New research included in the Education Insights 2025-2026 report offers a clear view of how important engagement is to learning, motivation, and achievement.
To support deeper student engagement across the curriculum, Discovery Education makes available to educators worldwide a host of experiences that deeply engages learners and captivates their senses, emotions, and attention, creating a sense of being fully surrounded and absorbed in a particular environment or activity. These resources, which can be found at Discovery Education’s Immersive Learning website, transport students out of their classroom, their neighborhood, and sometimes their planet and time period, to witness firsthand the topic of interest.
Among the resources found on Discovery Education’s Immersive Learning website are:
TimePod Adventures
TimePod Adventures from Verizon and Discovery Education immerses K-12 students in the universe through state-of-the-art, life-size Augmented Reality. Accessible on a browser, Chromebook, or mobile device, students need only internet access and audio. Guided by an AI-powered assistant and featuring grade-band specific lesson plans available in English and Spanish, TimePod Adventures support educators in developing new skills and encourages students to take control, explore incredible environments, and solve complex challenges.
Sandbox
The BETT and GESS award winning Sandbox app, which is now available in both the Google Play store and Apple App store, enables students to create virtual worlds using unique objects from history, science, nature, and more. Sandbox also gives students new ways to express themselves and demonstrate their learning through features like photo taking or annotations on virtual text panels.Designed to create immersive experiences, Sandbox offers a mode that allows users to explore and create content from inside their own virtual environments. Sandbox also includes many pre-built sandboxes exploring diverse subjects, such as ancient Egypt, space exploration, Maya civilization, road construction, and more, with additional themed 3D models added regularly. Finally, subscribers to Discovery Education Experience have access to additional, standards-aligned ready-to-use Sandbox lessons that enhance classroom instruction.
Game-Based Learning
Discovery Education’s game-based learning resources boost motivation, create a heightened sense of achievement, encourage a growth mindset, and aid with knowledge retention. Through game-based immersive experiences, students can become more receptive to further learning. Among the game-based learning resources are:
Crash Course is an interactive 3D experience that helps students in grades 6-12 learn the principles of speed and the forces involved in a real-time crash test-based scenario. In this immersive game-based learning experience from Honda Safety Driven, students select course variables, then take the wheel of a Honda Civic Type R to witness the outcome of safety decisions.
The cutting edge Haul! Learning Experience is designed to provide students in grades 6-12 the opportunity to discover how copper ore makes its way into the items that power our day. A part of Dig Into Mining – The Story of Copper, the educational program created in partnership with Freeport-McMoRan that uncovers the use of metals such as copper in our everyday life, HAUL! challenges students to navigate their way through a 3D copper mine to earn their Haul Truck Operator’s Scorecard while learning how STEM is used in this larger-than-life operation.
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n Operation Communication, a new immersive game from the STEM Careers Coalition, students in grades 6-12 experience a day in the life of an employee in a simulated workplace, navigating production schedules, team dynamics, and customer satisfaction. Players practice a wide range of active skills with a focus on effective communication in the workplace to keep the production line running smoothly and create happy customers.
HARVEST: From Seed to Success from Cooperative Minds with the CHS Foundation empowers students in grades 3-12 step into the role of a farmer and discover what it takes to grow a successful harvest. In the experience, students consult agricultural professionals to analyze a soil sample, select crops and fertilizers, identify the right moment to harvest, and simulate operating a combine to harvest crops. An accompanying educator guide and ready-to-use student activities make it easy for educators to integrate the resource into any lesson plan.
Interactives
With interactive resources from Discovery Education, students can travel the trade paths of Ancient Rome, grow tomatoes in a virtual lab, and solve equations at a zombie luau! Research, experiment and have fun learning about topics at your own pace through a variety of interactive types—including virtual labs, games, investigations, interactive maps, and more. Among the interactives available are:
– The Interactive Virtual Labs, created in partnership with the LEGO Group’s Build the Change program, investigate Bird Behavior and invite students in grades 6-8 to explore innovative ways to improve human-bird interactions in their shared environment. Designed to spark creativity and curiosity, these labs immerse students in engaging, hands-on experiences that connect the wider world to the classroom.
– Plus, students of all ages can dig into grade-banded interactives covering important topics like financial literacy, data analysis, biotechnology, and Earth sciences.
Virtual Field Trips
Virtual field trips (VFTs) empower educators to introduce students to amazing places, new people and ideas, and remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom. Discovery Education, a pioneer in creating VFTs, offers a large library of fun and engaging resources, including.
– The Bridge to the Future: A Virtual Field Trip into Extended Realitywith Verizon shows students how extended reality is redefining the world from entertainment and medicine to education and beyond. Students visit the Verizon Innovation Lab in Boston, Massachusetts to discover how new technologies are connecting people and redefining the possibilities of how we interact. Students will also get an up-close look at exciting careers in cybersecurity, gaming, and engineering by meeting with STEM professionals.
– Additional resources to support learning are available, such as a standards-aligned companion guide with hands-on activities and educator support content. Learn more about all the virtual field trips – including new ones with partners like LEGO, the National Science Foundation, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBA, LIV Golf, and more – here.
Immersive resources encourage a style of learning which is based on problem-solving and trial and error. Immersive learning gives students permission to fail, to try again, and to overcome obstacles which initially may seem insurmountable. Discovery Education offers educators new to immersive learning a host of professional development resources to ensure they feel supported as they integrate these resources into classroom learning.
For more about the free Immersive Learning resources from Discovery Education, learn more.
Looking for great ways to help students learn to work together, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and think creatively? Try some of these awesome team-building activities for kids. They’re a super way to give your students the chance to get to know one another, build trust as a community, and, best of all, learn valuable life skills that will last long beyond their school years.
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Team-Building Games for Kids
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Benefits of Team-Building Games for Kids
Team-building games for kids are a great way to build community as you start a new school year—or anytime of year for that matter. Not only are they super fun (and what kid doesn’t like fun?), team-building activities help kids:
Develop communication skills
When students work together, they learn how to express ideas clearly and actively listen. Both verbal and non-verbal communication skills are critical for classroom participation and success in the real world.
Encourage problem-solving and critical thinking
Many of these games and activities involve challenges or puzzles. Working together to solve them helps students think creatively, plan strategically, and persevere when they get stuck.
Foster collaboration and cooperation
Working on a team or with a partner isn’t always easy. Kids need to learn how to respect others’ ideas and perspectives and work to compromise. They also need to stand up for their own ideas and actively participate.
Boost confidence and promote leadership skills
Making a contribution and accomplishing a goal as a team member is very rewarding. And when a student develops the strength to take the lead, it boosts their self-image in long-lasting ways.
Promote social inclusion and foster friendships
Engaging with people you don’t know very well can sometimes feel risky. But team-building games provide a structure that allows for students to move out of their comfort zone. In addition, they give students a chance to interact with new people, build empathy for others, and support a sense of belonging.
Teach conflict resolution skills
Team-building activities for kids are a perfect tool for teaching conflict resolution skills. After all, conflict can occur in any group setting. Conflicts allow you the opportunity, as their teacher, to model and guide them through a constructive process for a happy ending.
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Problem-Solving Activities for Kids
1. What’s My Name
Objective: This game encourages students to mingle, ask questions, and use deductive reasoning skills as they try to figure out whose name is stuck to their forehead.
Materials: Sticky notes
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Write the names of famous people your students will know, such as actors, athletes, or characters from a book or show, on sticky notes.
Once every student has a name on their forehead, set a timer and have students circulate around the room asking yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.
Continue play until everyone guesses their identity or time runs out.
2. Categories
Objective: Students work cooperatively in small groups to sort items into categories.
Materials: A tray with 20 unrelated items, or an image of 20 unrelated items
Participants: Groups of 3 or 4
How to play:
For this activity, prepare a tray with 20 unrelated items, e.g., a book, an eraser, a juice box, etc. Alternatively, create a document with 20 images of things to project on a screen.
Divide students into groups and set a timer.
Have each group divide the items into four categories that make sense to them. For example, things you wear, things you use with your hands, etc.
Have groups work quietly so that their ideas are kept secret.
When each group is finished, give each one time to present their categories and the rationale behind their thinking.
3. Flip the Tarp Challenge
Objective: Students cooperatively flip over a tarp while standing on it.
Materials: Flat sheet, tarp, or blanket
Participants: 2 teams
How to play:
Divide students into two teams. One team will do the challenge while the other team watches, then they will switch places.
Gather one team on a flat bedsheet, tarp, or blanket. They should fill up all but about a quarter of the space.
Now, students must work together to figure out how to flip over the sheet/tarp without anyone stepping off or touching the ground.
4. Scavenger Hunt
Objective: Students work together to get to know the classroom/school (and each other) with a scavenger hunt.
Materials: Scavenger hunt lists
Participants: Partners
How to play:
Pair up students randomly.
Prepare a list of important things to find in the classroom and have students copy it into their journals. For instance, a pencil sharpener, nonfiction books, a turn-in basket, etc.
Have students work with their partner to check off all the items on the list.
This is also a great idea to get to know the layout of the school, e.g., the library, nurse’s office, lost and found, etc.
Get To Know You Team-Building Activities
5. Yes, No, Stand Up
Objective: This easy yes-or-no game is a fun way for younger kids or English language learners to get to know one another.
Materials: A list of yes-or-no questions
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Before the game begins, prepare a list of yes-or-no questions to ask students. For example, “Do you like chocolate?” “Is your favorite color blue?” “Do you like soccer?”
If their answer is yes, the student stands up. If their answer is no, they sit down.
Pause between questions to give students time to look around and find students they have answers in common with.
If time allows, let students come up with questions of their own.
6. Spiderweb
Objective: Students sit in a circle and pass a ball of yarn around as they get to know one another.
Materials: Ball of multi-colored yarn
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Sit in a circle. The leader chooses a topic (favorite food, favorite place, funny story, one thing that makes me unique, etc.).
Play begins when the first person, holding a large ball of yarn, shares their answer with the group.
Then, keeping a hold of one end of the yarn, they toss the ball (gently) to someone else in the circle.
Play continues around the circle until every person has had the chance to share.
In the end, the yarn will form a “spiderweb” of color, reminding the students that they are all connected in one community.
7. Birthday Line-Up
Objective: Students must communicate and cooperate to line up in birthday order.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, depending on your grade level.
The objective is to have students line up in order of their birthdays—January 1 through December 31—before time runs out.
To accomplish this, they will need to talk with one another in order to figure out who goes in front of whom.
Try this activity with other fun ways to line up—by height, alphabetically, by foot size, etc.
Outdoor Team-Building Activities for Kids
8. Caterpillar
Objective: Groups of students (caterpillars) move forward without stepping outside of their Hula-Hoops.
Materials: 1 Hula-Hoop per student
Participants: Groups of 4 (if possible)
How to play:
Line up teams of four at the end of a field. Have each student stand in the center of a Hula-Hoop on the ground, forming a “caterpillar.”
To move forward, the last player in line steps into the hoop with the player in front of them, picks up their empty hoop, and passes it overhead to the front of the line.
The front player then places the hoop on the ground in front of them and steps into it. Every player then shifts forward, moving the caterpillar.
The first team to cross the finish line wins.
9. Balloon Battle
Objective: Using a pool noodle and balloon, students race to score a goal.
Materials: Pool noodles, balloons
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
This fun game teams students up as they try to bat a balloon over each other’s goal line using a pool noodle.
Divide students into two teams and let play begin.
Periodically blow a whistle to have students substitute in so that everyone gets a chance to play.
The first team to score 10 points wins.
10. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag
Objective: For this fun tag game, students play Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who chases whom.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Before you begin, stake out the boundaries and position a home base at either end for each team.
Divide students into two teams.
At the start of each round, both teams will huddle up and decide whether they are rock, paper, or scissors.
The two teams line up facing each other, and on your signal, all players flash rock, paper, or scissors.
The kids on the losing team must run back to their base before they are tagged by the kids on the winning team.
Objective: Students will race to pick oranges up using only their knees and hop to transfer them to a target.
Materials: Oranges, Hula-Hoops
Participants: 2 teams
How to play:
Have students line up in two equal teams.
Place a bowl of oranges at the front of each line. The first two students each take an orange and squeeze it between their knees.
Next, they hop or take tiny steps to deposit their orange into a Hula-Hoop across the field.
Once their teammate’s orange is deposited, the next student goes. Play continues.
The team that transfers the most oranges in 2 minutes (or whatever time limit you wish) is the winner.
12. Tic-Tac-Toe Relay
Objective: Students play an IRL tic-tac-toe game.
Materials: Hula-Hoops, beanbags
Participants: Teams
How to play:
Set out Hula-Hoops in the shape of a tic-tac-toe frame.
Divide students into two teams and give each team a supply of different-colored beanbags.
One student from each team runs to the frame and drops a beanbag in their preferred spot.
They return to the start and tag the next runner, who does the same thing.
Play continues until one team achieves a tic-tac-toe (three beanbags in a row)!
Team-Building Games for Kids That Foster Cooperation
13. Hula-Hoop Pass
Objective: Students work together to pass a Hula-Hoop around a circle.
Materials: Hula-Hoop
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Have your students stand in a circle and join hands.
Unclasp one pair’s hands and place the Hula-Hoop between the two. Then have them rejoin their hands.
The object of the game is to pass the Hula-Hoop all the way around the circle without unclasping hands.
Students work together using listening, coordinating, and strategizing skills to figure out how to maneuver their bodies all the way through the hoop to pass it on.
14. Elbow Pass
Objective: This simple passing game encourages students to work together, look each other in the eye, and have a good laugh.
Materials: Four-square ball or similar-size ball
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Have students stand in a line.
The first student will hold a ball between their elbows in front of their chest and then pass it to the next player.
Continue until the ball reaches the end of the line.
If the ball drops, the game starts over at the beginning.
15. Move On, Back Up, Flip
Objective: Students stand connected in a circle and must cooperate to follow directions.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Start with students in a circle with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
At the signal “Move on,” students take one hop forward together.
At the signal “Back up,” students take one hop backward together.
And at the signal “Flip,” students will turn 180 degrees and place their hands on the shoulders of the person who was behind them.
16. Straw Balance
Objective: This fun balancing exercise requires coordination and cooperation.
Materials: Plastic straws
Participants: Whole group
How to play:
Have your students form a large circle and give each one a plastic straw.
The challenge is to balance each straw between one person’s right pointer finger and the left pointer finger of the person next to them.
Challenge your students to make movements such as rotating the circle, squatting down, raising one foot, raising your right hand, etc.
The goal is to make the movements while keeping the straw connections intact.
Circle Games That Build Community
17. Bumpity-ump-bump-bump
Objective: Students race to follow directions and learn one another’s names.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Students stand in a large circle with one student in the middle.
That student walks around the inside of the circle, stops in front of one person, and gives them a direction.
There are four choices: Left = say the name of the person to the left. Right = say the name of the person on the right. It = say the name of the person who is “it.” And Self = say one’s own name.
After they give the direction, they say “bumpity-ump-bump-bump!”
The student who was given the direction races to say the name of the correct person before the student finishes the phrase.
If they can’t, they’re the next person on the inside of the circle.
18. Zip, Zap, Boing!
Objective: This is a super-fun game that involves strategy and fast thinking.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole group
How to play:
This super-lively circle game involves careful listening, quick thinking, and three actions—Zip, Zap, and Boing.
Zip means point to the person on your right. Zap means point to the person on your left. And Boing means point to a classmate on the opposite side of the circle. (Boing cannot be passed to the person standing right next to you.)
All students place their palms together in front of their chest. This will act as their pointer.
The first person starts by calling out one of the actions and points their hands the right way. The person they’re pointing at chooses the next action, and play goes around the circle.
Try to play as fast as you can. If you perform the wrong action, you are out. Last player standing wins.
STEM Team-Building Activities
19. Marshmallow Tower Challenge
Objective: This STEM activity challenges students to create a sturdy tower.
Materials: Marshmallows, wooden toothpicks
Participants: Partners or small groups
How to play:
Divide students into partners or groups of equal numbers.
Pass out an equal number of marshmallows and wooden toothpicks to each group.
Challenge the groups to create the tallest, largest, or most creative structure in a set amount of time, each member taking turns doing the actual building.
