1.

Charades

In the game of charades, students can study vocabulary words and learn public
speaking skills by doing physical exercise. One student performs actions or movements
associated with a word while their classmates guess it out loud. The person who
guesses the correct option receives the next word to perform.

For instance, if the word is "debate," then a student might simulate an exchange with
another person. You can add a teamwork element by dividing the class into groups and
directing them to only guess the words for other members of their team.

2. Studying contest

This game can help students study lesson content and quickly analyze information,
making it beneficial for reviewing test material. You draw two circles on a board or
projector screen and label one "Yes" and the other "No." Separate students into two
teams and call one representative from each to listen to a statement and decide if it's
true or false. The first student who taps the circle with the correct answer wins the round
for their team.

7. Find the object or image

In this physical activity, students can learn research skills while learning the
components of a classroom. You provide a list of objects or images in the classroom
and set a timer for three minutes while students search for them. You can also hide
mathematical equations around the room and instruct students to solve them within the
timeframe. It may be helpful to provide additional guidelines for finding objects to
encourage teamwork and constructive exploration.

10. Pass the object

In this game, students can exercise while reviewing important terms and numerical
expressions. You separate students into groups and give them each a soft object or
small ball to toss a few feet. Then, you reveal a question, which the student has to
answer before tossing the ball to someone else, who answers the next question. When
each student in a group finishes passing the object, they win the round

12. Guess a classmate

You can use this game to help students restore their concentration and practice their
deduction skills after a break. Students close their eyes and place their hands on a table
in front of them. You select some students to walk around the classroom and gently tap
other students' hands. Afterward, these students guess which classmate tapped their
hand and switch roles if their answer is correct.

15. Finish the sentence

You can use this game to teach students memorization and concentration skills,
particularly if they're at a middle school grade level. You write half of a sentence on a
board like "I'm leaving on a vacation and bringing," followed by a blank space for the
second half. The first student adds an item to a list such as "I'm leaving on a vacation
and bringing my dog." Afterward, each student repeats all previous additions before
including their own.

16. Collaborative drawing

In this activity, students can learn teamwork skills and express their creativity. You
provide each student with a sheet of paper and writing implement, then direct them to
draw a picture within a set timeframe. Afterward, the student passes their drawing to
another classmate and continues the drawing of someone else. This continues until the
student receives their original artwork, which they describe to the rest of the class.

20. Freeze-dance

You can use this game to help students get ready for an academic lesson after recess
or to end the school day on a positive note. The students move all tables and chairs to
one side of the room while you set up a speaker to play fun music. You direct the
students to stop moving their bodies when you pause the music at random moments. If
a student continues to move, they step out of the game for the current round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcZWXvgMZE&ab_channel=TheKiboomers-
KidsMusicChannelhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=0ebf3dGGdFg&ab_channel=FamilyFriendlyGaming

2. Hangman
A traditional but interactive game that improves students’ spelling and subject
knowledge, but is also enjoyable.
Resources: whiteboard and pen or interactive whiteboard, plus a list of
subject-specific words to inspire your students.
Game: Divide your class into two teams then select a student to stand at
the front of the class and think of a word related to the lesson (or you
could give them a suitable word). The student must then draw spaces on
the whiteboard to represent each letter in their word. The rest of the
class then guesses the word, one letter at a time (allow one student from
each team to guess alternately). Incorrect guesses result in a hangman
being drawn (one line at a time). The first team to guess the word wins,
unless the hangman is completed. The game then repeats with another
student thinking of a relevant word.
Alternative: If you feel a hangman would not be appropriate then use a
different image – either subject-specific or think creatively e.g. a
spaceman or snowman.

6. Draw swords
This quick-fire game tests students’ fine motor skills and promotes quick
thinking, as well as generating some healthy competition.
Resources: Dictionary or textbook, plus a list of key vocabulary.
Game: Split your class into small groups and choose a student from each
group to start. The nominated student then places the dictionary or
textbook under their arm. You then say a word or image which the
students must then race to find in their book (like drawing a sword from
under their arm!). The first student to find the word/image is the winner.
The game continues with different words/images until every student has
had a turn.
Alternative: If you have enough textbooks or dictionaries for every
student then the whole class can compete against each other.

8. Pictionary
An old classic but also a great way for students to visualize their understanding
in a fun team game.
Resources: whiteboards and pens or pieces of paper and pencils/pens,
plus a list of subject-specific concepts.
Game: Students work in small groups. One student from each group is
chosen to start and they must draw the subject-related concept you state,
within a given time (30 seconds – 2 minutes). The rest of the group must
then guess what he/she is drawing. The first group to correctly guess the
word wins. The game repeats until every student has had a turn/there
are no more words on your list.
Alternative: Students could model concepts using playdough for their
peers to guess.

