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It’s no surprise to teachers that students love sports. What may surprise students is that teachers also love games! With creative, customizable game templates that allow you to address specific skills and the added power and engagement that games bring to the classroom, games are an essential part of any enrichment instruction. And they are tons of fun, too!
Discover the many benefits of learning through play in the classroom, how to improve your studies, and why it’s easier than you think. You’ll see the results in your students’ smiles — and in their end-of-year test scores, too.
Play-Based Learning Resources for All Grades
From elementary PE games to high school social studies games, gamified learning works well for all grades and subjects. Use these highly flexible learning resources designed by educators to engage all students in any classroom setting.
Create your own review game with digital templates
Digital review games are always a student favorite! If you’re looking for quick games to play in the classroom, you’ll need a specific template to customize a digital review game for your specific course or curriculum. Use printable resources to get students thinking and working on the concepts they need to review, we all have a great time.
ZAP Digital Review Game Template for Any Topic or Unit
Posted by Algebra Star
Suitable for every age, subject, or skill level, this versatile resource includes nine Google Slide templates for teachers to create their own digital review games. Each question has an assigned point value, making it easy for students to play again and again throughout the year.
Trashketball Game Template | EDITED
By Pocketful of Primary
Grades: K-12
Topics: All Subjects, Instructional Technology
All you need for a fun game of Trashketball is a trash can, a ball, and this tool! Type your questions and answers into game templates and let students shoot the ball into the basket after answering the review question correctly.
Smelly Feet Review Game
Written by Emily Wong
Grades: K-12
Subjects: English language arts, math, science
Get students engaged and reviewing key concepts with Smelly Feet! This variation on the classic Jeopardy! review game challenges students to answer review questions without revealing the “stinky feet” square and losing all their points.
Check understanding with student board game projects
For teachers with low-tech classrooms (or for students who could use a reduction in technology), paper board games are a great way to game your curriculum. Find ways for students to create elementary ELA games, middle school science games, or anything in between with resources that provide board game templates for easy preparation and fun activities.
Board Game Project Learning Templates STEM Activities + STEM Math Activities
Written by Sherbert Learning
Grades: 2nd-5th
Great as an extension activity or review game, this resource includes 64 pages of warm-up templates, game designs, quiz cards, rubrics, and more for students to create their own board games. Use the resource before a math unit test or to check student understanding before moving on to another STEM concept.
Design individual or small group classroom games
Ever wish you had a collection of games that students could play or design themselves? Use programmable game templates for students to reinforce teaching concepts on their own or in small groups, and challenge older students to create their own review games.
Lots of editable PowerPoint presentations | Game Templates | Programmable Game System | Digital
Through the Teacher’s Playroom
Grades: K-8
Subjects: English language arts, math
Some students work better alone or with a few peers, even when learning through play. This customizable resource comes with 10 different interactive game templates, making it easy for teachers (or students!) to create their own customized review games.
Encourage students to solve puzzles in the classroom escape room
No one will want to run away from your classroom after an exciting escape room task! Find printable templates and printable resources to create your own escape room for elementary, middle, or high school students to review skills and work together.
Digital Escape Room Templates | Google Apps
Written by Mrs B’s Brainy Bunch
Do you want to set up an escape room in your classroom, but are worried about the amount of work it will take? Use complete and flexible escape room templates to easily design an escape room activity for any grade level or subject. It includes 78 blank template pages and nine instructional videos to guide you as you create a challenging and engaging escape room for your students.
Get students going with active classroom games
Are you looking for indoor recess games to make learning in the classroom more fun? Check out these resources that incorporate physical activity into the classroom — perfect for rainy days or impromptu review sessions.
Editable Snowball Fight Editable Snowball Templates for Any Skill
By Sweetnsauerfirsties
Subjects: English language arts, math
You don’t need a snow day to have a snowball fight! Bring this programmable, non-modifiable game into your classroom to teach or review any teaching concept. Students use a printable quiz board and a bunch of snowballs to get moving and review vocabulary words, historical figures, math facts, or any other subject in your curriculum.
What is gamification?
Gamification is a way to bring game elements into your everyday education, allowing students to feel like they are having fun rather than learning or revising a concept. It works best in a classroom that focuses on inquiry-based learning, as students tend to approach tasks with curiosity.
Playful learning can include features such as a stopwatch, scoring systems, or rewards for classroom achievements to make the lesson feel like a game. It can also take the form of long critical thinking games that allow students to compete in healthy and educational ways, such as game shows, board games, or classroom races.
Examples of Play-Based Learning
So what does a gamified classroom look like? It may depend on the age of the students and the technology in your school, but you can add play-based learning to your classroom by:
- Card games that involve math or reading skills
- Online quizzes or flashcards
- Slide shows with review questions
- Outdoor games that combine physical and educational skills
- Competitive class games (like board races)
- Quick games like History Hot Potato or Vocabulary Bingo
- Integrated games in educational applications
- Sticker charts or other point and reward programs
Basically, anything you can use in a game can work in the context of a play-based learning classroom. Dice, sand timers, buzzers, whiteboards, or any other game object can encourage students to engage in the lesson by trying to win or score points.
Advantages of Gamification in Education
Gamification in education is a popular trend in education, but that’s not the only reason it works for students at any grade level. Many studies of blended learning show that this teaching method can increase students’ independence and competence, helping them feel more successful in your classroom.
Additional benefits of learning through play include:
The main advantage of this method is to get more students involved in the course, where more traditional methods may leave some students behind. When everyone is happy, everyone learns!
Make learning fun, no matter the subject, with TPT
If students had to choose between a traditional lecture and a class game, they would choose the game every time. And if you’ve incorporated high-quality, low-preparation activities that focus on learning through play in your classroom, it doesn’t have to be a chore. Find more original school games for classrooms that could use more engagement. Learning the same skills in a gamified environment can be a lot of fun!