Afterward, have each group present their creation.
20. No-Hands Cup-Stacking Challenge
Objective: Using patience and perseverance, students will stack cups using pipe cleaners (or strings) and a rubber band.
Pair up beginners or younger students and begin with a rubber band with two pipe cleaners attached.
Each student will take the end of one pipe cleaner.
Together, they will maneuver the rubber band to fit over the top of the stacking cup. (No hands allowed!)
One by one they will work together to create a tower of stacking cups.
Divide older kids into groups of four or five, attach that number of strings to a rubber band, and complete the same task.
21. No-Hands Drawing Challenge
Objective: Students will work together to maneuver a pen with strings.
Materials: Markers, string, paper
Participants: Small groups
How to play:
Just like the activity above, this hilarious “no hands” exercise requires cooperation and patience.
Divide students into small groups and give each group a marker with the matching number of strings attached.
Tell the students what they will be drawing, e.g., a tree, a house, or a shape.
Groups will gather around a desk or small table as each student holds the far end of their string, pulling the line taut to support the pen upright over the paper.
The challenge is to manipulate the pen to draw whatever image is called for.
More Team-Building Games and Activities for Kids
22. Hot and Cold
Objective: Students guide a “finder” to locate an object in the classroom with the prompts “hot” or “cold” to lead them in the right direction.
Materials: Classroom objects
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
One student, the “finder,” steps out of the classroom.
The rest of the class picks an object (for instance, the pencil sharpener) in the classroom for the finder to find.
When the finder comes back in, they begin walking around the classroom in search of the object.
If the finder is far away from the object, the only advice the group will give is to say “cold.” When the finder gets close, the group will say “hot.”
Play continues until the finder picks the correct object.
Variation: Instead of saying “hot” and “cold,” students can applaud softly for cold or vigorously for hot.
23. Body Parts
Objective: Following directions, students will try to be the first to snatch a plastic cup.
Materials: Small plastic cups
Participants: Pairs
How to play:
Students stand facing their partner. A plastic cup is positioned on the ground between them.
When the leader calls out a body part, the players must move both hands to that spot—knees, toes, shoulders, hips, etc.
When the leader says “Cup!” each person tries to grab the cup.
The student who snatches the cup remains in the game. The other players are out for the round.
Students pair up with new partners, and play continues until one person wins.
24. Human Alphabet
Objective: Students will form letters of the alphabet with their bodies.
Materials: None
Participants: Individuals and partners
How to play:
Have students spread out and show them how to form letters with their body. For instance, stand tall and spread arms straight out to form the letter T, or raise arms at an angle to form the letter V.
Once they get the hang of individual letters, call out short words. Start with two-letter words (e.g., on, so, it), then three (and, now), then four (past, four).
Students must team up to correctly form each word.
25. Back-to-Back Artists
Objective: This blind drawing activity requires teamwork and clear communication as one student directs the other to draw a picture.
Materials: Drawing paper, pen or marker, sample drawings
Participants: Partners
How to play:
Pair students up and have them sit back-to-back.
Give one student a blank piece of paper and a pen or a marker. Give the other student a picture of a simple object.
The student holding the illustration will not tell their partner the name of the picture. They will verbally describe how to draw the picture, step-by-step, to their partner.
The other student must draw the picture using only the verbal cues given by their partner.
When they are finished, the pair will compare the drawing and the original to see how close they came.
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A chill is in the air, costumes are filling the stores, and Halloween is right around the corner. That means spooky season is upon us! Celebrate the season with these fun and creative Halloween activities and games. You’ll find party games perfect for a class Halloween celebration as well as more educational finds like writing prompts and STEM and math challenges. There are enough Halloween activities on this list to do something different every day in October and then some!
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Quick and Easy Halloween Activities
Try these activities as part of morning meetings or bell ringers, or to fill in when you have a few extra minutes at the end of a class or day. They’re all simple to pull off, with minimal (or no) prep needed!
Tell Halloween jokes
What’s a witch’s favorite subject in school? Spelling, of course! Share some belly laughs with our favorite Halloween jokes for kids.
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Share Halloween quotes
Post a new quote daily to greet students (we’ve got 101 of them to choose from, with images that are all ready to display). Or ask students to choose their favorite quote and create an illustrated poster you can display in the classroom or hallway.
Snag our free printable word searches, with options for easy, medium, and hard. They’re perfect for early finishers and extra credit!
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Pose Halloween trivia questions
Whether you set up a class competition or just use these trivia questions as bell ringers or morning meeting openers, they’re sure to challenge students of all ages.
Solving coded messages is fun, but it also teaches valuable skills like pattern-matching and logic. Grab our free worksheet to try it with your students.
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Watch a Halloween video
Check out our roundup of terrific educational Halloween videos. Get some math practice, learn about Halloween around the world, or try some spooky yoga. You’ll find options for every subject and grade level.
This crossword is just right for elementary students. Pair up younger kids to make it a little easier, or assign this as a fun seasonal homework or enrichment activity.
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Solve a Halloween word scramble
We scrambled 20 themed words for kids to unscramble. The worksheet is designed at an elementary school level, but it makes a fun timed challenge for middle or high school students too!
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Color Halloween coloring pages
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Let’s face it, Halloween is a tough day to teach, especially by the afternoon. It’s totally OK to give yourself a break and pass out these coloring pages to end the day!
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Halloween Books, Poems, and Read-Alouds
Use the seasonal picks in these roundups for story time, reading comprehension practice, book talks, reading groups, and more!
Best Halloween books for kids and teens
This collection includes all the classics (Room on the Broom or Bunnicula, anyone?) as well as new reads to discover. Our list includes picture books, chapter books, and even middle grade and young adult options.
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Popular pumpkin books for kids
With both fiction and nonfiction options, this list gives you lots of choices for learning about Halloween’s unofficial mascot!
Whether you prefer the classics like Poe (“Once upon a midnight dreary …”) or are looking for cute new options to share with little ones, you’ll find the perfect poetry picks on our list for all grades.
Halloween isn’t just about ghosts and witches—it’s also time for monsters to shine! From silly to scary, this roundup is full of Halloween-ready tales to share with kids.
Pumpkins are round … right? Well, not always! The Spookley books are really popular with kids, and there are so many fun (and educational) ways to use them in the classroom. Check out our roundup and activity ideas to learn more.
When you don’t have time for a whole book, short stories are the way to go. In short fiction, writers have to make good use of every word to capture the mood and draw readers into the tale. That makes this format perfect for horror and suspense tales, like the ones in our roundup.
Looking for some ways to bring the spooky season to your ELA classroom? We’ve got you covered! These activities help kids learn and polish their reading and writing skills.
Hang a Halloween word wall
Add a new word to your wall every day, or spend the whole month using spelling and vocab words from our huge list (225+) of Halloween words.
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Give fairy tales a Halloween twist
How would the story have changed if Little Red Riding Hood were a werewolf, or it turned out that Cinderella’s Prince Charming was a vampire? Challenge your students to think outside the box and give new (spooky) life to old fairy tales.
Hold a Monster Adopt-athon
This is part art project, part writing practice, and totally fun! First, kids draw a picture of their very own monster, any way they like. Then, they write up a description of the monster, including its favorite things, where it was born, and the proper care and feeding to keep it healthy. Finally, kids present their monsters to the class, and other students choose the ones they’d like to “adopt”!
Hop on pumpkin letters
Use our free pumpkin templates to create a Pumpkin Hop course. Simply write a letter on each and tape them to the floor. You can add obstacles in between if you like, or simply have kids jump from letter to letter saying the name and sound it makes as they go. We love this for active learners!
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Free Pumpkin Templates
Create a Pumpkin Hop with our templates! Kids can jump from letter to letter, calling out names and sounds.
Who would win in a fight: a vampire or a werewolf? Are kids ever too old to go trick-or-treating? What’s the best design for a jack-o’-lantern? Divide kids into teams and let them prepare their arguments using our free printable organizers. Then, hold a face-to-face debate or fishbowl discussion and let them (civilly) argue it out!
A ghostwriter helps someone else put their story into words (though they don’t usually receive any credit as an author). Pair students up, then challenge one to come up with the detailed plot for a spooky story, while the other “ghost writes” the story itself, adding description and dialogue as needed. This is the perfect writing activity to use with our free ghost templates!
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Compose a Halloween poem
If your students groan when you ask them to write a poem, you need our poem-writing worksheet bundle! This free collection will walk students through writing seasonal poems like limericks, odes, haiku, couplets, blackout poetry, and more.
This quick and easy free printable activity is great for helping kids learn how to alphabetize. You can also use this list for spelling or vocab words.
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Inspire with Halloween writing prompts
What is your favorite Halloween costume and why? Would you spend a night in a graveyard for $100? Why or why not? We have 18 more Halloween writing prompt ideas plus free printable writing paper for students to use!
One of the best ways to work on writing clearly and concisely is by asking kids to create a set of instructions on how to do something correctly. Let them choose from seasonal topics like “How To Carve a Pumpkin,” “How To Trick-or-Treat,” or “How To Create a Haunted House.” Bonus tip: Choose one or two essays to read aloud in class, trying out the directions to see how well they work!
Assemble a Halloween acrostic
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In an acrostic, the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. These are a lot of fun for kids to create, and we’ve made the process easier with our free printable worksheets!
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Cook up cauldron sentences
You’ll need a large plastic cauldron for this activity (and if you like, a big mixing spoon and a witch’s hat!). Ask each student to write a Halloween-themed word or phrase on a piece of paper and toss it into your cauldron. Mix up all the “ingredients,” then draw them out one at a time and ask kids to use each one in a sentence. For more of a challenge, try to incorporate each sentence into a larger story.
Complete a Halloween vocab worksheet
Here’s another simple, no-fuss Halloween printable activity you can use anytime you need it. The vocab words are ideal for the elementary crowd.
Writing messages in code takes some patience and creativity, but it’s so much fun to receive and decode them. Use our free printables to help kids practice writing and cracking codes, then have them send messages to each other through a classroom post office box decorated with ghosts!
Picture prompts give writers a lot to work with: They can help set a plot in motion, create an atmosphere or mood, and inspire writers to include more details in their work. Take a look at our big collection of picture writing prompts to find some for the spooky season, or browse the web to find the perfect picks for your class.
Write a persuasive essay about the best Halloween candy
Kids have a LOT of opinions when it comes to this topic, and it makes a fun, low-stakes topic for learning how to write a persuasive essay. You can also have them make the case for their favorite scary movie or the best Halloween costume. Plus, we’ve got graphic organizers to help them get started!
Give your science and math lessons a bit of seasonal flair with these fun Halloween learning ideas.
Work on Halloween-themed math word problems
There are so many spooky situations that could easily be turned into math word problems. Our collection includes free slides you can share with your students. Try using them as problems of the day all throughout October.
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Sort flash cards into pumpkins
Pick up some plastic pumpkin buckets and label them with flash card answers. Then, see how quickly students can sort flash cards into the right ones!
Use candy corn for Halloween math activities
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Pick up a few bags of candy corn and grab our free printables, then engage your students in meaningful Halloween math activities, from matching to multiplication.
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Solve spider equations
Cut one large and one small circle from black construction paper to form a spider’s body and head. (Don’t forget the googly eyes for fun!). Then, cut and attach eight strips for legs. Use white crayons or chalk markers to write a target number in the middle of each spider. Finally, have kids brainstorm various equations that equal the target, and write them on the legs. For instance, if the target number is 8, kids could write 5 + 3, 4 x 2, 32 ÷ 4, etc. This is a fun way to work on fact families too.
Color Halloween math mystery pictures
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Solve the equations and color the pictures. We love this free printable worksheet as an enrichment activity or Halloween week homework assignment.
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Brew up some math potions
For this fun Halloween early math activity, you’ll need a plastic cauldron and “ingredients” like colorful pom-poms, plastic spiders, googly eyes, etc. Make up a set of “potion” cards with recipes like “3 spiders, 2 red pom-poms, 5 green pom-poms, and 5 eyes.” Little ones drop the correct ingredients into the cauldron and give it all a stir. This is such a fun way to practice counting!
Color in a Halloween coordinate grid picture
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Teach coordinate grids for math or geography. Use the given coordinates to color in the squares and reveal a Halloween picture. Kids can also create their own pictures and give coordinates to their classmates.
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Take a candy survey and graph the results
Survey your class to determine what their favorite trick-or-treat candies are. Then, use the results to make graphs: bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, etc. This makes a fun homework assignment too: Ask kids to survey 20 people and create their own graph.
Tackle a Halloween STEM challenge or two
Our collection of free printable cards is perfect for grades 2 to 5, though older kids will enjoy them too. Challenges include options like “Build a spiderweb out of pipe cleaners,” “Make a brain with play dough,” and “Build a bone bridge with Q-tips.”
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Make ghosts “dance” with static electricity
This simple little demo is so much fun! Cut small ghosts from white tissue paper, and blow up an orange or black balloon. Show kids how to rub the balloon on the right type of surface to create static electricity, then hold it over the ghosts to draw them up and make them dance.
Explode a pumpkin volcano
Carve a jack-o’-lantern, then use baking soda and vinegar to make it overflow with “lava.” Kids never get tired of this one! Get all the directions you need in our video.
Put a Halloween spin on this traditional STEM project. Give kids wood craft sticks, rubber bands, plastic bottle caps, and some glue. Then, challenge them to build a catapult that will launch candy pumpkins into a target.
Mix up some Halloween slime
Kids LOVE slime. Fortunately, it makes a really fun science experiment, and you can give it a Halloween twist with food coloring and mix-ins like googly eyes or pumpkin mini-erasers. Get four different slime recipes plus worksheets for the classroom at the link.
Ask kids to do some research about bats, and make a list of their favorite facts. Then, cut out bats from black construction paper and use white crayons or chalk markers to write in the facts. Turn one of your bulletin boards into a cave with some gray paper, and hang your bats for a truly fun and educational Halloween display!
Explore the pumpkin life cycle
Pumpkins take a long time to grow, and it’s not really practical to try this in a classroom (unless you’ve got a school garden, of course). Instead, watch our free video on the pumpkin life cycle to help kids learn more about it. And if you’ve got a strong stomach, you can try leaving a carved pumpkin out in the elements to watch it decompose!
Use the same principles and method from our dancing popcorn video to see gummi worms twitch and writhe instead! Mix baking soda with water and drop in some candy worms. Then, slowly pour in vinegar and watch as the carbon dioxide bubbles make the candy rise and fall. Creepy and cool!
Here’s one more baking soda and vinegar experiment you can easily turn into a Halloween science activity. Follow the instructions in the video. Use orange balloons, and before you attach them to the bottle, use a black permanent marker to draw a jack-o’-lantern face on them. It’s so exciting to watch the pumpkin balloons expand like magic (except it’s science, which is even better)!
These games make terrific choices for a class Halloween party, and they’re fun to play at home too!
Halloween Bingo
Everybody knows it, everybody loves it! Use our free printable Halloween bingo boards for a class-wide game. Each kid gets to cut out the cards and place them anywhere they like on their card, so no two boards will be the same!
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Ghost and pumpkin bowling
Collect 10 empty plastic bottles and paint them white, then add ghostly faces. Line them up as pins. Use an orange ball (you can use a black permanent marker to add a jack-o’-lantern face if you like) to knock them down!
Freeze Dance, Halloween style
Start the music and dance, dance, dance! When the music stops, freeze in place. Anyone still moving is out for that round. Play until just one dancer is left standing. Our spooky Halloween playlist has all the tunes you’ll need!
Give this challenge a seasonal spin by adding ghosts faces to white paper cups. Give each player 10 cups in a stack, and ask them to stack them into a pyramid and then back down into a stack as fast as they can. If the pyramid falls over, they have to start again. This one is always a crowd favorite!
Pin the spider on the web
Draw a spiderweb on your whiteboard, and give each student a paper spider with tape or a magnet on the back. One at a time, blindfold the players, start them about 10 feet from the board, and spin them around three times. Their goal is to make their way to the board and get the spider as close to the middle of the spiderweb as possible.
Witch hat ring toss
Grab some small plastic cones from the dollar store. Paint them black and add some silver or gold buckles with a paint pen, so they look like witch’s hats. Line them up and see if kids can toss rings around them to win a prize.