4. Spelling bee
Best for: 2nd grade and up
Inspire a little competition with a classwide spelling bee. Using your list of vocabulary
words, give the first person an opportunity to spell the word. If they need it, give them
the definition or use it in a sentence.

If the student is correct, they get to stay standing and move on to the next round. If
they’re wrong, they sit down and the next person gets a chance to spell. The student left
standing at the end is the winner. 

6. Charades
Best for: 1st grade and up

Whether you’re working with ESL students or reviewing vocabulary ahead of a quiz,
charades can help students connect meaning to new words.

As a class or in small groups, divide into two teams. Invite the first student up to the
front of the room. Give them a word or phrase they can act out in front of their team
without speaking. If the team guesses correctly in the allotted time, they get a point!
Once the first team’s time is up, the second team can go.

Repeat for as many rounds as you’d like. The team with the most points at the end is the
winner!
#4  – Tell me Five
This is a simple vocabulary review game in which you can devise your own
rules. In class, divide your students into groups and give each group a
category (e.g. pizza toppings). They will have to come up with five things
belonging to that category in 20 seconds (e.g. pizza toppings: cheese,
mushroom, ham, bacon, corn) on the board. 

For a virtual class, let the students write five things from the category on a
whiteboard tool. The fastest among them is the winner!
Students, regardless of age, all have one in common: they have short
attention spans and can’t sit around learning for long. Just 30 minutes into
the lecture you may find them fidgeting, looking blankly at the ceiling, or
asking trivial questions.

To keep students’ interests high and to avoid textbooks like your kids avoid
vegetables, check these top 17 fun games to play in class. They are
versatile, work great for both online and offline learning, and don’t require
much effort to set up.

Let’s jump in!

 5 Benefits of a Fun Classroom

 Online games

 ESL games

 Vocabulary games

 Board games

 Math games
5 Benefits of a Fun Classroom
Whether it’s online or offline, there is value in having a round of fun classroom
games. Here are the five benefits of why you should incorporate games more
than often in your lesson:

 Attentiveness: a handful of fun greatly increase students’ focus,

according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin. It’s
no hard science to see that your students are indulged in playing games
in class, since classroom games are often upbeat and require a great
amount of attention in order to win.
 Motivation: more than a dozen times, students often look forward to a
lesson or a class if they include a fun game. And if they feel motivated,
they can even overcome the hardest learning obstacles👏
 Collaboration: by participating in classroom games as pairs or in
teams, your students will eventually learn to cooperate with others and
work in harmony as there are no rights or wrongs, only achievable goals
at the end of the route.
 Affection: playing games is a great way to form special bonds with your
students. They will think you are the “cool teacher” that knows how to
build a welcoming environment and have fun apart from teaching dry
topics.
  Learning reinforcement: the prime purpose of classroom games is for
the students to learn using non-traditional education methods. By
putting hard knowledge into something enjoyable, your students will
sprout positive memories of the learning process, which are much
easier to recall during exams.

17 Fun Games to Play in Class for Students

Online Classroom Games

Battling through the silent void during virtual lessons is not a walk in the park.
Luckily, it’s super exciting online classroom games to the rescue! Revive the
class atmosphere and leave the brightest smiles on your students’ faces with
this engagement first aid kit.

Here’s the full list 👉 15 online classroom games for every age.

#1  –  Live Quiz

Quizzes make lessons easy-peasy. They help students retain the lesson
learned and fire up their competitive spirit, which the traditional pen and paper
method cannot accomplish. 

There are tons of interactive online quizzes for you to try: Kahoot, Quizizz,
AhaSlides, Quizlet, etc. Choose one that best fits your plan and budget, then
start giving your class an exquisite time. 
 A
live quiz with ESL students on AhaSlides.
GET FREE QUIZ TEMPLATES!

#2  – Charades
Whether online or offline, Charades is a fun physical game to satisfy your
students’ urges to move around when stuck behind a computer screen.

You can let the students work in teams or pairs. The students will be given a
word or phrase to demonstrate through actions, and their teammates will need
to guess the correct word/phrase based on that description.

