results in a single person in ᭿ Questions should be written ahead of time
one of the two groups, that person is given the to avoid offering a choice with double mean-
chance to be the game director. ings or potentially offensive interpretations.

Tips

᭿ This is a good game to relieve excess
energy while exercising some self-awareness
and group awareness.

18 101 Great Classroom Games

Who Am I?

Players wear cards on their foreheads and ask yes and no questions to discover
what is written there.

Age Range: 9 to 12 forehead. The game director places an identity
Skills Used: reasoning, factual knowledge card in each player’s headband while keeping
Number of Players: 6 to 25 it hidden from the person wearing it. The card
Noise Level: moderate faces outward so everyone else can read it.
Activity Level: high
Materials: elastic headbands for each Players circulate freely through the room
player, identity cards asking yes or no questions of other players
until correctly determining their own iden-
Setup tity. Once the player guesses correctly, the
card is removed from the band and the player
continues to circulate and provide answers to
others.

Elastic headbands are needed to play this Tips
game. There should be one for every player.
Pertinent identities are written on cards. ᭿ Announce the theme or topic of the cards
These should relate to a particular theme or to help focus players’ questions.
subject area and do not have to be people,
but can also be things, places, occupations, ᭿ This game can be a good icebreaker for a
or animals, if desired. Examples of identities group if a theme is revealed and the identities
related to occupations could include: dentist, are common knowledge for players. An ani-
firefighter, airline pilot, teacher, nurse, and mal theme would be appropriate for younger
truck driver. For a game revolving around players. Occupations could correspond with
a specific theme like the solar system, the a study of careers. Older players might be
identities could include: sun, asteroid, comet, challenged to guess famous figures from the
Earth, Saturn, and Mercury. A different iden- American Revolution.
tity card is needed for each player.
᭿ If players are too self-conscious to wear
How to Play headbands, then the game can be modified
to have the cards taped on their backs until
This game is a variation on the classic 20 they guess correctly. The headband version of
Questions game. In this version, each player the game lends itself to a more playful atmo-
wears a headband so that it crosses his or her sphere and will be noisier to play.

General Fun Games for Any Subject 19

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Language
Arts Games

Copyright © 2007 by Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan. Click here for terms of use.

Back Words

Teams compete in a relay race by drawing letters on each other’s backs as a
means of passing along a target word to the farthest person in line.

Age Range: 8 to 10 scores one point, but if the guess is wrong,
Skills Used: reading, memory the other team scores the point.
Number of Players: 6 to 10
Noise Level: moderate The front players go to the back of their
Activity Level: moderate respective lines for the second round. Teams
Materials: word cards continue to move players at the front of the
line to the starting spot in this manner until
Setup each player has had the same number of turns
in that position (i.e., six rounds for teams of
Common words of three, four, and five letters three). The team with the most points wins
are written on cards. It is helpful to separate the game. The game director can increase
the cards into different stacks based on the the challenge by giving words of four or five
number of letters. letters, but each team should have the same
length word on each round.

Variation

How to Play ᭿ A noncompetitive version of this game can
be played with players in a circle to bring the
This game is played with two teams of equal word back to the person who started the chain
size. Players line up behind—but within to see if the word can be preserved through
reach—of each other. They can be sitting or several interpretations.
standing. Play starts with the player at the
back of each line being given a three-letter Tips
word written on a card. The challenge is to
write that word, letter by letter, on the back ᭿ Some age groups might be more comfort-
of the person ahead of him or her. The player able with teams being all girls or all boys
continues to write the word until the receiv- since the game involves physical contact. If
ing player signals, “Got it!” Then that player this is not feasible, the game can be modified
writes the word in the same fashion on the to have players write with their fingers in the
back of the next player. Play continues along palm of the next player’s hand.
the line to the front person.
᭿ This game can be played for fun while a
The first front player to say, “Got it!” can group is waiting in a line. It offers the ben-
win for his or her team if that player says the efit that the last person in line actually has an
right word. If the word is correct, that team advantage rather than feeling unfortunate.

22 101 Great Classroom Games

Basewordball

Teams score home runs by identifying base words.

Age Range: 8 to 11 fix correctly and is spelled correctly, the batter
Skill Used: knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, rolls the die and follows the directions that go
with the number on the game key. The batter
base/root words is out if the prefix or suffix is used incorrectly
Number of Players: 8 to 24 or the word is not spelled correctly. If a word
Noise Level: moderate to high is reused, the batter is automatically out.
Activity Level: moderate to high
Materials: pack of prefix and/or suffix The game continues with players advanc-
ing around the bases to score runs until three
cards, die, four bases, chart paper, game players are “out” and the teams exchange posi-
key, game board (optional) tions. A predetermined number of innings
can be played with the highest scoring team
Setup winning the game.