Halloween Make-a-Word
This one is fun and simple: How many words can you make using the letters in HALLOWEEN? Grab our free printable to make this game even easier.
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Wrap the Mummy race
Break kids into pairs, and give each pair a roll of toilet paper. At the word “Go,” one player wraps the other in toilet paper as fast as they can, turning the player into a “mummy.” When they’re fully wrapped, the mummy races for the finish line.
Ghost and pumpkin hunt
Print and cut out ghosts and pumpkins from our free printables, then hide them around the room. Divide players into two teams, Ghosts and Pumpkins. Each team works together to try to find all of their ghosts or pumpkins first.
It’s a snap to give these classic games a Halloween twist when you use our free printable Halloween word lists! Whether kids want to act it out or draw it, we’ve got hundreds of words you can use for these games.
Make or buy orange beanbags, and draw jack-o’-lantern faces on them with permanent marker or a paint pen. Line up some buckets (pumpkin trick-or-treat containers or plastic witch’s cauldrons make this extra fun), then give each player a chance to toss as many as they can into the targets. Tip: Add different point totals to the buckets to give the game a bit of a strategic element.
Pro-tip: Use our free templates to make the most impressive pumpkin carvings for your classroom. If you’d like to carve pumpkins with students as a class activity, consider using artificial mess-free craft pumpkins for a keepsake kids can display for years to come.
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Draw a pumpkin
Use our free video to teach students how to draw a pumpkin. Once kids have this skill down, they can include pumpkins in all their Halloween art projects! Try having students draw their own pumpkin patches, adding their own creative flair.
Draw a monster, but let the dice make the hard decisions! Roll a single die or pair of dice to determine how many of each of these body parts to include: head, arm, leg, eye, ear, mouth, nose, finger, and toe. This is a clever way to sneak some counting practice into art time.
Beaded pipe cleaner pumpkins
You’ll need orange and green pipe cleaners and pony beads for this Halloween craft. Take four orange pipe cleaners and twist them together in the middle, then fan them out so you have eight “spokes” of a wheel. String orange beads onto each spoke, then curve them up to meet in the middle, forming a pumpkin shape. Twist the ends to hold them in place, then add a green pipe cleaner with beads for a stem, and some green curlicues if you like.
Jack-o’-lantern lacing plates
This cute craft also provides excellent fine motor skills practice. Use a hole punch to punch even-spaced holes around the edges of orange plastic disposable plates. Cut out jack-o’-lantern faces from black construction paper and glue them in the middle. Give kids orange yarn and show them how to lace the yarn in and out of the holes.
Halloween painted rocks
You’ll need river rocks, craft paint, and brushes (or paint markers) for this creative Halloween activity. Decorate rocks to look like ghosts or jack-o’-lanterns, or paint them with spooky messages and pictures of witches, monsters, vampires, and more.
Drinking-straw skeletons
Cut white paper drinking straws into smaller pieces for “bones.” Give each student a handful, along with some black construction paper and glue. Ask them to create a skeleton in any pose they like, gluing it in place. For a fun expansion on this project, skip the construction paper and glue and use pipe cleaners instead. Kids string the “bones” onto the pipe cleaners, putting them together to form poseable skeletons.
Cotton ball ghosts
Try this cute activity with younger classes. Print and cut out our free ghost templates using white card stock. Spread the ghosts with a thin layer of glue, then have kids glue cotton balls in place to fill in the shape. When they’re finished, attach ghost faces made of construction paper.
Lite Brite pumpkins
Raid an old Lite Brite set for the colorful plastic pegs. Use a skewer to poke holes in a hollowed-out pumpkin (for a mess-free option, use craft pumpkins instead), and drop a battery-operated light inside. Push the pegs into the holes to create all sorts of spooky designs.
Yarn tassel ghosts
These ghosts are so easy to make! Cut a piece of cardboard about 5 inches wide, and wrap white yarn around it at least 20 times. Use a small piece of yarn to tie the top loops of yarn together, then slide the yarn off the cardboard. Tie a second small piece of yarn about an inch below the top to form the head. Finally, cut the yarn loops apart at the bottom and trim them if needed. Glue on small black beads for eyes and mouth, then hang your spooky creations!
More Halloween Activities for the Classroom
Rock your own Halloween costume
Courtesy of Gabriella S.
Need some creative ideas for Halloween costumes? Check out our roundups for inspiration from real We Are Teachers readers!
Watch Halloween movies
These kid-friendly picks are the perfect way to finish out Halloween in your classroom. Everything here is a no more than a little bit spooky or scary, but you’ll definitely want to watch in advance to make sure your choice is appropriate for your audience.
Set up an artificial “campfire” in your classroom using orange and yellow streamers attached to a box fan lying flat on the floor. Turn out the lights and give everyone flashlights instead, then gather around the “fire” and tell scary stories. Check out our free collection to get things started!
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Dig into Halloween sensory bins
Assemble sensory bins full of the sights, sounds, scents, and textures of Halloween. Include some of these: popcorn or rice dyed orange and black; black beans; slime; cooked spaghetti noodles; water dyed orange and black; cinnamon sticks; candy corn; candy pumpkins; letter beads or magnets spelling “Halloween;” mini-erasers of ghosts, pumpkins, etc.; plastic spider rings; large googly eyes; plastic skeletons; mini pumpkins or cauldrons for scooping; or Halloween-themed confetti.
Create a Halloween escape room
This one takes some dedication, but your students will absolutely love it! Our free printables will walk you through the process step-by-step. If you’re not up for crafting your own puzzles, buy a ready-made escape room game (there are plenty of them available), then add your own decorations to customize it for your class.
In today’s climate, it can be too easy for kids to get caught up with the concerns and worries of the adult world. That’s why it’s super important to teach our students that, despite the sometimes harsh realities of today’s world, there is always much to be grateful for. Practicing an attitude of gratitude is a skill that students can be taught, and there is no better time than now to focus on gratitude. Whether you are looking for a game, activity, or a craft project, there is something for everyone on our list of meaningful gratitude activities for kids of all ages.
But first, let’s take a look at how helping your students cultivate a strong gratitude practice can benefit them in school, at home, and in their personal growth and development.
Benefits of Gratitude Activities for Kids of All Ages
Improved mental well-being: Regular gratitude practices can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, allowing students to develop a more positive and optimistic mindset.
Stronger social bonds: Gratitude activities encourage students to acknowledge and appreciate one another’s efforts, fostering stronger relationships and a sense of community in the classroom.
Increased student engagement: When students feel recognized and valued, they’re more likely to actively participate in class, which leads to greater engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
Better emotional regulation: Gratitude helps students build emotional resilience, making it easier for them to manage their feelings and stay focused during class.
Improved behavior: By promoting a culture of appreciation and respect, gratitude activities can reduce disruptive behaviors and contribute to a more positive classroom environment.
Enhanced academic performance: A positive outlook fostered by gratitude can improve concentration and motivation, which often leads to better academic results.
Development of a growth mindset: Gratitude activities shift the focus from outcomes to effort and progress, which reinforces the value of learning and self-improvement.
All in all, cultivating a gratitude practice with your students can create a more positive, supportive, and productive classroom environment, and give your students skills they can carry throughout their lifetime.
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Gratitude Activities for Kids in Elementary School
1. Gratitude scavenger hunt
Naomi Meredith at We Are Teachers
Take some time with your students to actively look for things that we can be thankful for. Create a master list of items for your scavenger hunt. Include items like something that is your favorite color, something that smells good, something that makes you smile. Or perhaps something you’ve never noticed, something that makes your life easier, or someone you really like. Get creative and prepare your own list tailored to your group of kids.
2. Gratitude videos
As always, videos are a wonderful way to engage students with a topic. We’ve compiled a list of 22 awesome videos to help kids understand what gratitude is all about. From gratitude meditations to Kid President to short stories, there’s something on the list that will help your students connect.
This simple craft is a meaningful way for kids to think about all that they are grateful for. Use a sturdy orange paper plate for the turkey’s body, and glue “feathers” cut from different-colored construction paper to the back, two-thirds of the way around. Next, on each “feather,” have students write something they are thankful for—friends, family, home, school, etc. Finally, use a toilet paper roll painted brown for the body and add eyes, a beak, a wattle, and a hat made from a small cup painted black.
4. Pickup sticks: gratitude edition
A simple yet fun variation on the classic game of pickup sticks that helps reinforce the practice of gratitude. First, create a key that corresponds to the colors of your particular set of pickup sticks. Then, to begin play, students will take turns selecting a stick, then finding the corresponding gratitude prompt on the key to share something they are thankful for. For example, the key may read “red = name a person you are grateful for,” “blue = name an activity you are grateful for,” etc.
This simple activity helps young students practice their alphabet skills, but more importantly, their gratitude skills. To start, supply each child with an ABC worksheet with each letter written in a column down the left side. On the right side of the page, provide blanks for students to fill in with a word that starts with each letter. After everyone finishes, gather them together and invite students to share.
6. Gratitude acrostics
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Grab these free printable templates for a fun Thanksgiving (or anytime!) writing assignment. Each template focuses on a different word—family, thankful, gratitude. Students think of one thing starting with each letter of that word that they are grateful for and fill in the blank.
7. Gratitude sphere
If you love rustic decor, this is the gratitude project for you and your students. Grab a grapevine sphere or wreath or a few branches from outside. Then give each student a circle cut from burlap and have them write one thing they are thankful for on it with a Sharpie. (If students would like to do more than one, feel free!) Finally, attach all your students’ sentiments to the sphere, wreath, or branches with twine so that they are charmingly dangling.
Take a few moments each day to have your students complete a different gratitude-based drawing prompt. Encourage them to get creative and draw something that is personally meaningful to them. Allow students who would like to share to do so, but if some students prefer to keep their drawings private, that’s OK too. Brainstorm a list of ideas such as: Draw someone who is important to you, draw an activity that makes you happy, draw your happy place, etc.
9. Thankfulness chain
Such a fun and simple idea—we love that all you need to do this project is some construction paper and markers. We also love the nostalgia of making paper chains leading up to holidays. First, cut construction paper in fall colors into strips and display them in a bin or basket along with a few Sharpie pens. Explain that, together, you are going to make a paper chain of things you are all grateful for. Write down three things you are personally grateful for and join the three strips together to start the chain. Throughout the week, encourage students to add a strip every time they think of something they are grateful for. Challenge them to see how long they can make the chain before Thanksgiving break.
10. M&M gratitude game
Every kid likes games that include snacks! Have students partner up and then give each pair a small bag of plain M&Ms. Display a key that includes a task for each color. For example, “red = share a place you are grateful for,” “green = share a person you are grateful for,” etc. Then have students take turns picking one M&M and sharing their answers with one another.
11. Gratitude sunflowers
Have students grow a garden of positivity and thankfulness with beautiful gratitude sunflowers. For this activity, you will need yellow, brown, and green construction paper, scissors, glue, and markers. With the brown paper, have students cut a circle for the center of the sunflower. With the yellow paper, have students cut petals, and with the green paper, a stem and leaves. On each of the yellow petals, ask students to write one thing they are thankful for. Then assemble the flowers using glue. Display your class’s sunflower garden, ideally in the hallway to share their abundant feelings of gratitude with the school.
12. Gratitude stones
This is one of the simplest gratitude activities for kids. Take a nature walk and have students gather stones. When you get back to the classroom, have students paint hearts or words like “thankful,” “gratitude,” “happiness,” or “love” on their rocks. Once they dry, encourage them to take their rocks home and distribute them around their neighborhood to spread random moments of gratitude.
13. Gratitude leaf garland
Naomi Meredith at We Are Teachers
Use colorful leaf printouts (or create your own) to challenge students to write one thing they are grateful for on as many leaves as they can. Once students complete their leaves, string them together and display the colorful gratitude garland in your classroom to remind students of all the little and big things there are to be thankful for.
FREE PRINTABLE
Our free printable bundle includes Leaf Templates in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some even include writing lines!
14. Gratitude tree
Naomi Meredith for We Are Teachers
You can also have each student create their own personal gratitude tree. Students write what they’re thankful for. Then have them color the leaves and cut them out before gluing the leaves to the branches on a sheet of paper with an outline of a tree.
FREE PRINTABLE
Get your free Gratitude Tree printable to do this project with your students.
15. Thank you in any language
Teach your students to say thank you in different languages. In sign language, that means bringing your hand, with fingers together and palm facing in, to your chin and pulling your hand away in an arc. Kind of like blowing a kiss but coming from your chin instead of your lips. Other ways to say thank you: Gracias in Spanish, Merci in French, Arigato in Japanese, Danke in German, etc. An easy Google search can provide many examples. Make it a game and give students points whenever they say thank you in another language. When they reach a certain number of points, celebrate with an activity!
16. Compliment circle
This is such a great way to create a kind and inclusive classroom while also teaching students to be grateful for the things that make them and their classmates special. Have kids sit in a circle with their legs out straight, and then choose one student to begin by giving a classmate a compliment. Once a student has received a compliment, they pull their legs into crisscross applesauce so that others can see who is still left to compliment as you continue around the circle.
17. Thank-you coloring pages
Naomi Meredith at We are Teachers
It’s always a good time to show appreciation and gratitude for the helpers that make our lives better every day! Download these free coloring pages and share them with your students.
18. Gratitude spinner
For this activity, you will need a sturdy paper plate and two circles cut from card stock that fit inside of the plate. Use a pencil to divide one circle into eight equal triangular sections. In each section, have students write one thing they are thankful for. Then, have students color the other circle in any manner they’d like. Help them cut one triangular segment from the decorated circle and write in the words “I am grateful.” Finally, place the circle with words in the center of the plate with the decorated circle on top, and join the three layers together with a brad. Once they’re finished, they can spin the spinner and reflect on all the things they are grateful for.
Heart maps are a creative way to combine doodling and thoughtful reflection. Print out our free heart template and pass it out to students. Next, have them decorate the background any way they’d like. Now, ask them to think carefully about some of the things they are grateful for. Then, using whatever colors or whatever types of lettering they choose, have them fill up their heart to bursting.
FREE PRINTABLE
Use the large black-and-white printable in this Heart Template Bundle to do the heart-map project in your classroom.
20. Gratitude jar
Naomi Meredith for We Are Teachers
Everybody appreciates shout-outs. Set up a jar in your classroom and set a stack of paper slips and pens next to it. Ask your students to add to the gratitude jar whenever someone in the class (or at school) does something that they are grateful for. Once a week, read the shout-outs aloud. This activity is wonderful for reinforcing a sense of community in your classroom. You can also let students do this as an individual activity using the free printable gratitude jar worksheets below.
FREE PRINTABLE
Grab our free printable Gratitude Jar activity for your classroom.
21. Posters
Talk with your students about the power of positive messages. Brainstorm different ways to encourage each other to find things to be grateful for. Then, divide students into groups and have them design colorful posters with the messages to display around the classroom or school.
22. Gratitude writing prompts
Naomi Meredith at We Are Teachers
Help kids make gratitude a habit with mindful journaling. Use the free printable writing paper below or have students use the prompts to answer in their own personal journals.
FREE PRINTABLE
This bundle includes five styles of Gratitude Writing Paper with and without space for drawing plus a set of 15 gratitude writing prompts.
23. Gratitude mobiles
Gratitude activities for middle school should leave room for individuality. For this activity, provide each student with a stick (gathered from outside). Have them attach a string hanger at the top with six dangling strings hanging down. Set out a variety of craft materials—beads, wire, charms, corks, etc.—to adorn each string with. Also provide small paper tags for them to write one thing they are thankful for to attach to each string. Your students will love creating these personalized reminders of abundance in their life.
Pass out printable gratitude cards to students. There are full-color cards or a black-and-white version students can color. Tell students to find a person who fits the description on each card and present it to them. It’s a great way to encourage your students to express themselves.
FREE PRINTABLE
Our free printable Gratitude Cards are available in full-color or black-and-white.
25. Beach ball gratitude activity
Label each colored section of a blow-up beach ball with a gratitude prompt such as “What is one thing that always brings a smile to your face?” or “Name the last nice thing someone did for you,” etc. Then circle the kids up and start up some music. Have the kids toss the ball around until the music stops. Whoever is holding the ball when the music stops must answer the question that is under their left thumb. Once they answer, put on the music and continue until everyone has had a turn. If a person who has already answered gets the ball, have them choose someone who hasn’t yet answered.
