Classroom Games to Reinforce Learning

As teachers, we are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to reinforce skills we have taught throughout the year. Classroom games, team building games, and other activities for kids are a great way to accomplish this.

Maybe your creative wheel needs some oil and you misplaced the can. Maybe you’re just ready to have some fun yourself. A great way to reinforce learning and pump up the fun is through educational games for kids!

Don’t know what to play? Use the list below as a guide to some fast and easy games to play!

A great way to reinforce learning and pump up the fun is through educational games for kids! Don’t know what to play? Use this list as a guide to some fast and easy games to play! Click To Tweet

Classroom Games: Scrabble Speed

If spelling isn’t something your students love to do, challenge them to a game of Scrabble Speed. For this classroom game you will need the following items:

• Notecards
• A sharpie
• And a noise maker for each group (Nothing they would put their mouth on)

So, how do you play this game? Scrabble Speed works like this.

Step 1:

You, the teacher, take some notecards and cut them in half.

Step 2:

On each piece of paper write one letter and do that for all of your spelling words. So, for example, if one of your words was “hat” you would write an “h” an “a” and a “t” on three separate pieces of paper.

Step 3:

Next, Repeat Step 2 for all of your spelling words. By writing down all of your spelling words, you ensure that you have all of the letters you need and you make the game a little more challenging.

Step 4:

Mix up the pieces and put them into baggies.

Step 5:

Put students into teams with the pieces on one end of the room and the noise maker on the other end.

Step 6:

You say the spelling word, and they “hasten” to the other side of the room and spell the word by putting the letters together.

Step 7:

They go back to their group and press the noise maker.

Step 8:

Whichever team gets the most words right in the fastest time wins.

To score, you can assign points for first, second, and third for speed or you can just give a point whenever someone gets it right. Scrabble Speed does not have to be a race. It can simply be a quiet game students work on at their desk as well.

Scrabble Speed is a great classroom game because it not only requires them to spell, it makes them get up and move (if you choose to play it that way). In addition, when they put the letters side by side to spell the word, it mimics writing so there is great muscle memory in there too.

Classroom Games: Wheel of Fortune

Who doesn’t love the classics? A great way to review math concepts, science facts, vocabulary, or history is through Wheel of Fortune. You will need the following items:

• A white board/chalk board/SmartBoard/Transparency (anything you can write on and be displayed to the class)
• Puzzles that you come up with.
• Questions

So now that you know that this game is easy set up here is how to play.

Step 1:

Put your students into groups.

Step 2:

Create “puzzles” that pertain to the book you are reading, the ideas you are working on, or really anything. Sometimes I use ideas from past units so I have more reinforced learning.

Step 3:

Ask group 1 a question. If they get it right give them a point and let them guess the letter.

Step 4:

Give them one point for every letter that is in the puzzle. (Vowels do not give points. They cost 2 points and they do not get anything back)

Step 5:

Repeat Steps 1-4 until a group answers the question correctly and asks to solve the puzzle. If the group gets the puzzle right, they get five points. You cannot guess a letter and solve the puzzle in one turn.

Wheel of Fortune not only reviews ideas, it helps with spelling and can reinforce past material that you have covered. In addition, it is a low planning/set up classroom game that can be planned in a matter of minutes. If you want to use this game as a time filler, give students “permanent” groups (change them up throughout the year) and pre-write puzzles.

Classroom Games: Squares Your Brain™️

Another classroom game that my students love is “Squares Your Brain.” This super fun game can be found in my TPT shop. Currently, there are three “Squares Your Brain” games available for grades K-4. For this game you will need:

• The Squares Your Brain Game (grade level specific) from my TPT shop
• Dice
• One Inch Color Tiles (Optional)

Such an easy set up! So, what is Squares Your Brain™️? Squares Your Brain™️ is a new and exciting classroom game that brings fun and engagement into the review of standards! There are currently games for Math and ELA skills in a K-3 classroom.

This easy to use game comes in vibrant colors and in a printer-friendly format. Even better, it is SELF-CHECKING!

Want to know what teachers are saying about this product?

Mrs. Crowly, a second grade teacher said, “This game has totally changed my stations for the end of the year. The kids don’t even realize they are working standards we have learned. They are just having fun!”

To check out these sweet classroom games follow the links below!

Math Grades 1st and 2nd
Math Grades 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
Phonics Grades Kindergarten and 1st

Classroom Games: Bump

Also in my store are some great Math and Phonics classroom games for grades K-2.

All you need to complete a Bump game is some dice and markers (you can use cut up construction paper or any math manipulative used for counting). You will need two different colored markers (10 of each color).

Not sure what a Bump game is? Follow the link below for a quick video!

Bump Tutorial

Here’s a quick recap. Students add the dice together, read the word that corresponds with that number, and places their marker on the picture that matches the word.

If a student rolls a number that has already been said and his/her marker is not on that picture, they “bump” the other player off. Whoever gets all of their markers on the page first, wins.

Check out the amazing BUMP games available in my TPT shop:

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Your can grab a FREE SPRING BUMP game to try it out with your students!

Classroom Games: Vocabulary Bingo

Vocabulary words can also be tough to hold onto after the test. If you have vocabulary words whether they are for science, English, or any other class, Vocabulary Bingo is a great classroom game to play. To make this game follow the steps below.

Step 1:

Google “Bingo Card Generator” or click HERE to use the one I use.

Step 2:

Put in the vocabulary words.

Step 3:

Print out the bingo cards and a “bingo caller sheet” The bingo caller sheet should be the definitions of the words.

Step 4:

Cut up constructional paper into little squares for bingo pieces.

Step 5:

Say the definition of a word and have students cover the word if they have it on their card.

You can play as many rounds as Vocabulary Bingo as you would like. I recommend doing several rounds because students will begin to pick up words they did not know before.

There are so many fun classroom games out there and if you rotate them they stay fresh and new to your students! Playing a game in your classroom can inject some needed energy and get students excited about learning.

While doing spiral-review can be effective, playing a classroom game shakes up the day and creates a memory. These memories can help enhance learning and reinforce past skills stick while making new skills stronger.

Do you have some favorite classroom games you play with your students. Leave a comment below, email me, or share this post on social media with your added classroom games suggestions!

Want some free games for you to get started in your classroom? Join our Members Only club and get weekly freebies you can use to bring classroom games to your students.

Until next time Teacher Rockstars,