#3  –  Time to Climb

Students absolutely love this game, especially the younger ones. We’ve had a
couple of teachers sharing that their pupils beg them to play Time to
Climb during class, and if you take a look through the game’s guide, you will
see it’s the complete package and total education candy for youngsters 🍭

The game will transform your standard multiple choice quiz into an interactive
game, where the students can choose their characters and advance to the top
of the mountain with the fastest correct answer.

ESL Classroom Games

Learning a second language requires double energy to convert words and

meanings, which might be why your class just sit there frozen in time. Worry
not because with these ESL classroom ice-breakers, “timid” or “shy” will not
be in your students’ dictionary 😉.

Here’s the full list 👉12 Exciting ESL classroom games.

#4  – Tell me Five

This is a simple vocabulary review game in which you can devise your own
rules. In class, divide your students into groups and give each group a
category (e.g. pizza toppings). They will have to come up with five things
belonging to that category in 20 seconds (e.g. pizza toppings: cheese,
mushroom, ham, bacon, corn) on the board. 

For a virtual class, let the students write five things from the category on a
whiteboard tool. The fastest among them is the winner!

#5  –  Show and Tell 

It’s great that your students can incorporate refined words in their writing, but
can they do the same when speaking?

In Show and Tell, you give students a topic to work on, such as their favourite
snack. Each person will have to bring an item that matches the topic and tell a
story or a memory involving that object.

To add more spice to the game, you can let the students vote and compete for
different prizes, such as the best story-teller, best story plot, most hilarious
story, etc.

#6  – Word Chain

Test your students’ word bank with this simplistic, zero preparation game.

First, come up with a word, such as ‘bee’, then throw a ball to a student; they
will think of another word that starts with the last letter, “e”, such as “emerald”.
They’ll continue the word chain around the class until someone cannot shout
the next word fast enough, then they’ll restart without that player.

For a more advanced level, you could prepare a theme and ask students to
say words that belong to that category only. For example, if your theme is
“animal” and the first word is “dog”, the players should follow up with animal
words like “goat” or “goose”. Keep the category broad, otherwise this quick
classroom game gets really hard!
Word Jumble Race
Word Jumble Race is perfect for practicing tenses, word order, and grammar.

It’s pretty simple. Prepare by cutting up sentences into a handful of words,

then split your class into small groups and give them a batch of words each.
When you say “GO!”, each group will race to put the words in the correct
order.

You can print out the sentences to use in class or shuffle the words
effortlessly using an online quiz tool.

#9  –  Word Scramble

Nothing is more enjoyable than unscrambling the words and figuring out what
they might be. You can make some Word Scramble worksheets ready with
different themes such as animals, festivals, stationary, etc. and roll them out
during class. The first student who successfully decodes all the words will be
the winner.

#10  –  Guess the Secret Word

How can you help the students to memorise new words? Try the word
association game, Guess the Secret Word.

First, think of a word, then tell the students some words associated with that.
They will have to use their existing vocabulary to try guessing the word you’re
thinking of.

For example, if the secret word is “peach”, you could say “pink”. Then they
might guess something like “flamingo” and you will tell them it’s not related.
But when they say words like “guava”, you can tell them that it is associated
with the secret word.

#11  – Stop the Bus

This is another great vocabulary revision game for class.

Start by preparing some categories or topics that conmtain the target

vocabulary your students have been learning, such as verbs, clothing,
transportation, colours, etc. Then, choose a letter from the alphabet.

Your class, which should be divided into teams, will have to write each word
as quickly as possible from each category that begins with that specific letter.
When they complete all lines, they will have to shout “Stop the bus!”.
For example, there are three categories: clothing, countries, and cakes. The
letter you choose is “C”. The students will need to come up with something
like this:

 Corset (clothing)
 Canada (countries)
 Cupcake (cakes)

Students, regardless of age, all have one in common: they have short

attention spans and can’t sit around learning for long. Just 30 minutes into
the lecture you may find them fidgeting, looking blankly at the ceiling, or
asking trivial questions.

To keep students’ interests high and to avoid textbooks like your kids avoid
vegetables, check these top 17 fun games to play in class. They are
versatile, work great for both online and offline learning, and don’t require
much effort to set up.

Let’s jump in!