26. Teacher thank-yous
Naomi Meredith at We Are Teachers
Encourage your students to draft a letter of gratitude. This powerful exercise involves kids personally thanking an educator for being in their lives. Since gratitude activities for middle school can be a little more involved, you may want to set a minimum word count. Better yet, download our free Teacher Thank-You cards and spread the love to all the staff members around your building.
27. Gratitude paper marbling
Give each student a 4-by-4-inch square of watercolor paper or white card stock. Fill a shallow rectangular foil tray about halfway up with water. Begin pouring drops of nail polish into the water, swirling gently with a chopstick or skewer. Don’t mix it too much! Then, take your paper square and place it face down in the solution. Carefully lift it out (you may want to use tongs) and place it on paper towels to dry. Each student’s creation will come out entirely different. Once each student’s square has dried, ask them to write something they are thankful for on their paper. Use a hole punch to create a hole at the top of each square. String the squares together and drape them from the ceiling of the classroom.
28. Gratitude collage or vision board
Provide students with magazines and have them cut out images that remind them of things they are grateful for or things they wish for. Then, have them glue the images together to create their own personal gratitude collage or vision board.
29. Gratitude charades
Pass out slips of paper with the sentence starter “I am thankful for …” written on them. Ask each student to write down one answer. Remind them to keep their answers clean and sincere. Then, divide up into teams and play a few rounds of charades with their responses.
Gratitude Activities for Kids in High School
30. Gratitude wall or bulletin board
Ask kids to take a moment and think of one simple thing they are thankful for at the beginning of class. Have them write it on a sticky not or index card and attach it to a bulletin board or designated space on the wall. Do this for one week and see if you can completely cover the board. Better yet, have your students from different periods compete for the biggest wall.
31. Thankfulness nature walk
Take a nature walk with your students and focus on appreciating all of the beautiful and amazing things around us that we often take for granted. Have students walk mindfully and silently in single file as they observe their surroundings. Take it a step further and have them journal about their experience when you get back to the classroom.
32. Gratitude conversation starters
It’s not always easy to dive into personally meaningful conversations. That’s why conversation starters are such a great idea. On strips of paper, write down prompts such as “Where is the place you feel happiest?”, “Who is a person that you are especially grateful for?”, or “What is one learning experience that you are grateful for?” Have students pair up and let each one choose one or two questions they are comfortable sharing.
33. Gratitude playlist
Set up good vibes in your classroom with songs that focus on gratitude. From Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson to Earth, Wind & Fire, there’s something every kid in your class will want to groove to.
34. Gratitude watercolor spiral
This might just be the prettiest gratitude project on this list. All you need is watercolor paints, brushes, paper, and Sharpie pens. Have students draw a spiral with the Sharpie on a piece of watercolor paper. Then, along the line, have them write things they are thankful for. When they are finished writing, have them trace the spiral with watercolor paints. For a beautiful effect, have them use three or four different colors.
35. Donation bin
Teaching kids the power of giving back can also help them appreciate the things they have. Regardless of whether you collect school supplies or take donations of winter hats and gloves, kids will learn how good it feels to give to those in need.
36. Family letters
It’s easy to take the people closest to us for granted. Take a moment to have students reflect on the ways in which they are thankful for their families. They can choose one person or speak to their family as a whole. Then, ask students to write a letter expressing their gratitude. Suggest that they share their letters on Thanksgiving Day.
37. Flip complaints
Flip the script with this meaningful activity. Regardless of your disposition, negative thoughts sometimes pop up. In this social-emotional learning exercise, students will write out negative thoughts and practice replacing them with more positive ones. Students can pair up or work in a small group, if that works for your community.
38. Gratitude quotes
Being thankful is scientifically proven to improve the quality of our lives, so it’s something we should definitely encourage in our classrooms year-round. Share a few of these quotes of gratitude from children’s books and famous people. Ask them to choose one as their favorite and write a journal entry about it.
FREE RESOURCE
You’ll feel good about sharing this roundup of Gratitude Quotes with your students.
39. Gratitude heroes
Ask students to think of a famous person, dead or alive, to whom they are grateful. Maybe they’ll choose Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity. Maybe they think of the caveman who invented the wheel. Maybe they think of Michael Jordan for revolutionizing basketball. Have them write that person’s name on an index card along with three or four sentences explaining their choice.
40. Spirals
This is another one of those cool and creative gratitude activities for kids to display the things they’re thankful for. On a sheet of drawing paper, have kids draw a spiral that starts in the middle and circles outward. Next, have them fill in the entirety of the line with words or phrases that show what they are thankful for. Another fun way to do this is to cut along the lines of the spiral they drew, creating a 3D whirligig. Then, flattening the whirligig, have them fill in their words. Finally, have them poke a hole on the narrowest end of the spiral and connect a piece of yarn to hang their creation.
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., March 6, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– GameClass, the groundbreaking EdTech startup that transforms popular video games into interactive educational lessons and assessments, has officially partnered with the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) South Africa to bring innovative video game education software to over 200 schools across Africa.
The partnership includes ambitious plans to expand support to up to 500 schools and 10,000 students across Africa by the end of 2025, bringing transformative video game education to even more classrooms.
“Our visions aligned perfectly,” said Skyler Scarlett, founder and CEO of GameClass, a two-time ABC Shark Tank entrepreneur. “This partnership marks the beginning of rapid global expansion, something rarely seen for early-stage EdTech startups.”
Scarlett attributes GameClass’s momentum to a world-class team, including CTO Naresh Gupta, who has worked for Microsoft, led research as VP for Samsung Korea, and holds 25 patents.
“We built GameClass over two years, conducting over 1,000 interviews with teachers and EdTech leaders,” Scarlett explained. “We believe video games are one of the most valuable educational tools in the world. Our platform and software makes integrating video game education extremely applicable, effortless and time-efficient.”
Imagine learning about potential energy as Spider-Man swings between skyscrapers or discussing ancient civilizations through the landscapes of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. GameClass focuses on popular video games that students love, transforming entertainment into powerful educational experiences that make learning more engaging and memorable. The platform has been tested across all grade levels, and the results are clear: students are more engaged than ever.
“It’s hard to forget probability when you learn it through Mario Kart,” Scarlett said. “There’s something special about mastering subjects through your favorite games.”
Marc Joubert, head of NASEF South Africa, emphasized the impact of the partnership:
“GameClass is a game-changer! It aligns perfectly with the learning experiences we aim to create. Students will be more engaged than ever, platform analytics will help identify learning deficiencies early, allowing for targeted interventions to improve student outcomes and teachers will save time with a platform designed to make their lives easier.”
Scarlett, who self-funded GameClass, wasn’t actively seeking investment but remains open to opportunities that accelerate adoption.
“I’ve been blown away by the support,” he said. “Gaming studios and developers are reaching out to support our mission to bring video game education to all students. I believe we’ll partner with several gaming companies to expand GameClass quickly.”
GameClass is also breaking new ground in inclusivity. The platform includes special education features, sign language integration, and AI-driven lesson creation. The interactive editor empowers students to demonstrate subject mastery through video games, fostering creativity and deeper learning.
For more information or to connect with Skyler Scarlett, contact:
About GameClass GameClass is an EdTech platform that turns video games into interactive learning experiences, enabling students to engage with educational content through the games they love.
About NASEF South Africa NASEF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides scholastic esports opportunities to students and educators worldwide, promoting learning, leadership, and career pathways through gaming.
There’s something about dice that kids like. They’re very hands-on, and there’s the fun of rolling them for whatever reason. They’re also easy to understand. You don’t even need to recognize numerals, you just need to be able to count dots. And there are so many games to play with dice! Here are 20 easy-to-understand, fun dice games to help your students learn various math concepts while rolling along and having some fun.
1. Getting To Know You
Looking for dice games to use at the beginning of the school year? This game doubles as an icebreaker. Use one die and a sheet with six numbered questions on it. Each number on the die will correspond to a question. The questions help students get to know one another. You can prepare them beforehand, or they can be generated by the class. Players take turns rolling the die. Whatever number comes up, they answer the corresponding question, then pass the die to the right. If you get the same number twice, you can roll again or just share one other interesting fact about yourself. Some sample questions:
Which fictional character would you like as a friend?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
2. Climb the Mountain
Students play in pairs and share three dice. Each player needs a piece of paper with a mountain drawn on it with numbers 1 through 18 written along the mountain edge.
Players take turns rolling the dice and using the numbers that come up to make addition or subtraction problems whose answers are numbers on the mountain. Make as many as you can from your roll. The answer numbers on the mountain are crossed out with each turn and then the other player goes. The player whose mountain is empty of numbers first is the winner.
To make it more challenging, the players must create problems that give the numbers on the mountain in order.
3. Dice Battle
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Pair up students with two pairs of dice each and a collection of small items (counting bears, blocks, pom-poms, etc.). Both players roll their dice and add their own up. Whoever has the highest answer takes an item from the other player. The battle can end when one player has no items left, after a set number of battles, after a set amount of time, or when the teacher calls “battles over.”
4. Coin Roll
Students can work independently or with a partner in this activity. They’ll need a pair of dice and a sheet with three columns: The first column shows the two dice as rolled for each turn. The second column will show the total value of both dice numbers. The third column will show the coins that can be used for that money value.
For example, you roll a 6 and a 3. You draw the die in column 1. In the second column, you write 6 + 3 = 9, and in the third column, you write the fewest coins you could use to make that amount. In this case, a nickel and four pennies.
5. Going to Boston
Looking for classic dice games? Try Going to Boston. It can be played by two or three players. Students will need three dice and a sheet to record their totals in each round. To decide who goes first, let them each roll a single die, and whoever rolls the highest number goes first.
A player rolls all three dice, and the highest number die is put aside. The player now rolls the two remaining dice, takes the higher of those two, and puts it aside. Finally, they roll the last die, then put it aside.
The player adds up all three dice, and that is their total for that round. Record the total for that player on the sheet. Now it’s the next player’s turn to do the same.
If there is a tie in a round, the tying players roll all three dice again. Play a set number of rounds until the time is up. Add up the totals from each round to determine the winner of the game. If at the end of these dice games, there is a tie, the tying players roll all three dice again.
6. Rolling to Six
This number-sequence game is played in pairs. Each player gets a single die. They both roll their die, and when a player rolls a 1, the game begins. From that 1, that player continues to roll until they get a 2, then 3, continuing to 6. The other player must also roll a 1 and continue rolling to get numbers 2 through 6. Whoever reaches 6 first is the winner.
7. Roll and Tell
This is a fun way of talking about a story or book you’ve just read. This dice game can be done with the whole class or in groups. After reading a book, show students the chart with the dice and corresponding questions:
What was the book mainly about?
Who were the main characters?
What was the problem in the story?
Where and when does the story take place?
How was the problem solved?
What was your favorite part of the story?
Have a student roll the die, and the student or the group will answer that number question. Make up your own questions that work best for your students.
8. Fives and Twos
This addition game can be played in pairs or in small groups. All that is needed is five dice and a sheet to record players’ totals for each round.
A player rolls all five dice at the same time. If a 5 or a 2 is rolled, put those aside. The player continues to roll the remaining dice until all dice show a 5 or 2. The players then add their dice up on the recording sheet. Whoever has the highest score for the round is the winner.
9. Fishing Boat Catch
Five dice are needed for this game. A player will roll all five dice at the same time, up to three times, to get a 6 for the Boat, a 5 for the Captain, and a 4 for the Crew. Those are required to go fishing! Once those three are rolled, the Catch is the total of the remaining two dice. (If the 6, 5, and 4 are not rolled after three attempts, the next player rolls.)
Then it’s the next player’s turn. When everyone has had a turn, the player with the highest Catch wins.
10. Don’t Break the Ice
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Provide each player with a plastic cup and use a rubber band to secure a tissue across the opening. Players will also need a toothpick, one die, and small objects (counting bears, LEGO, connecting blocks). Each player takes a turn rolling the dice. If a 2 to 6 is rolled, poke that number of holes in the tissue. If a 1 is rolled, put one of the small objects on the tissue, or if a player’s items fall into the cup, they are out of the game! Continue playing until all the players are out.
11. Perimeter Roll
Pairs of players will need a pair of dice, graph paper, and one colored pencil each (two different colors). A player rolls the dice and uses the two numbers to draw a box that length and width on the graph paper using their colored pencil. For example, if you roll a 3 and a 5, the perimeter will be 3 + 5 +3 + 5. Draw that rectangle using the colored pencil. (Players can color it in.) The next player does the same and draws their box on the graph paper in their color.
Once there is no more room on the graph paper to add any more boxes, the game is over. Players then compute the area of their own boxes and add them up. The player with the most area is the winner.
12. Roll a Funny Face
Engage your artistic students with dice games that incorporate drawing. To play this one, create a chart that has:
Six boxes across the top of the chart, each one with a dice dot amount 1 through 6.
Six boxes along the left side of the chart, each one with the terms “Turn 1: face shape, Turn 2: eyes, Turn 3: nose, Turn 4: mouth, Turn 5: ears, Turn 6: hair.”
Inside the chart across from each Turn, draw choices of those features: different shapes, types of faces, eyes, noses, etc., in silly cartoon designs or animal-like styles.
As the players roll their single die, they will have to read and follow the chart to draw the funny face on a sheet of paper with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
For example, on Turn 1, you roll a 4, find the face shape for a 4, and draw that face shape. Turn 2, roll a 6, find the eyes for a 6, and draw those eyes.
This can be done independently, in pairs, or in groups. It’s fun to see the final results.
13. Roll and Add to 100
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Pairs of players will need a 100s chart, a pair of dice, and a crayon, marker, or colored pencil (different from each other).
Players roll the dice, add the two numbers together, put an “X” on that spot on the chart, then move ahead that many spaces and put another “X” on that one. Then it is the other player’s turn.
For example, the first player rolls 3 and 5. They put a blue X on 8, then move ahead eight more spaces and put another blue X on 16. That ends that turn. Now it’s the next player’s turn.
Continue playing until one player reaches 100.
14. Don’t Roll a One!
Pairs of players will need a pair of dice and a sheet of lined paper to tally their rolls.
Each player rolls the dice, adds up the total, and records using tally marks. The player can continue to roll the two dice and add up as many times as they like in each turn, stopping when ready, keeping in mind that if they roll a 1, they lose all the points from that turn.
Winning can be determined by a given total number/score, the number of rounds, or a time limit.
15. Point Number
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Pairs of students will need a pair of dice and a sheet of lined paper to tally their scores. Each player rolls the dice. The player with the higher number will go first, and the player with the lower number will roll again to set the “Point Number.”
Once the Point Number is set, the first player rolls both dice. If the point number was rolled, the player gets one point. If double the Point Number was rolled, the player gets two points. No points are scored unless they are the Point Number or double the Point Number.
The first player to get 11 points wins.
16. Roll a High Quotient
Playing in pairs or small groups, students will need three dice and a sheet of paper to record answers.
To play, a player rolls the three dice and chooses two of them to be the double-digit dividend and the third one to be the divisor. The object is to make the largest quotient possible. Each player records their quotients and adds them up at the end of the game. If a quotient comes out evenly, with no remainder, that player gets a bonus of 10 extra points. If there is a remainder, write that down, but do not use it in the final tally. The player with the highest total wins.
For example, you roll 2, 4, and 6. Use 6 and 4 to be the dividend 64 and use 2 to be the divisor. 64 divided by 2 equals 32. That’s your score.
17. Make a Run
This is one of the dice games that can be played with two or more players. Players will need six dice and a sheet of paper to record scores.
A player rolls all six dice and tries to make a “run.” A run is any number in sequence, including odd/even numbers, and multiples. You need at least three numbers in sequence to be considered a run. For each number in the run, a player earns five points. A die can only be used in one run. But a player can create more than one run in a turn. Play until a player reaches 100 points.
For example, a player rolls 2, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1. A possible run could be 1, 2, 3, 4 (in sequence), scoring 20 points, and 3, 6 (multiples), scoring 10 points for a total of 30 points in that round.