Use the sample prefix/suffix cards provided or Variation
write prefixes and suffixes on separate cards
to make a deck of about 30 cards. Prefixes and ᭿ Cards could contain a word with a prefix,
suffixes can be repeated within the deck. suffix, or both. The batting team would have
to identify and spell the base/root word cor-
Place the bases on the floor, arranged in a rectly in order to roll the die to move.
diamond shape as in a baseball game.
Tips
How to Play
᭿ Have the pitching team change pitchers
Players are divided into two teams. The pitch- and catchers each inning so more players
ing team selects a pitcher to draw and read have the opportunity of reading the cards and
the prefix or suffix cards and a catcher who writing the words.
writes the opposing team’s words on the
chart paper. The player who is first in the bat- ᭿ If there isn’t room to physically have bases
ting order for the hitting team listens to the and players moving around the room, copy
prefix or suffix “pitched” to him or her and and use the baseball diamond game board pro-
tries to say and spell a word containing it. vided here. Players can then use game tokens
For example, the pitcher says, “-ly.” The hit- to move around the bases. Another option is
ter could say, “Slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y.” The catcher to make a baseball diamond poster with hook
writes the word with the given spelling on the and loop tape on the bases and markers that
chart paper. If the word uses the prefix or suf- can be moved from base to base.

Language Arts Games 23

Basewordball Prefix /Suffix Cards

dis ___ un ___ ___ f u l
___ n e s s
un ___ re ___
___ ly
re ___ dis ___ ___ an
___ ist
de ___ un ___ ___ er
___ est
im ___ ___ ing ___ less
___ ful
mis ___ ___ ed ___ n e s s

semi ___ ___ ly

non ___ ___ er

re ___ ___ est

dis ___ ___ less

Basewordball Key

1 Single — move one base
2 Double — move two bases
3 Triple — move three bases
4 Home Run!
5 Foul Ball — take another turn
6 Caught Ball — you’re out!

Basewordball Game Board

Second
Third

First
Home

Black Out

Players strategically choose five words from a designated page in a book and
cross out letters as they are randomly chosen from a bag.

Age Range: 7 to 11 Variation
Skill Used: key word recognition
Number of Players: 2 to 24 ᭿ Instead of a set of identical books, the
Noise Level: low to moderate words can be chosen from a handout, such
Activity Level: low as a spelling list, science vocabulary sheet, or
Materials: set of books (enough for each poetry selection. The written material could
player to have the same one); letter cards also be projected on a screen while players
in a cloth bag; pencil and paper choose their target words.

Tip

Setup ᭿ Have the winner share the strategy he
or she used to help him or her win. Win-
Make cards with the letters of the alphabet or ning strategies might be to select words with
use alphabet tiles or magnetic letters. Be sure few common consonants or to choose long
there is only one of each letter. Place the let- words.
ters in the bag.

How to Play

The player selected to go first chooses a page
and all the others open their books to the same
spot. Using that page, each player chooses
five words from the text and writes them on
a sheet of paper. The one who chose the page
draws letters, one at a time, from the bag and
announces the letter to the other players. Play-
ers cross out that letter every time it appears
in all of their words. When all of the letters on
his or her sheet are crossed out, that person
says, “Black out” and is out of the game. The
winner is the last person with letters not yet
crossed out.

Language Arts Games 27

Box Top Tops

Players spin tops to select overused adjectives and supply fresh descriptors.
The first one to offer synonyms for his or her six target words is the winner.

Age Range: 7 to 11 How to Play
Skill Used: synonym knowledge
Number of Players: 2 to 6 Players choose six words found on the box top
Noise Level: moderate and write them in the spaces on their game
Activity Level: low sheet. When all players have written their
Materials: 12Љ ϫ 18Љ gift box top marked words, the game sheets are passed to the left
into sections, individual game sheets, to be used by the player next to them for the
small toy tops, paper and pencil remainder of the game.

Setup The player who is selected to go first spins
a top in the box. The top should land on a word
The game is played with toy tops in the lid section. If it seems to land evenly across two
of an ordinary shirt-sized gift box. The tops or more spaces, then the player spins again.
should be simple plastic or wooden toys that If the word under the top appears on the play-
work with a twist of the fingers rather than er’s word list, he or she offers a synonym for
elaborate ones using a string mechanism. the overused word and writes it on the list.
Players can either share one top to play the The game continues in the same manner for
game, or each player can have a top. the next players, but no one may write down
a word that has already been used by another
The box top should have 10 to 12 sections player as an answer. The first player to have
drawn on it in the style of a crazy quilt, as synonyms written for all six of his or her
shown in the sample. The spaces do not need words is the winner. The remaining players
to be the same size or shape, but they should can continue playing until each person has
be large enough to have a top fit into it when finished the game.
it comes to rest. A word is written in each
space before the game. The words written in Variations
the spaces should be mundane adjectives that
are familiar and overused such as nice, good, ᭿ This game can be modified to include any
bad, big, small, hot, cold, fast, slow, pretty, ugly, set of overused words. For example, a verb ver-
amazing, and tired. sion of this game could include words such as
said and went.

28 101 Great Classroom Games

᭿ Instead of words, numbers can be written ᭿ Younger players could be challenged to
on the box top and players can try to land on think of a word that starts with a particular
answers to number facts on their particular letter. A variety of letters would be written in
game boards. the box top spaces for this form of the game.

᭿ Players can be asked to come up with a
rhyming word for the one written in the box
top section.

Language Arts Games 29

Game Board Synonym
Words

Game Board Synonym Box Top Tops Game Sheet
Words