 5 Benefits of a Fun Classroom

 Online games

 ESL games

 Vocabulary games

 Board games

 Math games
5 Benefits of a Fun Classroom
Whether it’s online or offline, there is value in having a round of fun classroom
games. Here are the five benefits of why you should incorporate games more
than often in your lesson:

 Attentiveness: a handful of fun greatly increase students’ focus,

according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin. It’s
no hard science to see that your students are indulged in playing games
in class, since classroom games are often upbeat and require a great
amount of attention in order to win.
  Motivation: more than a dozen times, students often look forward to a
lesson or a class if they include a fun game. And if they feel motivated,
they can even overcome the hardest learning obstacles👏
 Collaboration: by participating in classroom games as pairs or in
teams, your students will eventually learn to cooperate with others and
work in harmony as there are no rights or wrongs, only achievable goals
at the end of the route.
 Affection: playing games is a great way to form special bonds with your
students. They will think you are the “cool teacher” that knows how to
build a welcoming environment and have fun apart from teaching dry
topics.
 Learning reinforcement: the prime purpose of classroom games is for
the students to learn using non-traditional education methods. By
putting hard knowledge into something enjoyable, your students will
sprout positive memories of the learning process, which are much
easier to recall during exams.

17 Fun Games to Play in Class for Students

Online Classroom Games

Battling through the silent void during virtual lessons is not a walk in the park.
Luckily, it’s super exciting online classroom games to the rescue! Revive the
class atmosphere and leave the brightest smiles on your students’ faces with
this engagement first aid kit.

Here’s the full list 👉 15 online classroom games for every age.

#1  –  Live Quiz

Quizzes make lessons easy-peasy. They help students retain the lesson
learned and fire up their competitive spirit, which the traditional pen and paper
method cannot accomplish. 

There are tons of interactive online quizzes for you to try: Kahoot, Quizizz,
AhaSlides, Quizlet, etc. Choose one that best fits your plan and budget, then
start giving your class an exquisite time. 
 A
live quiz with ESL students on AhaSlides.
GET FREE QUIZ TEMPLATES!

#2  – Charades
Whether online or offline, Charades is a fun physical game to satisfy your
students’ urges to move around when stuck behind a computer screen.

You can let the students work in teams or pairs. The students will be given a
word or phrase to demonstrate through actions, and their teammates will need
to guess the correct word/phrase based on that description.

#3  –  Time to Climb

Students absolutely love this game, especially the younger ones. We’ve had a
couple of teachers sharing that their pupils beg them to play Time to
Climb during class, and if you take a look through the game’s guide, you will
see it’s the complete package and total education candy for youngsters 🍭

The game will transform your standard multiple choice quiz into an interactive
game, where the students can choose their characters and advance to the top
of the mountain with the fastest correct answer.

ESL Classroom Games

Learning a second language requires double energy to convert words and

meanings, which might be why your class just sit there frozen in time. Worry
not because with these ESL classroom ice-breakers, “timid” or “shy” will not
be in your students’ dictionary 😉.

Here’s the full list 👉12 Exciting ESL classroom games.

#4  – Tell me Five

This is a simple vocabulary review game in which you can devise your own
rules. In class, divide your students into groups and give each group a
category (e.g. pizza toppings). They will have to come up with five things
belonging to that category in 20 seconds (e.g. pizza toppings: cheese,
mushroom, ham, bacon, corn) on the board. 

For a virtual class, let the students write five things from the category on a
whiteboard tool. The fastest among them is the winner!

#5  –  Show and Tell 

It’s great that your students can incorporate refined words in their writing, but
can they do the same when speaking?

In Show and Tell, you give students a topic to work on, such as their favourite
snack. Each person will have to bring an item that matches the topic and tell a
story or a memory involving that object.

To add more spice to the game, you can let the students vote and compete for
different prizes, such as the best story-teller, best story plot, most hilarious
story, etc.
Image credit: HiHo Kids
#6  – Word Chain
Test your students’ word bank with this simplistic, zero preparation game.

First, come up with a word, such as ‘bee’, then throw a ball to a student; they
will think of another word that starts with the last letter, “e”, such as “emerald”.
They’ll continue the word chain around the class until someone cannot shout
the next word fast enough, then they’ll restart without that player.

For a more advanced level, you could prepare a theme and ask students to
say words that belong to that category only. For example, if your theme is
“animal” and the first word is “dog”, the players should follow up with animal
words like “goat” or “goose”. Keep the category broad, otherwise this quick
classroom game gets really hard!

#7  –  Word Jumble Race

Word Jumble Race is perfect for practicing tenses, word order, and grammar.

It’s pretty simple. Prepare by cutting up sentences into a handful of words,

then split your class into small groups and give them a batch of words each.
When you say “GO!”, each group will race to put the words in the correct
order.

You can print out the sentences to use in class or shuffle the words
effortlessly using an online quiz tool.