18. Add Then Multiply
Sarah Cason for We Are Teachers
Pairs of players need three dice and a sheet to record scores (and possibly some calculations). On their turn, a player will roll all three dice, adding two of them together and multiplying by the third one. Each player records their score for each round on the sheet. At the end of the game, players will add up the scores from all their rounds. Highest score wins. For example, if you roll 3, 4, and 2, you could add 2 and 4 together and get 6. You would then multiply 6 by the remaining number, 3, so 6 x 3 = 18.
Play can go to a certain score, a certain number of rounds, or a set amount of time.
19. Ten Multiples
This can be played in pairs or small groups. Provide one pair of dice for the players to share and a sheet of paper for each player.
A player rolls the two dice and adds them together. They use that sum as the first in a series of 10 multiples of that sum. For example, if you roll a 3 and a 4, the sum is 7. The multiples of 7 are: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, and 70.
The teacher can decide at some point to have students do this orally rather than on paper.
20. Fishy Addition or Multiplication
Each student will need crayons or colored pencils and a prepared sheet with outlines of fish (teacher is to decide on that number) and a sum or product written on the fish. The numbers will be determined by whether the skill is addition or multiplication.
A student rolls the dice, adds or multiplies the two numbers, and colors in the fish that corresponds to the answer.
Whether it’s cooperation, strategy, academics, or just fun, there’s a game for that! From classic to brand-new, here are 41 of the best board games and other games for kids. These games also make for great classroom play staples for indoor recess, centers, and skill building. And they’re great gifts for family nights and ways to occupy kids on rainy days at home.
Cooperative Games for Kids
These games challenge kids to work together to achieve a goal or complete a task.
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1. Outfoxed!
This is a classic whodunit where students work together to figure out which fox stole the pie. It’s a combination of strategy and cooperation and will never be the same game twice.
Teacher review: “I love this game. I’ve been teaching first grade for 25 years and I think this is one of my favorite games for my students (and I have HUNDREDS). The kids catch on quickly and absolutely LOVE this game. It’s one of their favorites!”
Create paths between the princess and the knight with these 48 puzzles of increasing difficulty. The classroom bonus of this logic game (along with Castle Logix, Three Little Piggies, and Little Red Riding Hood from the same company) is in the built-in flexibility. This is one of the best puzzle games for elementary students and beyond, as students can work alone or with peers, progress through the series at their own pace, and check their own answers.
Parent review: “Probably my favorite game my almost 5-year-old twins got this Christmas. They quickly learned how to set up and work through the challenges. Love also that they can play alone or problem solve together.”
This fancy version of the “What am I?” game is hilarious and a language booster. Use the cards provided or make your own to review vocabulary or content information.
Family review: “I gave this to my nephew (6) and niece (4) and the whole family enjoyed it. It doesn’t require reading skills, all clues are pictures of kid-recognizable items and the little ones can play along with the ‘big kids.’ Good time for everyone.”
Players create a growing map by matching tiles that include rivers, roads, and train track routes. We love leaving this out as a “community game” for students to stop by and play a few turns during a free moment. It is an excellent extension during a mapping unit too.
Teacher review: “Many different ways to play this game. There are easier versions and more difficult ones. You can play it using colors, shapes, or both. A good beginner game. I use it in my kindergarten classroom and we play the more difficult game, using shapes and colors together. Easily learned.”
If you’re looking for simple board games for kids that offer both structure and fun, try this one. This game of classroom charades awards participants for creativity in acting out silly scenarios. It’s easily adaptable for team play during a whole-class brain break.
Teacher review: “Lovely game, great concept. My young students love the spinner. 3rd time playing they have solved it as much as possible. Beautiful product, simple game.”
Students flick and spin penguins through a game course made from nesting cardboard boxes. Up to three students must race around the board to collect fish from various locations, while another student is the hall monitor who tries to bump the penguins and win their fish. The students racing can work together to collect fish and out-spin the hall monitor.
Teacher review: “I have never played a game like this. The graphics are cute, the game takes some skill but you can still win even when you’re not very good at it. Rules are not very complicated, but you have to do a practice game while you explain the rules. You flick weeble-wobble player pieces from room to room (cardboard boxes that attach together firmly and quickly) and either collect fish pieces or try to catch the other players. A round of the game with three players might take about 15 to 25 minutes. My 5th grade students go crazy for this game.”
In this cooperative maze game, players work as a team to maneuver a gnome around the maze. The trick is they have to move quickly to find the thief who stole the queen’s treasures.
Teacher review: “Everyone loved this game at Xmas family functions, from 5 to 70. Bought it as a joke for my boyfriend, who turns into an amazing gnome at Halloween. Turns out it’s a great team & language building tool. Can’t wait to take it to school as an educational game for 1st-5th graders. Love that is cooperative and no one is a loser.”
Each player has an island-shaped game board. The players choose how to set up the adventure figures and temples. Then, a lead adventurer selects and calls out which tiles to use for each turn. Players decide whether to place the tile on the board or redeem it to move an adventurer toward the temple. There are special tiles that kids can land on along the way for gems or gold pieces.
Teacher review: “Definitely different from most board games. Nice quality, easy to learn. My students enjoyed it. Game is short enough to play in short amount of time.”
Looking for SEL games for the kids in your classroom? Build memory skills and explore diverse feelings with this fun, interactive memory game! The Express Your Feelings Memory Match Game features a wide variety of expressive faces that reflect how emotions can look and feel different.
Teacher review: “Picked this up to reinforce facial identification and emotion labeling for a child with autism. It seems to support some of our therapy goals in a playful way. I like that there are two ways to match for play. Only con is some of the expressions or labeled emotions are a little obscure/a stretch imo, but we have no problem finding something else appropriate to label them alternatively.”
These games require kids to think through different approaches and ways of solving a problem or completing the game.
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10. Blokus Trigon
A take on the original Blokus version (for up to four players), this allows even more students to play. Be the player to get as many of your pieces onto the board before being blocked.
Teacher review: “My 12-year-old son and I play this game a lot. I work with high school students and they enjoy playing this too.”
Here’s another well-loved logic puzzle game that students can play alone or with peers. We love having this on hand for kids who need an extra challenge.
Teacher review: “I am a high school math teacher, and I find that the Rush Hour game is great even for older kids! Although they might scoff, they are in fact fascinated by it and keep challenging each other. And if teenagers can’t break it, I don’t know who can.”
Whether you’ve held onto a vintage set or you want to snag the newer version with updated colors, this code-making-and-breaking game is a perennial favorite for indoor recess or kids who finish their work early.
Teacher review: “I used to play this game with my son who has Asperger’s syndrome. It’s a fun game and I think it builds brain function. 20 years later, I’m a 7th grade (12 yrs. old) teacher and my students play it during free time. They get to pick from 7 different games and this one always goes first. They love it!”
This Connect 4 and tic-tac-toe hybrid requires no setup and encourages kids to think one step ahead. Stack X and O blocks to try to get a row of four—but with different colors and symbols on each block face, students need to be careful their move doesn’t inadvertently win the game for their opponent.
Teacher review: “Fun and easy game to learn … use it in my classroom, ordered 2, students really like it.”
This strategy game also builds geography and environmental knowledge. In Planet, kids build an ecosystem from scratch. Each person has a 12-sided three-dimensional “planet” that they add terrain to and collect animal cards for.
User review: “Planet is a fun game. Basically, you’re trying to create a world that has the most of your element and also attract lots of different animals based on what environment they need. Built on a fun concept, fairly easy to learn, and stays fun. WARNING: Don’t play this game if you don’t like strategy. Probably 70% to 90% strategy.”
If you want to engage kids who love video games, try this low-tech board game version of Tetris. Students have to think through a strategy for completing their Tetris board while also thinking about what other students are going to choose.
Teacher review: “I bought a bunch of rainbow-colored games to spice up my review games for my students. They have to read and spell a word before playing their turn in a game. I bought the rainbow Tetris game and the rainbow Jenga. I call it rainbow review day and the students love them.”
The classic game of coordinates and planning ahead is fun to play and even more fun to win! Be the first to sink your opponent’s battleship.
Teacher review: “I am a middle school teacher and bought this for school to be played during an end-of-the-day activity period. As expected, it’s a hit. The newer design isn’t flimsy like I feel some newer games have become—there’s a little initial setup (punching out plastic boats and dividing up the pegs between 2 boards), but after that, it’s smooth sailing (pun intended). It’s a great game for a variety of ages, easy to catch on, fun to play, and keeps kids occupied a while. I am as much a fan as I was when I played as a kid!”
These are some of the best board games and other games to get kids practicing reading, math, and content knowledge while playing together.
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17. Proof!
Here’s a great option that allows advanced and upper elementary students to sharpen their mental math skills. Players create equations hidden among nine number cards.
Teacher review: “It’s a bit expensive on a teacher salary, but my students absolutely love it! What’s best is it’s automatically differentiated because they do what they are able to do!”
Games and puzzles from EeBoo always win for visual appeal, but this one also scores high for being educational. Tackle a skill that all kids need to learn in a fun and engaging way. Adaptable for telling time to the hour, half hour, five minutes, and a minute—this is a ready-made math center. If you’re looking for board games that teach kids how to tell time, give this one a try.
Teacher review: “Fun game! Used in my 2nd grade classroom. Kids loved it!”
Players must match noun cards to relevant adjective cards. This is one of our fave games for vocabulary development, especially for ELL students. It’s simple to customize it to utilize words you want to target too.
Teacher review: “I bought this for my classroom. Since the cards are all kept in one box, it is hard for my students to keep the green and red cards separate when cleaning them up. Otherwise, this is a great game for kids.”
This unique storytelling game is an awesome addition to the ELA classroom. Players must describe fantastical cards in creative ways and decipher the descriptions of others. We love how this game can give striving readers and writers the chance to shine creatively.
Teacher review: “I use this game with a small group of gifted students and it is amazing. Will get some expansion packs to keep interest high. The cards are beautiful art in and of themselves.”
These card games are like 20 Questions (well, 10 questions) with themes. There are Guess in 10 games for animals, states, and American cities. Students combine questioning skills with recalling facts, and they build knowledge about whatever topic they’re asking about.
Teacher review: “When we combine end-of-the day free time with kindergarten, a teacher and I go head-to-head with 2 or 3 students on our teams. The kids love it. Some kids outshine the adults. Great times with lots of laughs.”
A lesson on geography and a board game? Count me in! Connect iconic North American cities across a map of 20th-century USA and build your train routes to earn points.
Teacher review: “A totally enjoyable game! I bought it to play with my family and with my ESL students – works well in both cases! Absolutely worth it! Will probably buy TTR Europe as well.”
Capitalize on kids’ love of trading cards with this card game that allows students to choose the statistic that will “trump” opponents. Decks come in many topics, from Harry Potter to geography to dogs. Don’t see a deck on the topic you want? Once they know the game, kids love to create their own decks too.
Teacher review: “Great easy, fun game for students and families. I use them both in school (and during distant learning—great facts and fun for students to use) and at home. Easy car game for family trips (teens even join in and enjoy). Great way to incorporate social play and learning with students. Fun way to get students to learn and compare while thinking they are just playing a game. Many students after playing a topic want to gather more information about the various topics!”
Teaching an anatomy lesson? It’s time to break out the Operation game! Cavity Sam is under the weather, but students can make him feel better again.
Teacher review: “My students liked this game but were rough with it. This one had to find a home at the house to take a break. I grew up playing this game with my siblings and one of them was my brother who could not be beat, but he taught me some tricks to get the pieces out without setting off the buzzer.”
This is a different spin on the classic Monopoly game. Here players buy property and physically stack buildings with the building blocks. It’s one of the best board games for elementary students that teaches money and negotiation skills.
User review: “Most Monopoly games take a long time to play. Not this one. It was easy to learn and fun to play and doesn’t take an hour or more to play. I like that we can sit down for half hour-ish and get through a game. Gives time together without taking away half a day.”
Make sure to add this to your classroom collection of classic board games for kids. This enduring game is one of our favorites on the list of best board games for elementary classes. Its deductive reasoning builds vocabulary and language skills, and beyond the original cast of characters, there are limitless possibilities for adapting this game to help students review content information. Just replace the cards with pictures related to your curriculum.
Teacher review: “I bought this to use with students. Like other reviewers mentioned, it does feel a little flimsier than other versions. I just laminated the cards to make sure they withstood little hands constantly messing with them!”
These games check all the boxes for great games and are sure to become favorites on your game shelf.
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31. Tenzi
Simple to learn and easy to adapt and extend, Tenzi makes for the perfect classroom math game, especially for kids who love to go fast. Be sure to check out our other favorite dice games for the classroom.
Teacher review: “Bought this for my classroom and my students love it! Can become very competitive!”
There’s something so satisfying about these smooth wooden tiles. Scale down this attribute-matching game for younger students, or unleash older kiddos to wage full-on strategy battles.
Teacher review: “I played this game in a college class and came to love how it can help develop planning ahead and different math concepts. I teach 6th grade math and my students play when they are done with their work.”
It takes patience, a steady hand, and thoughtful consideration to place wire pieces on the game structure without toppling it. This is a fun game to connect to STEM explorations of structures or balance.
User review: “Great visuospatial and strategy game for 1 or more players. High-quality pieces and a small storage footprint.”
Players create wobbly towers and bridges, then watch out for spider monkeys and engage in rhino battles. This game will be a favorite during indoor recess.
User review: “This game is amazing. I work with kiddos of many ages and each loves it. This is a well-requested game. It helps with knowing body awareness and thinking through the next step. The spider monkeys make the game just that much more! I would highly recommend.”
Sometimes the best games get kids up and moving. These games are a great way to get kids out of their seats.
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36. Twister Ultimate
For indoor recess or a movement break, this updated version of the standby group game will get everyone out of their seats and laughing. The larger play mat lets more kids join in the fun!
Teacher review: “I used this in class with students to review the alphabet. I used masking tape to create letters on each of the circles, and then we played like Twister. All in all, great game!”
A card game plus dodgeball with toy burritos. Students collect cards, earn points, and throw burritos to win.
Teacher review: “Any reason to throw things at each other! The game gets very competitive and generates lots of laughs. It was great for the last week of school when we were done with curriculum.”
One of the best games for kids that needs no explanation. Students create Floor Is Lava challenges using the mats and cards.
Teacher review: “I bought this for indoor recess and an end-of-the-year countdown. I teach kindergarten so I was worried about how chaotic it would be … but it was SO MUCH FUN! Any teacher should buy this even if you teach older kids. It is a nice way to take a break and get active!”
This game uses four different-colored game pieces that players tap to win. There are four different variations: Each one involves assigning a student a color and then tapping it along with the game—within 60 seconds, in an order, in a pattern, etc. It’s a fun way to improve response time and hand-eye coordination.
Teacher review: “I am a teacher and a mom and I use this game all the time to teach colors, reaction time, direction, and more! I love it.”
This is one of the best award-winning board games for kids. It delivers excitement with its diverse array of challenges where participants can showcase their agility and cleverness through tasks like stacking cups into a pyramid blindfolded, bouncing a ball off a wall and catching it behind their back, or balancing dice on a chopstick.
Teacher review: “I am a teacher and I have two boxes and small classes. The kids teamed up and we used one deck of cards. Each team challenged the others till we had one team winner. We were laughing and really enjoying ourselves. I might start the school year off this way so the kids and start off having laughs. We really had a lot of fun!”
Players dive into a series of outlandish dexterity-based challenges, where they’ll need to bounce, flip, stack, hop, roll, blow, balance, and catapult their way to the top.
Teacher review: “Super fun game! I used this in my classroom and with my family. The challenges are so much fun for adults and kids! I highly recommend!”
Learning names can be equally daunting for both students and teachers. It’s not just the act of associating names with faces that’s a challenge, but also accurately pronouncing and spelling names. It’s important to get student names right because kids are more likely to feel like they’re part of an inclusive environment when they hear their names pronounced correctly. While some names are more commonplace than others, all students deserve the same respect when it comes to learning names. In fact, it might be especially important to pronounce refugee or immigrant students’ names correctly. Name games are a fun way to help everyone learn together.
Whether you choose to use a song, a silly skit, or a prop, we have games on this list that will bring a smile to the faces of all students, from preschoolers all the way up to those sometimes-surly teens. Check out all of our favorite name games to try with your class this year.
