Last updated on September 21st, 2023 at 09:23 pm
Teachers and substitute teachers alike can benefit from this tried-and-true arsenal of easy games to play with their classes. You can use games as a reward— something the class earns after meeting expectations in a period of time– or simply as a break in the day for movement and fun. The best part is these games are all low- or no-cost and require very little prep work. These are truly powerful tricks to pull out of your back pocket!
The importance of whole-class games in the classroom
Games give a chance for movement
We all need breaks, and games are a perfect way to refresh a wary crowd. Some games can get students up and moving out of their seats. Just like I would be itching to get up out of a hard chair after a while, the students are probably yearning for this as well. Introduce the movement break during a particularly long stretch of desk work, and it’ll refresh and give students more latitude to continue their work.
Games are an opportunity for collaboration
Games can often include elements of team work. Students can be given opportunities to collaborate, negotiate and socialize. Even as an introvert, I recognize these as important and beneficial elements to a schoolday. Kids who wouldn’t normally hang out with each other can be placed side by side and work together as a team. Beautiful!
Games can be a source of differentiation
Games can offer students success when they don’t regularly experience it in the school setting. There are students who don’t win the spelling bees or lead the honor rolls each quarter, but they have other gifts. Here is where they can finally have a chance to exercise their strengths and shine.
They’re just plain fun
Don’t you know the essential components of a school day? Reading, writing, arithmetic and… fun, of course! I’m all for hard work and periods of study and quiet focus. But I would argue that these stretches of study are more effective when interspersed with short bursts of fun. Who doesn’t like a break– the chance to let loose a bit before reining it back in? Just pray an administrator doesn’t choose this exact moment to come in and observe you while you’re giving students this gift of fun.
No-prep whole-class games
Once you clearly explain the rules and expectations for these games, they can be handy standbys that require no preparation. This is why 75% of my teaching success can be attributed to Four Corners.
Four Corners
Clearly define the rules of the game and the four corners. My rules are: No running, no making loud noises in sabotage attempts (this is something they’ve tried to do!), and when the caller chooses your corner, be a good sport about it and return to your seat quietly.
Choose one student to be the counter. You’ll likely have a crowd of eager volunteers for this, so just be decisive. This student then must count to 10– not too fast or too slow. Monitor and guide the pace of the counting if needed. The counter also must have eyes closed, preferably with their head down on the desk for good measure.
When the caller gets to ten, all students must be clearly standing in a corner– 1, 2, 3, or 4. According to my rules, they shouldn’t be in between corners trying to hedge their bets, they need to choose one and acept their fate. The counter then chooses a corner (1-4) with eyes still closed. All students in the chosen corner must go back to their seats. If no one is in that corner, I say, “Keep your eyes closed and pick another corner– no one was there.” Play like this until there is one last student remaining– the winner! (I usually like to make winner the counter for the next round, if we play another.)
This game is simple and wildly popular. I’ve utilized its novelty for 5 years of full-time teaching and 3 years as a substitute. Students tend to get passionate in this competition. Tender feelings can erupt, especially with the younger kids. I anticipate this, try to encourage all parties (especially the runner-up– that’s a hard defeat), and table the game for later if necessary. We can always try again without the emotions running high.
Heads Up, Seven Up
This trusty game I played in my childhood classrooms still wields great power and fun in the modern learning environment. Many an indoor recess have been spent in the throes of this memorable activity.
Clearly define all the rules before proceeding. Then the teacher should select a group of 7 students. They will be the pickers, and they’ll stand at the front of the room. The rest of the students must close their eyes, with heads on the desk, popping out an easy-to-spot thumb up on the table top. This single thumb must stand out like a lone beacon in a sea of darkness. With heads bowed and thumbs prominently displayed, the Seven must choose one (and only one) other classmate by lowering his or her thumb. Once selected, this person cannot be chosen again, which is denoted by the telltale sign of the lowered thumb. Clever!
Once the original Seven have silently made their choices, they must gather back at the front of the room.