Here’s how it works online

1. Sign up to AhaSlides for free, create a presentation and choose the

“Correct Order” slide.
2. Add the words of a sentence. Each one will be shuffled randomly for
your players.
3. Set the time limit.
4. Present to your students.
5. They all join on their phones and race to sort the words the fastest!

Vocabulary Classroom Games

These vocabulary classroom games are similar to the ESL classroom games,
but focus more on individual words than sentence structures. These are some
non-intimdating classroom games that can boost your students’ self-esteem
and energy levels.

Here’s the full list 👉 10 fun vocabulary games for the classroom

#8  – Pictionary
Time to let their students practice their doodling skills.

Playing Pictionary in class is super simple. You assign one to read the word
you’ve prepared and they will have to sketch it quick in 20 seconds. When
time’s left, others will have to guess what it is based on the doodle.

You can let them play in teams or individually, and increase the challenge
according to the level of the students. To play Pictionary online, make sure to
either utilise the Zoom whiteboard or one of the many great Pictionary-type
free apps out there.
  #9  –  Word Scramble
Nothing is more enjoyable than unscrambling the words and figuring out what
they might be. You can make some Word Scramble worksheets ready with
different themes such as animals, festivals, stationary, etc. and roll them out
during class. The first student who successfully decodes all the words will be
the winner.

#10  –  Guess the Secret Word

How can you help the students to memorise new words? Try the word
association game, Guess the Secret Word.

First, think of a word, then tell the students some words associated with that.
They will have to use their existing vocabulary to try guessing the word you’re
thinking of.
For example, if the secret word is “peach”, you could say “pink”. Then they
might guess something like “flamingo” and you will tell them it’s not related.
But when they say words like “guava”, you can tell them that it is associated
with the secret word.

Free quiz templates!

Make memories for students with fun and light competition. Improve learning and engagement
with a live quiz!
General Knowledge
Name that Song
English Quiz
#11  – Stop the Bus
This is another great vocabulary revision game for class.

Start by preparing some categories or topics that conmtain the target

vocabulary your students have been learning, such as verbs, clothing,
transportation, colours, etc. Then, choose a letter from the alphabet.

Your class, which should be divided into teams, will have to write each word
as quickly as possible from each category that begins with that specific letter.
When they complete all lines, they will have to shout “Stop the bus!”.

For example, there are three categories: clothing, countries, and cakes. The
letter you choose is “C”. The students will need to come up with something
like this:

 Corset (clothing)
 Canada (countries)

 Cupcake (cakes)

Classroom Board Games

Boardgames make great classroom staples. They increase students’

collaboration and vocabulary skills by means of fruitful competition. Here are
some quick classroom board games that can be played virtually or in a
physical class, and by all ages.

#12  –  Hedbanz
Taken from the family-classic board game, Hedbanz is an atmosphere raiser
and is super easy to play.

Print out some cards that belong to the animal, food, or object category, then
stick them onto your students’ foreheads. They will have to ask “Yes” or “No”
questions to figure out what the cards are before the time run out. Playing in
pairs is optimal for Hedbanz.
Image credit: UltraBoardGames
#13  –  Boggle
On a jumbled grid of 16 letters, the goal of Boggle is to find as many words as
possible. Up, down, left, right, diagonal, how many words your students can
come up with on the grid?

There are many free Boggle templates online for distance learning and

physical classroom. Stack up some and give them out to your students as a
pleasant surprise at the end of the class.

#14  –  Apples to Apples

Excellent for students’ vocabulary development, Apples to Apples is a
hilarious board game to add to your classroom collection. There are two types
of cards: Things (which generally feature a noun) and Descriptions (which
contain an adjective).

As a teacher, you can be the judge and pick the Description card. The

students will try to pick, from the seven cards in their hands, the Thing they
feel that best matches that description. If you like that comparison, they can
keep the Description card. The winner is the one who collects the
most Description cards in the game.
Classroom Maths Games

Has learning maths ever been fun? We dare to say YES, because with these
short but mighty maths games, your students will so be adding math to their
all-time favourite subject list. It’s also scientifically proven that lessons built
around game-based activities generate more maths enthusiasts. Check it out!

Here’s the full list 👉10 best maths video games for bored K12 students?

#15  –  Would you Rather – Maths Edition

Would you rather buy packages of 12 cookies for $3 each or packages of 10
cookies for $2.60 each?

️Not sure what answer your students will choose, but we do love cookies ️In
the standard edition of Would you Rather, students are given a scenario with
two choices. They will have to choose which option they’ll go for and justify it
using logical reasoning.