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Name Games for Preschool and Elementary Kids
1. Teacher Test
Name games are not just for students! This is the perfect first-day-of-school activity to really get to know your students. Your kids will love getting to put their teacher to the test instead of the other way around. During the days leading up to the start of school, you will want to create name-tag “tents” from card stock for students to leave on their desks. Then, at the end of the first day, you will have them put their tents face down and time you on how quickly you can go around the room naming your class!
2. Johnny Plays the Drum Beat
This is a great way for music teachers to get to know their students, although any teacher who has access to even a basic drum can use this fun song in their class. Even the shyest kids will want to get their hands on that drum! Pay careful attention to pronouncing everyone’s names right since it is an important part of a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
3. Pig on Their Head
The Laurie Berkner Band is famous for their silly and catchy children’s songs, and this one is no exception! Little ones will have so much fun singing this song, they won’t even notice that they are also learning their classmates’ names! Bonus idea: Bring some stuffed animals since the lyrics, which you can search, include pigs, octopuses, and more being placed on their head.
4. Yoo-hoo!
Make up a song that includes lyrics like “Somebody’s hiding. I wonder who it could be.” Before singing the rest of the song, the child that is hiding sings, “Yoo-hoo … Yoo-hoo …,” from behind a desk or chair. The rest of the class then chants, “It’s (insert child’s name)!” Younger students will be so excited when it is their turn to hide.
5. Bumblebee Name Game
Some of the best name games utilize songs. Lyrics to this folk song are as follows:
“Hickety, Pickety, Bumblebee Won’t you say your name for me? (Designated child says their name.) Let’s all whisper it. (Everyone else whispers it.) Let’s all stomp it. (Everyone else stomps it.) Let’s all clap it. (Everyone else claps the syllables.) Let’s all shout it! (Everyone shouts it.)”
6. Who do we appreciate?
Get your class all revved up while learning each other’s names. Get in cheerleader mode and teach your students to chant “2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate?” The class responds with someone’s name in their loudest and happiest voices. This goes on until everyone’s name has been chanted.
7. Name Line/Favorite Thing
This one is so simple yet so fun and challenging. Have students form a line or circle and then have the first student say their name and a favorite thing. The next student in line must say their name, their favorite thing, and the favorite thing of the person who went before them. This continues down the line until the last person is naming all of their classmates’ favorite things!
8. Action Syllables
This game helps students remember one another’s names while also reinforcing an important lesson on syllables. Have students stand in a circle and then go around one by one telling each player to say their name out loud. For each syllable in their name, they must select an action to perform. For example, a child named Harper might stomp her feet when saying “Har” and clap her hands while saying “per.” Once Harper is done saying her name, the rest of the circle should repeat the name with the coinciding actions.
9. Banana Fanna Fo Fanna
This classic children’s song by Shirley Ellis has been a staple of childhood for generations because it’s both catchy and a good way to learn friends’ names. The only downside is that it will likely be stuck in your head for days! The name “Shirley” would sound something like this:
“Shirley, Shirley, bo birley, banana fana fo firley, fee fie mo mirley, Shirley.”
10. Name Toss
Before introducing a ball into the mix, simply go around the circle and have everyone introduce themselves with just their first name. Once everyone has introduced themselves, have them toss a ball to someone and use their name when throwing. The receiver then needs to say “thanks” and the thrower’s name.
11. Name Puzzles
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Name puzzles can work equally well as a tool to get to know each other and as a way to learn to recognize and spell their own name. Before doing this activity with your students, you will need to take and print photos of each child. Then, you can write their names on the bottom of the photos or have them do it. Just cut them up to create puzzles and then have students assemble them. Finally, trade puzzles so friends get to know one another.
12. Name Acrostic Poems
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
This is a simple but creative way to help everyone get to know each other’s names. Have kids create name acrostic poems and then laminate them and either hang them on the front of their desks or on a wall in the classroom. An example would be FIAZ, with the F being friendly, the I being interesting, the A being awesome, and the Z being zealous.
13. Name Ring Toss
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Before playing this game, you will need to purchase or ask for donations of red Solo cups and paper plates. To begin, have each child write each letter of their name on the bottom of the cups. Then, cut a hole in a paper plate that will serve as a flying disc to aim at the letters. Finally, have students practice spelling one another’s names and throwing the ring around each of the letters.
Name Games for Middle School
14. Snowball Fight
Have kids write their names on a piece of paper and one fact about themselves, then have them crumple the paper into a ball. Then kids will gently (key being gently) throw them at one another. Everyone picks up a piece of paper and reads it aloud.
15. Trading Cards
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Since most kids love collecting trading cards (think Pokémon and baseball), they’ll love this fun name game. Have kids create their very own trading card that includes things like their name, a drawing or photo of themselves, and some fun facts about themselves. Then, trade cards with friends to get to know all about one another. Don’t forget to include a trading card for the teachers and other staff also!
16. Peek-a-Who
All you need to make this game happen is a blanket or tarp. Before getting started, divide kids into two equal groups. Then, have two students or adults hold a blanket or tarp between the two groups. One person from each team stands on either side of the “wall,” and the first to yell out the other one’s name when the blanket or tarp drops wins!
17. Introductions
The introductions game is simple but silly enough to be a lot of fun. One by one, students walk onto a pretend stage and introduce themselves with their name and one fact about themselves. The facts can be as silly or playful as they want. The audience must then break into uproarious laughter.
18. The Story of My Name
This one is so simple. Have each student share their name and whatever they know about why they were given that name. Students can share things like who they were named after or if there is a funny or interesting story surrounding their name.
19. Repeating Back
This one is a simple concept, but it’s a quick way for everyone to learn one another’s names. Have students sit or stand in a circle and then take turns having everyone say their name. Once someone has said their name, everyone in the circle repeats it back in unison. Although it can be nerve-racking to stand in front of everyone and speak, there is something validating about having everyone repeat your name!
20. Web of Names
Unlike some name games, this one involves a prop, so it gives students something to focus on other than their nerves. Sit in a circle and have one person start with a ball of string that they will then throw to anyone. That person must then introduce themselves. They hold on to a piece of the string while throwing the rest of the ball to another person for the game to continue.
21. Zombie Name Game
We especially love name games that get kids up and moving like this one. Before playing, have the kids stand in a circle and take turns saying their names. Then, designate one student as the zombie and have them stand in the middle of the circle. Once the zombie is ready, call out a student’s name. The zombie heads toward that student, who must call out another student’s name before the zombie can tag them.
22. Clapping Name Game
This name game incorporates music and motion while working on name recognition. Children sit in a circle. The first person taps their thighs twice and then claps their hands twice while saying, “My name is …” Children should repeat the clapping and phrase twice. Everyone in the circle should continuously be tapping and clapping. After everyone in the circle has gone through saying their name twice, you can go around again, but this time faster and with everyone only saying their name once.
23. Name Bingo
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Create bingo cards with your students’ names on them. Instead of calling out names, however, have students walk around the room and cross off names as they find that student.
24. Name Word Search
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Create a word search using all of your students’ names and then print enough copies for everyone. It is great for early finishers and reinforces new classmates’ names.
Name Games for High School
25. Sign Language
Have students learn how to sign their name and then a friend’s name. Eventually everyone can learn to sign one another’s names. It is a good way to learn names as well being introduced to sign language.
26. Group Juggle
This is a variation on name toss, but it’s better suited to older kids. Begin with everyone in a circle and then have them toss the ball to one another. Have them repeat it a second time but in the exact order as the first time. Make it harder each round by adding balls or even reversing the order.
27. Guess Who
Kids take turns wearing a blindfold and recognizing their fellow classmates’ names by voice only. Each kid says something simple like “hello” and the guesser has to say who is speaking.
28. Nameless Name Game
Some name games like this one work best with older students since it requires a lot of quick thinking. Students come up with an adjective that both begins with the first letter of their name and describes themselves. Then, they say their adjective and name and come up with a movement to go along with it. Finally, everyone goes around the circle adding to the list of names, adjectives, and movements.
29. Missing Name Card Game
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Write everyone’s name down on cards and lay them down on a table. Then remove one card and see if the class can identify whose name is missing.
30. Shoe Mingle
Before playing, have each student (and you!) take off one shoe and place them in a pile in the middle of the room. Once that is done, have everyone grab a shoe from the pile (not their own). Then, have them find the owner of the shoe and learn their name and three fun facts about them. Play as many times as you want until everyone knows each other’s names!
31. Thumbs Up!
Many parents and teachers probably remember playing this game in school decades ago. Three students are selected as the taggers while the rest of the students sit with their heads down and their thumbs up. The taggers go around and each select a student to put their thumb down. Once that is done, the tagged students get one chance to guess who tagged them. If they are right, they get to trade places.
32. Name Impulse
Kids will get really into this name game since it aims to set a new world record! It is a surefire way for everyone to remember one another’s names. Begin sitting in a circle and then starting with the person to your left, ask them to say their name on your signal. Once the name has been said, the person to their left immediately calls out their name and so on around the circle. This continues until everyone has said their name. Repeat it, but this time, record how long it takes the group to complete it. Continue trying each time to beat their best time.
33. Letter Line-Up
This one is a bit more challenging, so it is perfect for older kids. Have them line up by how many letters are in their name. The name with the least amount of letters goes to the front and the longest goes to the back. Add an extra challenge by including middle or last names too!
34. Name Pictionary
Sarah Cason via We Are Teachers
Have each student create a drawing in which they draw a different object for each letter of their name. Then, have them trade with someone and see if they can figure out what name is spelled.
35. Memory
If you have a class of students who are mostly new to one another, begin by giving them a set amount of time to learn as many names as they can. For this portion, they can literally walk around and introduce themselves. Then have them return to their desks to write down as many names as they can remember. Bonus points if they learn last names.
Kids have to know their math facts. Practicing them can be fun, even when flash cards are involved, when you use these math facts games and activities. Check out these ideas for engaging kids in practice with hands-on games, center activities, crafts, and online games.
This is a simpler version of Yahtzee, and it’s a cool way to practice multiplication. If you use two dice instead of one, kids can practice their facts up to 12.
If you’ve ever played Dots and Boxes, this will look familiar. Players roll two dice (try these polyhedral dice to expand the facts in play), and draw a line to connect two dots next to the answer. If they complete a box, they color it in with their own marker.
This free printable is completely editable, so you can use it for any type of math facts practice. Kids choose a problem and give the answer. If they get it right, they cover it with their marker. When they get four in a row, they win!
Don’t confuse Sticky Math with timed tests. The goal is just for kids to complete as many problems as possible in a set amount of time, then work to beat that record each time.
Dice games are fun and versatile! With this one, kids practice their addition facts and get a little work with subitizing too. The concept is so simple: Each player rolls the dice and adds up their numbers. The highest sum wins that round. This is three math facts games in one since you can use it for subtraction and multiplication as well as addition.
Fill a variety of bags with collections of small objects. Kids grab a handful from two different bags, then count and add up the results. Be sure they write it all down to get practice at setting up equations. (Try this with subtraction and multiplication facts too.)
This game has been played for hundreds of years, but it’s a fun and sneaky way to practice addition facts fluency. The goal is to “close” each of the numbers in the box from 1 to 9 by rolling the dice. For instance, if a player rolls 11, they may close 1, 2, 3, and 5, as these add up to 11. If no numbers are available to add up to the dice total, play passes to the next player and continues until someone finally “shuts the box” by closing the last available number. You can play this game as people have for centuries with a specially designed box. You don’t need the box, though; simply have kids write out the numbers 1 through 9 and cross them out as they play.
Each student flips two cards, then adds them (or subtracts or multiplies). The person with the highest total keeps both cards. For a tiebreaker, flip another card. See more rules at the link.
Using an egg carton, have students write the numbers 1 through 12 in the bottom of each depression. Place two marbles inside the egg carton and close the lid. Shake the egg carton, open the top, and then add, subtract, or multiply whichever two numbers the marbles have landed on.
Dominoes are perfect for math facts practice! Keep it simple by pulling a domino from a bag, then adding, subtracting, or multiplying the two numbers.
For even more fun, print the free puzzles at the link below. Then start filling in the puzzle one piece at a time by placing a domino that adds up to the number shown in each rectangle. The trick is that regular domino rules still apply, so each number must touch another domino with the same number on that end.
These number search puzzles are harder than they look. First, kids complete the addition facts. Then, they search for those equations in the puzzle. Get three free puzzles at the link, where you can purchase more if you like them.
When it comes down to it, flash cards are still one of the best ways to practice fact fluency. The goal of this flash-card game is to lay out 15 flash cards in a row by the total of their sums (or differences, products, or dividends), from smallest to largest.
All it takes is paper plates, glue, and a marker to help your students learn their math facts. Up the fun factor by having students decorate their plates any way their imagination can dream up!
You know your elementary math students are going to love this! Build your own whack-a-mole 10-frame with a shoebox and Ping-Pong balls. Then, have kids whack the balls to practice their subtraction facts. So fun!
Lay out a grid like the one shown that has the answers to whatever set of math flash cards you’re currently working with. (This teacher used masking tape; you could also do sidewalk chalk on the playground.) Two players face off, one on each side of the board. Show the flash card, and kids race to be the first to jump to the correct square with both feet inside the lines. Get all the rules at the link below.
Tape a series of flash cards to the floor and challenge kids to see who can correctly make their way from start to finish the fastest. They can call out the answers or write them down, but they have to get it right before they move on. Kids can race side by side or work independently to beat their own best time.
This is a creative way to teach math facts. Start by drawing the center of a flower and write any number from 1 to 9 in the middle. Next, draw 12 petals around the center, labeling them 1 through 12. Last, draw another 12 petals and write the sum or product of the center number and the petal adjacent to the new petal.
Draw a winding path and fill the spaces with math equations. Kids roll the dice and move from space to space (have them jump, skip, or twirl to mix things up). If they get the answer right, they move to the new space. If not, their turn is over. Customizable math facts games like this can be used at any level.
Math facts bingo is so easy to set up and play. Give kids empty grids and ask them to write various sums, differences, products, or quotients, depending on what you’re working on. Then call out math problems and have them cover the answers. First to fill in a row wins.
Label a checkerboard with math facts. Play checkers as usual, following the traditional rules. The twist is, you must solve the math problem you land on.
This is so clever. Grab some name tags and write math facts on each. Give a tag to each of your students. For the remainder of the day, everyone will refer to one another by the answer to the equation on their tag (e.g., the student with the name tag that says 7×6 would be referred to as “42”).
Who doesn’t love to play Twister? Use stickies to place answers to addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problems on a standard Twister mat. Write numbers used in the problems on stickies and place them on the spinner. Your students will love getting out of their seats to place their hands or feet on the correct answer!
Here’s another great activity for your students who like to learn on the move. Prepare a game board with the answers to the math facts you want to review. Call out the problem, and your students will enthusiastically swat the answer. This can be played with individual students or with two or more as a competition.
This exciting game combines strategic thinking and fact mastery. Students roll a die and decide if they want the digit to count as a 1 or a 10, i.e., a roll of 3 could be used as 3 or 30. Students add their results as they go. The winner is the student who gets closest to 101 without going over.
In this activity, the teacher sets up a class “toy store” and prices each type of item. Students get to shop and fill out an order form, on which they write the unit price and number of items they wish to purchase. Finally, they multiply the number of items by the price, add it all up, and come up with a grand total.
Get 10 empty toilet paper rolls, a ball, and a pencil and paper for keeping score. After setting up the “lane,” students roll the ball, knock down as many pins as possible, then record the result on their scoresheet. For example, 10 – 3 = 7. On the second roll, they start with 7 and subtract the number of pins they knock down on their scoresheet.
This is another great game that combines strategy with mastery of addition and subtraction facts. Students begin by writing a number line from 0 to 20. The first player circles two numbers, then circles the sum or difference of the first two numbers. Player 2 takes the first player’s result, circles another number, then circles the sum or difference of those two numbers. The winner successfully blocks their opponent from being able to complete another problem.
This exciting competition is for the entire class. Two students stand back-to-back and write a number on the board that they can see but their opponent can’t. A third student calls out the answer to a math problem using the two numbers, like “the product is 30” or “the sum is 11.” The first student to identify their opponent’s number is the winner!
