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Every science teacher knows that learning doesn’t happen in a textbook: It happens over Bunsen burners, in collaborative groups, in active observation sessions, and in engaging physics experiments. In short, learning science should be fun – especially for middle schoolers who are just learning to follow the scientific process
Engage every student with middle school science games, from digital resources to printable board games. These classroom games help students review science concepts, get them out of their seats, and, most importantly, into science!
Exciting Science Games for Grade 6
When planning middle school STEM activities, it’s easy to miss amazing labs and collaborative experiments. But don’t forget classroom games that keep students interested in science! Use these 6th grade science games as unit reviews or activities for your next Friday Fun Day.
- Scientific Memory: Print a grid of pictures that represent science concepts, such as parts of the food chain or types of energy. Have the students cut them out, place the pictures face down, and try to match them in the Memory game.
- Power transmission race: How long does each type of energy last? Give groups “power” units (represented by foam blocks or paper rolls) and host a relay race outside for students to relay power and cross the finish line.
- Biology Bingo: After completing the biology unit, pass out the blank Bingo sheets and tell the students to write their vocabulary words for each biology. Call out the meanings in the Bingo game, and see who can get five in a row!
- The Four Biomes: Assign a biome to each corner of the room (such as desert, rainforest, ocean, and plain) and name an animal or plant. Students run to the corner where they think life is alive – and whoever is in the wrong corner is out!
Start science class right with back to school games
Introduce students to next year’s themes when you incorporate science concepts into your back-to-school games. Whether it’s fun quizzes that test prior understanding or games that get students working together for the first time, these activities are a great way to break the ice for middle schoolers.
Back to School SCIENCE GAME ACTIVITY 2 Truths and Lies SCIENCE TRIVIA Questions
With the Science of Flying Colors
Grades: 6th-10th
Subject: General Science
Combine internship and your first course with this unique and engaging resource. Using 55 printable flashcards on a variety of science topics, in pairs or groups students work together to find which statement cards are true, and which are false.
Use games to review basic physics concepts
Middle school students may not be ready for more advanced physics courses, but establishing the basics will help them succeed when high school physics comes around. Use engaging, interactive science games for middle school students to apply what they learned in the physics unit and review important concepts they will need to move forward in the year.
Waves Trivia Board Game Project | Science Handbook | Middle School
Science is a World of Entertainment
Grades: 4th-10th
Subject: Physical Science
How much do your middle schoolers know about the properties of light, sound, and waves? The comprehensive resource guides students through creating their own trivia board game to review functional, electromagnetic, transverse, and longitudinal waves, as well as the reflection and refraction of light, and compression, irregularity, and sound waves.
Special Science Games for Grade 7
By the time middle school students reach 7th grade science, they are ready to learn more about life science, forms of energy, and the basics of biology. They also learn how to be responsible lab participants and how to collaborate with others to develop hypotheses and reach conclusions. Use these 7th grade science games to build on what they learned last year, and prepare them for a successful year in middle school science.
- Find My Child: Does the whale have a calf or a kitten? Print the names of the animals and the names of their children, and give one to each student. Have two students try to find each other (like a joey to a kangaroo, a lamb to be carried, etc.).
- Science Pictionary: All you need is a whiteboard, some markers, and a list of science concepts to review. Divide the class into two groups and have one person at a time draw a concept that represents them privately (such as “photosynthesis” or “air energy”). They try to get their team to guess the word by drawing it on the board.
- Paper Airplane Races: Experiment with aerodynamics and engineering design with paper airplanes. Individuals, pairs, or teams design and create the best paper airplanes, then race them to see which one goes the farthest.
- Science Taboo: Don’t say the science word! Create cards with one science vocabulary word at the top (such as “electricity”) and add five words that students can use to describe them (such as “power,” “light,” “plug,” “spark,” and “current”). Students try to get their team to guess their names without saying the secret words.
Gamify the basics of science to help students remember the rules
Do your middle school students know their way around the lab? Familiarize your middle school classroom – and the lab safety rules in place – with games that will effectively help them understand how to conduct labs and how to conduct experiments.
Board Game for Science Lab Safety and Scientific Thinking
By The Biology Blend
Grades: 7th-12th
Subject: General Science
Lab safety and the scientific method are two concepts that middle school students need to learn at the beginning of the school year. Print a well-equipped resource that comes with game rules, score cards, teacher instruction guides, a game board, and pre-made and programmable game cards for small groups to review lab safety and scientific reasoning.
8th Grade Educational Science Games
Before eighth graders reach high school, there are a few important middle school science concepts left for them to master. Use science games for 8th graders to work independently, use the scientific method, and access the knowledge they have gained during their middle school science years.
- Science Escape Room: Use this list of escape room ideas for middle school students to get out of using only their science knowledge and teamwork skills. Feel free to add scientific principles, vocabulary, and formulas to the codes they need to crack!
- Create an Element: Bring in Legos, Jenga blocks, or any other type of blocks for the students to create what you have provided. Bonus points if they can do it creatively with their stuff.
- Scientific Risk: Can your students guess the energy types for $500? Create an interactive presentation where students answer science review questions from the classic Jeopardy! “What” format.
- Trivia Groups: Bring the fun of Trivia Night to your middle school science classroom. Small groups come together to answer questions and riddles, using whiteboards and pens to collect their team’s points.
Get things moving with science review games
Physical science is studying energy, which your 8th graders probably have a lot of when they come to your classroom! Get them out of their seats and into your lesson with review games that cover important physical science concepts.
Physical Science Vocabulary Review Game
By Saying It’s Not Rocket Science
Grade: 8th-11th
Subject: Physical Science
How much does your middle school miss you in their physical science department? Test their knowledge with a review game inspired by the TV show “Password.” This classroom resource includes three editable PowerPoints with physics, chemistry, and physics vocabulary words, suggestions for teacher use, and a timer in presentation mode.
Online Science Games for Middle School
Need science games for middle schoolers to access on their devices or at home? Use these educational resources to provide high-quality, NGSS-aligned science games for homework review or extra fun in the science classroom.
Energize your middle school science classroom with TPT
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that students learn better when they are having fun. Adding middle school science games to your curriculum or end-of-unit review is an effective way to engage all students in your class and ensure they enjoy science as much as you do.
Find many middle school science themed games for your specific classroom setting or unit needs. And for everyday ways to enrich your curriculum and expand your students’ minds, add middle school brain teasers to your warm-ups or exit tickets.