Here comes your shining moment as the teacher and Facilitator of Excellent Games: You should say “Heads up, seven up!”and the newly appointed Seven must rise from their seats. Their next task is, one by one, to guess which of the seven choosers up front selected them. One guess per student. If a student guesses his or her chooser correctly, the student and chooser trade places. That student is now amongst the coveted group of Seven! Incorrect guesses yield no traded spaces. The game can then be played again.
I’ve been in classrooms where they use a team of 4 selectors. It’s less catchy to say “Heads up, four up” but logistically smoother, especially with young students. Choose your preferred amount. Either way, you will likely win the hearts of many.
This or That
This is basically a game of Would You Rather? that gets the kids moving. Have all students stand and push in their chairs. Explain the rules, such as no running, no yelling, etc. Then pose an either/or question to the students, assigning one side of the room to one choice and the opposite end of the room to the other choice. Students vote for their favorite by crossing the room to the appointed side in a certain period of time.
For instance: Ask students, “Which do you like better if you had to pick: Peanut butter or jelly?” and then make grand gestures so there is no mistaking which side of the room is now Peanut butter and which side is Team Jelly. Students must show their preference on one end of the room or the other by the time you count down from 10. Then start again with a new question.
It’s a simple game that kids like and can also spark intense debate. It’s best to keep these discussions civil.
Here is a list of additional This or Thats:
- Tacos or pizza
- Basketball or football
- Cats or dogs
- Swimming in a pool or swimming in the ocean
- Being a celebrity or being a superhero
- Competing in a dance off with a Grizzly bear or competing in a dance off with a poodle
Have fun with it! Keep it squeaky clean and appropriate– don’t ask the kids to choose between Republican or Democrat, for instance.
Simon Says
I’m not sure who made Simon king, but we’ve never questioned it in this colorful exercise in obeyance.
(To spice things up, you could play Patricia says or Lester says. But in most cases, tradition and alliteration will win out, so it’s fine to also just call it Simon Says.)
Give instructions to the class. Maybe even demonstrate the role of Simon, giving various task ideas.Then select one student to stand at the helm to guide the others in a series of exercises. Whichever actions, from jumping jacks to rubbing one’s belly, are introduced by the phrase “Simon Says,” those must be completed. Any actions not preceded by this phrase must NOT be completed.
Any student who diverges from this for any direction are out and should sit down. They should think long and hard about how they disobeyed (just kidding!). Play until there is one student standing or you simply can’t take it anymore.
Tips for successful classroom game play
Games should be enjoyable and relaxing, not a source of conflict or chaos.
As the teacher, you should clearly set the boundaries if you want a safe and successful class game. You should (calmly, not like a fly-off-the-handle dictator) shut a game down if things start to spiral out of control. I usually tell students something along these lines after explaining the expectations: “We’re playing this game for a break so that we can go back to focusing and working hard. If we can’t calm down after the game, though, we can’t play anymore today. Please show me that you are able to handle this game and then get back to what we were working on.”
If games completely derail the class, I’d guess they’re not ready to play any. This can be improved through modeling and practice. I introduce a game by explaining its rules and acting out various scenarios. I then check for students’ understanding, maybe by them flashing me a thumbs-up sign. Then throughout the course of the game, I keep students accountable to the rules. If I say that students are “out” for sabotaging other players in Four Corners, for instance, I have to stick to that.
Finally, I try to emphasize teamwork, sportsmanship, and the fact that there’s always next time for a chance to win. The little ones in particular can carry big hopes and expectations that can be dashed upon the rocks of losing, so I try to be gentle and a source of compassion.
How to use whole-class games as rewards, breaks or time fillers
Whole-class games are a fun way to give the class (and yourself!) a break. I have offered these games as bribes for good behavior numerous times, with a high rate of success.
This is especially useful for substitute teachers, who may not feel like doling out prizes each day of subbing just to keep a class under control. Substitutes can encourage positive behavior by having students work to earn the game.
Having a no-prep game in your back pocket can fill unexpectedly free minutes. Few things are more stressful as a substitute than coming up short on things to do for fifteen minutes with a class you just met this morning. Have these games in mind, and it’ll even seem like it was all on the lesson plan anyway.
Whole-class games give an opportunity for movement and socialization and refreshment from stress in an otherwise possibly difficult schoolday. Don’t skip out on the games, Teach!