Set up little targets with math facts to enrich your students’ knowledge of the topic. Then students get to shoot the targets that have the correct answer with a Nerf gun!
As long as your classroom doesn’t get too rowdy trying to mess around with these cootie catcher activities, this is one of the perfect math facts games to get your entire classroom involved, from setting up the actual cootie catchers to playing multiple different games with them.
Write answers to math facts on the sidewalk. Give students water bottles and tell them a math fact. Students say the answer and spray the number to erase it. A great activity for a sunny day.
Make these DIY pancakes and have your students serve up addition problems to one another. The possibilities for these math facts games are endless with this fun format of addition problems.
Cut out pieces of paper with addition and subtraction problems on them, and spread them across the floor of your room so your students can hop from problem to problem.
Answer eight multiplication problems before aiming and shooting cannonballs at targets. Students will get their math fact practice in and sharpen their aim.
Aim and shoot dinosaur eggs in a line to solve multiplication problems in this game. The faster you clear the line of balls by solving problems, the more points you earn.
This game is for more advanced mathematician gamers. The evil Horrefedous has hidden four mythical creatures in a castle. Players defeat enemies to get to the creatures using multiplication and division skills.
There was a time when Americans didn’t fully appreciate the game of soccer, but those days are over. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport for a reason. One of the best things about soccer is that all you really need to get better is a ball! In order to succeed, players need good footwork, passing, dribbling, and shooting skills. Teams also need to have good communication. Get your touches in with our favorite soccer drills to improve your young athletes’ game!
Soccer Passing Drills
1. Pass and Move
This drill encourages the oh-so important skill of moving after you pass. It also includes variations so kids can try wall passes and then one-touch passes once they’ve mastered the simple pass and run.
2. Triangle Passing
Set up four red cones about 10 yards apart, and then place a single blue cone in the center. The central player’s job is done once they’ve completed four triangle passes. This drill works on moving off the ball and getting into a support position.
3. Possession
Designate an area of the field as the playing area using either cones or preexisting lines on the field. Divide the players into two teams and give one of them pinnies so you can easily distinguish the two teams. During play, teams score points by stringing together a predetermined number of passes. Be sure to encourage players to find open space so they aren’t all chasing the ball and forming a clump. For a variation, add a player that will play with whatever team has the ball so the team with possession always has more players.
4. Two-Ball Passing
This drill encourages players to think quickly with the ball at their feet since three players work to keep two balls away from a single defender.
5. Receiving and Turning Drill
This drill runs through a series of movements where players receive a pass with different parts of the foot and practice turning. Players are the receivers for about a minute before rotating with one of the passers. This drill works on a number of things such as checking in and out, timing of the service pass, and communication between players.
Soccer Shooting Drills
6. Finishing Off a Cross
Soccer drills that mimic real-game scenarios are very effective. This drill allows players to practice making good crosses while teaching strikers to time their runs and get a piece of the ball. Encourage players to use different parts of their body to get the ball in the back of the net, but be mindful that heading isn’t allowed for younger players.
7. Four-Cone Shooting
This drill works on passing as well as shooting since it requires patterned passes to occur before a shot is taken. There are multiple different variations shown in this video.
8. Shooting Technique
Going over proper shooting technique is so important. This video covers the basics like leaning over the ball and shooting with your laces.
9. Lightning Shooting
Soccer drills that promote a healthy sense of competition while also being fun are always a hit with players. In this fast-paced shooting drill, players line up outside the penalty area while one player starts in net. The first player in line shoots, and if they make their shot, they get to head to the back of the line. If they miss their shot, they become the goalkeeper. Whether they save the shot will determine if they are out or get to rejoin the line. The last player in line is the winner!
Soccer Dribbling Drills
10. Technical Cone Maze
We love that this dribbling drill gets the player a lot of touches on the ball while working on changing directions and keeping the ball close. You’ll want to make sure you have a lot of cones on hand so the maze can be challenging.
11. Sharks and Minnows
Sharks and Minnows is one of those soccer drills that should be a staple of any good youth soccer practice. Set up cones so there is a starting line and an ending line, then have players line up along the starting line. The players (the Minnows) must get from one side of the ocean to the other without having their ball kicked away by the coach (the Shark). Once a player’s ball is knocked away, they become a Shark too!
12. Gates Dribbling
Before playing, set up cones in pairs to create gates all around a designated area of the field. Then, challenge players to see how many gates they can dribble through in a predetermined amount of time. Be sure to stress to players that they need to keep the ball close so they don’t shoot the ball through the cones.
13. Dribbling Drills for Older Players
This video shows a number of different dribbling series appropriate for older players using just a number of gates created from two closely placed cones. Players dribble normally up to a cone and then do a dribbling movement such as inside to inside, outside to outside, or rollover between the gate.
Soccer Practice Drills
14. Pinnie Snag Tag
This drill is definitely a crowd-pleaser. While it can be played as a warm-up without a ball as shown here, you can easily amend it for soccer by adding a ball at each player’s feet. Designate a playing area using cones, then have each player place a pinnie hanging out of their shorts. Players are out when either their ball is kicked out of the area or their pinnie is pulled out. The last player standing is declared the winner.
15. 1 v 1 With Odds and Evens
Before getting started, you will need to assign every player a number. Have odd-numbered players stand to the left of the goal while even-numbered players stand to the right. Then, have players sit on the ground with their backs facing away from the field. The coach stands around midfield with a large pile of balls.
Once ready to begin, the coach calls out an odd number and an even number at random and throws a ball out to them. The players fight to win possession and score a goal for their team. Remind the players that no one is designated as either offense or defense since there will be a tendency of younger players to want to clear the ball once they win it. Instead, encourage them to immediately head to goal. We especially love that this drill instills a no-quit attitude in players while also working on their listening skills.
16. Juggling Horse
Divide players into small groups, then challenge them to keep the ball in the air using their feet, thighs, or chest. If the ball hits the ground, the team receives a letter. Once a team has spelled H-O-R-S-E, they are out of the round.
Soccer Footwork Drills
17. Two-Cone Drill
It’s amazing how many different variations of foot skills can be done using just two cones as your base. We especially love that it forces players to use their non-dominant foot as well as different parts of their foot.
18. Touches, Touches, and More Touches
This video goes through a number of different types of touches including formations, rolling toe taps, L-turns, etc. For each different skill, it designates a set number of touches to aim for so kids can improve their footwork quickly.
19. Soccer Trainer
A soccer trainer like this one is perfect for solo training since it keeps the ball close even when practicing kicks. It also encourages a good first touch as the ball comes flying back at you.
20. Technical Circle
This training drill focuses on a little bit of everything including throw-ins, juggling, and passing. It can be used as a warm-up or can be made into a competition between players.
Soccer Defense Drills
21. Clean Your Backyard
Before playing, divide the players into two even teams and give them an equal number of balls. Then, create a moat in the middle of the field between the two teams. The teams are challenged with “cleaning” their backyard by kicking the balls into the other team’s yard. Any balls that land in the moat must be removed by the coach. This drill is especially effective at teaching defenders how to clear the ball by leaning back and getting underneath the ball.
22. Defending Techniques
A good defensive stance is crucial to becoming an effective defender since lunging and other missteps increase the likelihood of getting beat.
23. 2 v 2 With Four Goals
Set up four small goals on the field with a goal in each of the field’s corners. Designate one of the teams as the defenders, then have the offensive team attempt to score in any one of the four goals. This drill works on good defensive techniques like getting low, making the field small, and making the steal.
24. Walk Through Goal Side, Ball Side
One of the most valuable skills to have as a defender (in soccer but also in many sports) is understanding the concept of goal side, ball side. While walking through real-game scenarios is not always fun for players, it is often necessary. Set your players up as shown in this video, then have the offense move to various spots on the field while the defenders position themselves between the the player and the goal.
25. Small-Group Defending
In this video, a professional soccer player demonstrates different ways of defending depending on the situation. He runs through 1 v 1, 2 v 2, and 3 v 2 drills. Concepts include taking away the passing lane and communication between the defenders.
Soccer Goalie Drills
26. Two-Cone Goalie Drill
First, set up two cones just to the right and left of the two goal posts about 10 yards out from the goal. Then, yell “left” or “right” to the goalkeeper, who must race to that cone before saving a rolling ball coming at them.
27. Diving
Diving is a necessary part of goalkeeping, but it can be intimidating for new goalkeepers. Try some of the basic drills in this video to introduce the safest and most effective ways to dive for the ball.
28. Catch and Release
Soccer drills should work on players’ reaction time, including goalkeepers. Set up one large goal for the keeper to stand in, then set up two smaller goals farther down the field on the left and right flanks. Finally, throw the keeper a variety of balls to practice catching and quickly throwing toward one of the smaller nets.
29. Footwork
This video gives a lot of good ideas for working on a goalkeeper’s footwork using just a ball, a partner, and some cones. Goalies run in and out of cones in various ways while catching balls that are tossed toward them.
30. Reaction Training
This video reviews ways in which a goalkeeper can take away an angle on a close shot such as from a through ball. It also shows goalies how to be in the best position possible to make a save.
Soccer Drills for U8 and Under
31. Musical Footballs (0:13 – 1:09)
Place all the players around a circle and then fill the circle with several soccer balls—one less than the number of players. Players then run into the middle and retrieve a ball. Whoever doesn’t get one is out. This continues until you have just one winner.
32. Bring It Home (1:12 – 1:49)
Before playing, you’ll want to set up with one large square with four smaller squares in the corners. Divide the kids into four teams, each with a home square. The goal is to get all of the balls into your team’s home base before time is up. And yes, players are allowed to steal from one another’s area.
33. Trick or Treat (1:52 – 2:03)
Have one large rectangle with cones on either side of the field. Have kids dribble back and forth retrieving cones (treats). The player with the most cones at the end of the game is declared the winner.
34. Traffic Light (0:04 – 0:34)
This is a simple game with four commands: green light, yellow light, red light, and gas station. On green light the players dribble forward quickly, on yellow light the players slow down or walk, on red light they stop, and on gas station they quickly jump and then sit on the ball.
35. Counting Touches
This drill is perfect for the toddler-to-preschool crowd who are new to soccer. While it starts with basic touches on top of the soccer ball while counting, it becomes increasingly more difficult as they become accustomed to each step.
What are your favorite soccer drills to play with your team? Come and share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Water is the best way to beat the heat! Grab beach towels and sunscreen, fill up the water balloons, and roll out the hose. Here are the best 50+ water activities to get kids—from toddlers to teens—learning and having fun in the summer sun.
Housing a Forest
1. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler
No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities.
Grab the sidewalk chalk and plant a garden of colorful alphabet flowers. Then fill a watering can and “water” the flowers, calling out the letters along the way.
A sealed plastic bag is the perfect environment for re-creating the water cycle. Hang it in a sunny window and watch evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in action.
Water balloons are fun, but they’re wasteful and messy too. These reusable “water bombs” are cheap, easy to make, and can be used for water activities over and over again.
Brush up on your engineering skills and assemble a water wheel with paper plates and cups. Try it out in the sink, or take it outside and use a hose instead.
This trendy toy is all over the web, but there’s no need to spend big bucks to buy one. Instead, get some plastic sheeting and a hose and make your own.
STEM water activities are fun, educational, and perfect for summertime exploration! Scoop up water from a creek or lake, then see how different types of filtration work.
Add a new twist to the classic game of tag! The kid who’s “It” gets the water bottle and chases the others down. If you’re hit by the spray, it’s your turn to be “It”!
Save bottle caps and paint letters on them. Then mix them all up in a big bowl of “soup” and let kids have fun scooping them out with spoons, ladles, or other tools.
This is one of those STEM water activities that you simply have to see to believe. Pierce a water-filled bag again and again without spilling a drop of water!
This colorful, tuneful activity is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music.
It’s so much fun to turn classic games into water activities. In this take on Duck, Duck, Goose, the tagged person gets a good splash of water before they run.
Take a nature stroll on a sunny day and pick up a variety of objects. Then bring them home and find out which ones float and which sink. Some of the results may surprise you!
You don’t need a pool to get wet with these noodles! Tape them together and poke some holes, then connect them to a hose for the coolest sprinkler around.
How clever is this? Write letters on sponges and float them in the pool. Kids swim out and grab letters, then bring them back to spell the best word they can.
Attach pool noodles to a pegboard using zip ties, then pour water to see where it lands. Simple water activities like this one can keep kids busy for hours!
Toddlers and big kids love playing with water and jugs. Set up a pouring station and let them go to town pouring and mixing. Add food coloring to turn this into an art activity.
Ice cubes, a bowl, and tongs are the only things you’ll need for this activity. It seems simple, but sometimes simple is all kids need (and ice cubes, of course).
Use all the materials you have—hoses, sprinklers, buckets, and more—to create a water obstacle course. Even better, have the kids set it up and manage how they move through it.
Get out all the painting materials and let kids go to town painting the patio, driveway, bricks, etc. By the time they’ve finished painting one area, they can go back and start again on the areas that have dried.
This is a great way to maximize outdoor play or a sandbox. Use foil to create a river and use whatever you find in the backyard to create obstacles, bridges, and other features.
Connections fans, rejoice! You and your students can now make your own custom Connections puzzles. TikTok creator and English teacher Laura Randazzo (@Randazzled) is here to show us how and give us examples of how this can be used in the classroom.
What is Connections?
If you’ve never heard of Connections, let me introduce you to your newest obsession. Connections is one of New York Times’ popular games, along with Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the Mini Crossword. Connections starts with a 4 x 4 grid of seemingly random words that you have to sort into four different themed groups of varying difficulty. Themes might have to do with the words’ meanings, their spellings, their connotations—part of the fun is not knowing!
Laura Randazzo (@Randazzled) has everything you need in her TikTok. Check it out below:
How can I use custom Connections puzzles in the classroom?
The great thing about Connections is that it works for any content area, and with a little tweaking, it can work for any age! The younger crowd might have trouble making their own puzzles, but they could definitely handle a teacher-created one tailored for their age group.
Laura’s expertise is high school English (we love her TikTok bio: “On a mission to prevent English teacher burnout”), so her examples include:
Vocab words
Characters from a work you’re studying
Important historical figures
Adjectives
But there are tons of other possibilities for other subjects too:
Content vocabulary
Eras and time periods
Groups, categories, or types of information within your content area
Verb conjugations and tenses for foreign languages
Review for tests or quizzes
A fun activity for a meeting or party
Are custom Connections puzzles “rigorous,” though?
As an adult whose brain has been busted more than once just playing a Connections puzzle, I’d say definitely.
What’s great about Connections is that it calls on higher-order thinking skills like identifying themes, determining common elements, and evaluating for accuracy. And if students create their own custom Connections puzzles, they’ll practice skills like designing, experimenting, and evaluating for coherence.
Regardless of your age, everyone probably remembers receiving a yo-yo as a gift at some point in their childhood. You might picture the classic red plastic Duncan yo-yo, but there are also wooden and even aluminum options, and they come in a variety of designs too. Some yo-yos are best for beginners while others like this Green Merlin professional responsive trick yo-yo are best handled by more advanced yo-yo masters. Ready to get started? We’ve rounded up the best yo-yo tricks for all skill levels!
Jump to:
Benefits of Learning Yo-Yo Tricks
Yo-yos have a vast history, likely originating in ancient Greece or perhaps even earlier in China. They didn’t take hold in the United States until the mid-nineteenth century. Duncan’s version of the yo-yo was even inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play. Besides being fun, yo-yos have plenty of educational benefits too, such as:
Builds social skills
Teaches perseverance
Develops presentation skills
Enhances creativity
Builds confidence
Improves fine motor skills
Improves hand-eye coordination
Beginner Yo-Yo Throws
1. Breakaway
Begin by holding the yo-yo in your hand and bending your arm as if you are showing off a muscle.
Swing your arm while releasing the yo-yo and bringing your elbow down quickly. This should make the yo-yo move out and down.
Swing the yo-yo in front, opposite your body, and then let it hang midair at the end of the string for less than a second. As the yo-yo slows down, pull on the string and draw the yo-yo back to you.
2. Sleeper Throw
This throw is a jumping-off point for many yo-yo tricks.
To begin, hold your yo-yo hand out in front of you with your palm facing upward.
Using a whipping motion, grab the yo-yo and flick it sharply toward the ground. This should cause the yo-yo to stay down spinning at the end of the string.
While the yo-yo is spinning, turn your yo-yo hand over with the palm facing down. With the correct tension, the yo-yo should spin at the end for a few seconds.
Give the string a quick jerk that results in the yo-yo returning quickly to your hand.
Tip: Make sure the string comes off toward the top and front of the yo-yo.
Easy Yo-Yo Tricks
3. Walk the Dog
Throw a fast sleeper.
Swing the yo-yo forward slightly, letting it touch the ground lightly. Let the yo-yo’s spinning motion gently pull it across the floor.
Give the yo-yo a slight tug before the yo-yo stops spinning so the doggie will come back to your hand.
4. Gravity Pull
When you think of playing with a yo-yo, you probably think about this classic trick.
Begin by holding the yo-yo in your yo-yo hand in front of you. Your palm should be down just above your waist.
Open your hand and release the yo-yo toward the ground.
Right when the yo-yo reaches the end of it’s unwinding, just before it hits the floor, give it a firm upward jerk.
This video includes three yo-yo tricks that are easy enough for beginners. Below are descriptions of the tricks along with the times in the video when the tutorial for each starts and ends.
5. The Pinwheel (0:23 – 0:45)
Throw the yo-yo in a fast sleeper.
Grab the string about two-thirds of the way down using the thumb and middle finger of your free hand.
Move the free hand up and to the side away from your body while simultaneously moving your hand that is holding the yo-yo down.
Swing the yo-yo in several pinwheel circles.
Finally, finish the final turn by throwing the yo-yo forward and up while releasing the string with both hands. Catch the yo-yo in your hand, palm facing upward.
6. Brain Twister (0:46 – 1:05)
Throw a very fast sleeper and then take your index finger on your free hand and push it forward into the string.
Bring your yo-yo hand down and then thread the string into the notch of the yo-yo, creating a double string.
Pull the double string upward and toward you using your yo-yo finger. Then, take your free hand and push it forward and down. This should leave the yo-yo moving upward and then quickly swinging away from you.
Move your yo-yo hand toward you while also pushing your other index finger out in front of you. This will result in the yo-yo’s spinning direction reversing.
7. Rock the Cradle (1:06 – 1:24)
Begin with a sleeper. While the yo-yo is spinning, put your free hand halfway down the string. Be sure to keep your palm facing toward your body with the string between your body and hand.
Next, take the yo-yo hand and grab the string about 3 inches above the yo-yo by moving it forward and down.
Then, put the yo-yo hand back above your free hand, moving away from the body and up.
Finally, move your free hand palm down with your fingers pointing forward, creating the cradle. Rock the yo-yo back and forth with your yo-yo hand.
8. Elevator
Throw a nice hard sleeper.
Push right into the string.
Lift the yo-yo up and you want to put it on the string just above your yo-yo finger.
Finally, make the yo-yo climb the string by pulling your hands apart.
9. Around the Corner
First, throw a hard sleeper.
Then, swing the string of the yo-yo behind the upper part of your yo-yo arm. The yo-yo should hang behind you over your yo-yo arm, just above the elbow.
Next, reach your yo-yo hand down and grab the string right above the spinning yo-yo with the thumb and index fingers of your yo-yo hand.
Quickly jerk the yo-yo upward. It should go up over the top of your arm as it winds up.
The yo-yo should continue downward toward the ground before you retrieve it as if you are doing a gravity trick.
Finally, while the yo-yo is spinning quickly, tug the string and bring the yo-yo home.
10. Man on the Flying Trapeze
Begin with a side mount.
Once the yo-yo is mounted on the string, your goal is to have three even lengths of string before you as it wraps back and forth.
With your hands close together, swing the yo-yo back and forth to create the trapeze.
Tips: You can try throwing a breakaway into a side mount to create more strength. Also, be sure you’re landing the side mount close to your non-dominant finger for better aim.
11. Double or Nothing
This trick uses a move and a trick that you have already learned earlier on our list—the breakaway and the trapeze.
Begin with a breakaway, letting the yo-yo swing over to your free hand.
Let the index finger of your free hand go into the path of the string and then let the yo-yo swing around it. Let the yo-yo continue upward from there.
Once it comes around, give it a bit of string by moving your hands closer together.
Once it reaches the other side, let it continue around your throw-hand index finger without giving it anymore slack.
Let the yo-yo go back up again and then once more around the index finger of your free hand.
Eventually it should land on the string in a small trapeze.
12. Eiffel Tower
Begin by making an L with your yo-yo hand. The string should be over your thumb.
Make a slingshot by grabbing the string with your free hand and pulling it backward toward you.
Put your free hand through the loop you’ve created in step 2.
Then, pinch the string coming off the yo-yo between the middle and ring fingers of your free hand.
Next, pull that one single string through the loop.
Then, keep your yo-yo hand in an L formation as you take that hand and move it down and toward yourself.
Once you’ve moved your yo-yo hand as outlined in step 6, take the pointer and middle finger of the yo-yo hand and pinch the string.
Finally, turn it to actually display the Eiffel Tower shape.
13. Three-Leaf Clover Trick
First, throw a vertical loop up and above your head.
Then, as the yo-yo comes back to you, send it out straight in front of you.
Next, as the yo-yo comes back, send it out again, this time angling it down toward the throw.
Finally, catch it as it comes back up.
This video includes two yo-yo tricks that are a bit more difficult than some of the others on our list. Word of warning: You’ll want to be wearing just the right pants for these tricks! They may look easy, but they are trickier than they appear. Below are descriptions of the tricks along with the times in the video when the tutorial for each starts and ends.
14. Dog Bite (0:50 – 1:17)
Start by throwing a fast sleeper.
Then, with your feet spread wide apart, swing the yo-yo between your legs below the knee.
Finally, jerk the string so that the yo-yo sticks to the fabric of the underside of your pants, essentially biting your leg.
15. Bank Deposit (1:21 – 1:53)
Before beginning, pull your left pant pocket open widely.
Then, throw a hard sleeper, propelling the yo-yo between your legs.
Finally, shoot for getting the yo-yo to swing around your leg and into your pant pocket.
Students don’t have to be video game fanatics to appreciate a gamified classroom lesson. When teachers turn a lesson or tough-to-teach concept into a motivational gamed or use a fun competition to teach new concepts, students become immersed in their learning and are often more engaged–meaning they’re more likely to retain information.
Still, there’s an art to gamifying a lesson and ensuring that students are actually learning instead of just playing a game for points.
Here’s how educators across the country are using tools–from Minecraft: Education Edition to Roblox and easy-to-access online resources–to gamify their lessons and help students engage with learning.
1. Carrie Rosenberg, a fourth grade teacher at Community Christian School, notes that gamification is one of the biggest education trends right now. According to ISTE, “gamification is about transforming the classroom environment and regular activities into a game.” Many students want more than just good grades from school–they want something physical or immediate. Rosenberg uses Gimkit, Kahoot!, and Prodigy to gamify her instruction and motivate students. Learn more about her instructional strategies.
2. Games are part of many people’s lives–so why not use them to benefit students when teaching? Abigail Beran, a fifth grade teacher enrolled in a masters program in education technology, knows that her students are more likely to engage in an educational activity when it is gamified–and that they’re even more likely to do so when the activity is gamified with technology. There are a variety of reading and math apps and websites that cater to gamification, and even provide the opportunity for differentiation. Beran uses tools including Raz Kids, Dreamscapes, Prodigy English, and IXL language arts for English/language arts gamification, and uses Prodigy Math, Math Playground, Pet Bingo, Sushi Monster, and IXL math for gamifying math. Discover how she integrates these gamified tools into her classroom.
3. As an educator for more 27 years and a digital learning specialist (social studies) for the past 7 years in Atlanta Public Schools, Felisa Ford has supported educators across the district and beyond as they purposefully integrate technology in the classroom to promote engagement and 21st century skill development. While there are many tools and resources available to educators to support their efforts to create dynamic digital learning environments, one of the most engaging is Minecraft Education Edition (M:EE). Popular among students (and teachers!), M:EE is a game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment. Read about five ways Ford has helped the district’s teachers use M:EE into classroom instruction.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Whether they incorporate cards, dice, boards, spinners—or even an adorable cardboard monster and an oversized spoon—games have a host of benefits for young children. Games help children develop academic, spatial, and critical-thinking skills. Some games even provide kids with an opportunity for that oh-so important movement break.
When kids play with their classmates, they practice social-emotional skills like cooperating, taking turns, and being a good sport. Not to mention the good old-fashioned fun in playing games and the nostalgia that teachers will feel, as many of these games were plucked right out of the 1980s and 1990s! Many mainstream games are perfect for the preschool classroom. Check out our list of the best board and card games for preschoolers.
1. Color Go Fish!
Amazon
This classic game is a childhood staple, and these cards are easy on little hands and eyes.
Once your students understand the premise of “Go Fish,” treat them to this adorably imaginative version from a favorite illustrator. They’ll love making pairs of “Strawberry Fish,” “Scribble Octopus,” “Lobsterbots,” and more.
We love that this game works on fine motor skills while also encouraging vocabulary recognition. Kids will love the frantic finding required to match all the objects on their cards!
Here’s a year’s worth of math-center activities for you in one cute and tiny box. Sturdy and visually pleasing cards offer tons of possibilities for building number sense. Students can use them to count, match amounts, compare, subitize, and more.
Children race to be the first to fill their shopping baskets with the items on their lists. The board is simple and uncluttered, and the picture-and-word shopping lists encourage the development of concepts about print.
Preschoolers will feel empowered once they catch on to the principles of this basic memory game. The enticing Popsicle-shaped cards will get them talking about attributes while they play.
This is one of the best board games for preschoolers because it’s easily adaptable to large-group play. Movement cards ask kids to practice gross motor skills while playing with a fun beanbag banana.
Help kids learn basic game-playing skills like rolling a die and moving along a path in a familiar context: bedtime! Kids love helping make decisions about how Bunny’s bedtime routine will go.
This is the perfect game for the whole class to play at once since there are enough sturdy scavenger hunt cards to go around. The cards encourage literacy development since they have both pictures and words on each card.
Anything with Pete the Cat is an automatic preschool win. To get Pete’s cupcakes back from Grouchy Toad, kids must name objects, sing songs, and act out charades.
The suggested age range is 6 and up, but we feel confident that with a little coaching, older preschoolers will fall in love with this old-school game. It will encourage use of descriptive vocabulary too.
Sliding the card dispenser has a similar appeal to spinning a bingo cage. Zingo supports vocabulary development and print awareness as well as focus—you have to be watching to call out and snag your picture first! Spanish, sight word, number, and word-building versions are also available.
This game challenges kids to match shapes correctly while also challenging them to race against the clock. Kids will get a kick out of the pieces popping up when time runs out.
This game works on both patterning and sequencing while also working on balance and coordination. Bonus: You can even use the game pieces for imaginative play in a toy kitchen!
This classic game might make adults groan, but we still consider it one of the best board games for preschoolers. Why? Kids can take it out, set it up, and play it by themselves. Cooperation and independence for the win! (Pro tip: Provide a playing card tray for easy management of the draw pile and discards.)
Dominoes is a versatile and timeless game for all ages. This set from Melissa and Doug is super-sturdy and gets kids recognizing standard dot formations of numbers 1 through 6.
No list of best board games for preschoolers would be complete without some version of Hungry Hungry Hippos. We love this particular one since dinosaurs tend to be a favorite for any preschooler!
The goal of the game is to have the lowest score when someone calls “Tat-a-tat cat!” This game builds number sense and teaches the concept of zero. If you’d like to encourage conversations about numbers, opt to have students play with their cards turned up and visible.
In this matching game with a twist, the fun comes when you turn over cards that don’t match! When this happens, players must move like the animal body card and make the sound of the animal head card. Stomping like an elephant while clucking like a chicken is hilarious when you’re a preschooler—or a preschool teacher!
This is another perfect game for the older preschoolers in your class. Your students will have to use their critical-thinking skills in order to outsmart their opponent and get four in a row.
Cue the squeals of laughter—kids love the suspense of this game! Remove the bananas one by one to see which one makes the monkey jump. The included puzzle is a nice bonus for friends to make together.
Practice matching basic shapes while helping Frankie the Cat create his food truck meals. The real appeal (and sneaky fine motor strength-building) comes from the Frankie-shaped “squeezer” players use to move the game pieces around.
This oversized game board gives plenty of room for a group of kids to spy items in the pictures and move ahead on the board. The goal is to get to the picnic before the pigs eat all the food, and everyone has to help!
This version of charades is one of the best board games for preschoolers because it’s designed for little kids. Preschoolers need opportunities for movement, and this game provides just that as they have to act out a variety of scenarios. The game also encourages vocabulary development as the cards have both pictures and words.
Every kid should learn to play Uno. It’s marketed for ages 7 and up, but the rules are easily adaptable for younger children. With enough practice, they’ll be unleashing the Draw Four cards like pros.
Players must work together to get the owls back to the nest before sunrise. Color cards, similar to Candy Land, move the owls closer to the goal, but there are a few added twists to make it more interesting.
It’s often the simplest games that are best. Players take turns rolling color dice to see which snails to move in this cooperative game. Which snail will win? Oh, the suspense! Swap out one die with a regular die if you want to speed up the game and encourage number recognition.
There are multiple ways to play this silly game. In the simplest version, players roll a die to determine how many pieces of food to “feed” the Woozle. But wait: Walking across the room balancing the food on the spoon adds an extra challenge. Players cooperate so they can satiate the goofy creature’s appetite.
Players hide a wooden bear under one of six sturdy nesting blocks decorated as rooms in a house and then try to find him. This game capitalizes on toddlers’ love of hiding things and offers a lot of language-building opportunities. This is perfect for a class of 2-year-olds or a multi-age group in which older students can play the adult role.
This game is our go-to for older preschoolers ready for a bit of strategic play. Players cooperate to create a path to reach the treasure before the ogre does.
Kids will have a blast picking pretend fruit from the trees on the preschool game board while they’re practicing math skills such as counting, addition, and subtraction!
This game requires no reading, so it’s great for young kids. It’s also perfect for improving fine motor skills as kids try to place beans in the jar without tipping it over.
Is there a more classic game than bingo? It definitely deserves a spot on any list of the best board games for preschoolers. This updated version can help kids improve letter recognition, letter and object association, and concentration skills. It’s also a great opportunity for social-skills development and cooperative play.
The object of this old favorite is to keep Phillip the Penguin on top of the ice, but as the game goes on, the ice blocks start falling. Kids can work on fine motor skills, problem-solving, and learning to take turns while they have fun!
A forever favorite, Chutes and Ladders is an excellent choice for kids who haven’t yet learned how to read. They’ll have the best time playing this Peppa Pig–themed game while simultaneously improving number recognition.
Social-emotional learning is particularly important in the pandemic world we have been living in. We love the regulation strategies this game teaches children to help manage their overwhelming feelings.
This game is perfect for the preschool-aged crowd since it is fast-paced and stresses cooperation over competition. Children as young as 2 can learn skills like turn taking and counting while having fun at the same time.
In this action-packed board game, players stack their groceries on their carts as they race to the checkout line. Preschoolers will work on their fine motor skills since they will be connecting and stacking the various grocery pieces. They will especially love the end when they get to launch their groceries from their carts!
This is the perfect game for 3- to 7-year-olds to learn their shapes and colors while having fun creating yummy (and yucky) pizzas! It will also teach them valuable skills like taking turns and making choices.
Sight word recognition is so important for preschoolers. This game features 400 commonly found words on different-colored flies that correspond with different ability levels, so you can cater to different literacy levels. And little ones will enjoy swatting the flies!
This game teaches valuable skills like categorizing and sorting while also teaching about the four seasons. We love that it could even spark some debate since some of the cards could go for more than one season.
The preschool-aged crowd loves the show Bluey and the oh-so adorable characters featured in it. This cute board game is based on a popular game from the show Keepy Uppy. The best board games for preschoolers are fast-paced and fun, and this one certainly fits the bill!