In the maths edition, all students play at the same time and race to choose the
best deal out of the two options.

The game can be played both online and offline to as a quick ice breaker or
lesson ender. Let’s play Would you Rather with AhaSlides!

Game #1: Simon Says

Simon says, ‘Play this game!’. This is one of the most iconic and classic ESL
classroom games you’ve probably ever known; I bet that we all played this
game in a fit of giggles when we were little.

Without a doubt, Simon Says is the easiest game to host in your ESL class.
You don’t have to prepare anything except your childlike soul to join the fun
with the kids. Get your students up and moving with this easy, delightful
game!

Choose some verbs you want to teach your kids. The best ones are those that
make the kids move around or do some goofy stuff; we promise you they’ll be
in fits of laughter by the end.

How to play
1. You are the Simon in this game. After a few rounds, you can choose
another student to be Simon.
 2. Choose an action and say out loud ‘Simon says [that action]’, then the
children must do it. You can do that action when saying or simply just
say it.
3. Repeat this process several times with different actions.
4. When you like, only say the action without the phrase ‘Simon says’.
Whoever does that action is out. The last one in the game is the winner.
5. You can do this both in class or during virtual lessons, but in the latter
case, tell them to do something in front of the camera so you can watch.

Game #4: Tell Me Five

This class ESL game is straightforward and takes zero time to prepare. It’s
great for spontaneously getting young students talking or brainstorming in
teams.

You can let them play Tell Me Five to test their memories and vocabulary. It’s
a fun, excellent and simple brain practice for the kids.

1. Make a list of categories such as colours, food, transportation, animals,

etc.
2. Put students into teams of 2, 3 or 4.
3. Ask them to choose a category based on what they like, or randomly
choose one using a spinner wheel.
4. If the student selects the animals category, the teacher can say “Tell me
5 wild animals” or “Tell me 5 animals with 4 legs”.
5. Students have one minute to come up with all 5
4. Twenty objects

Put 20 objects on a table and give students a minute to memorize them. Cover the
objects with a cloth and ask the students to write down as many as they can remember.
You might choose to use objects related to your current module of study or that are
connected in some other way.

7. Tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are great for lightening the mood, as an ice-breaker, or way to begin
each class. Search for more difficult phrases for advanced classes – you’ll see that it’s a
rare student who doesn’t crack a smile! Start with this quirky list of tongue twisters –
some easy peasy, some very twisted!

2. Candy Ice Breaker

What You Will Need: A bowl filled with candy for each person to have at
least 5 pieces.

Set Up: When all the candy is placed in the bowl, ask each person to
take 1-5 pieces, but don’t tell them what they are going to do with them.

How to Play: Each person must tell something about themselves for

each piece of candy they took. So, if someone takes 3 pieces, they must
tell 3 things about themselves. Once everyone has had a turn, they can
share the candy with their new friends.

3. Conversation Cubes
What You Will Need: This game can be purchased from Amazon and
can be taken anyplace you go. It comes with 6 soft foam colorful dice
with 36 conversation starters on each one that is suitable for children
between the ages of 6 and 10-years old.

Set Up: You can either set the children around the table in one group or
you can divide the group up into two teams. Place all 6 dice on the table
in front of the group or split them up giving 3 to one team and 3 to the
other.

How to Play: There is an activity guide that comes with the game, but it
is so versatile that it can be played in several different ways. One idea is
to go around the table allowing each person to roll the cube and answer
the question, or they can take turns rolling and with each roll, everyone
should answer the same question. With this game, you have the
flexibility to structure it according to your needs and for the group who is
participating.

Check Prize on Amazon

4. Crocodile Race
What You Will Need: A beginning line and a finish line.

Set Up: Choose teams of 4 to 10 players and form the teams in straight lines.

How to Play: When the teams and lines are formed, the first person on each team will be the
leader. Everyone behind the leader will place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front
of them. Each team should crouch down to look like a crocodile. All the crocodiles will race to
the finish line, or from the start to the finish and back to start again. The first team to finish wins.

6. Getting to Know You

What You Will Need: A beach ball or a similar ball that will fit in the
hands of smaller children.

Set Up: Form a circle of children and adults.

How to Play: While standing in a circle, an adult will start the game by

tossing the ball to someone and at the same time, ask the person a
question. Whoever catches the ball must answer the question and then
toss the ball to someone else asking another question. Keep the game
moving along at a fair pace. Adults or older children might need to assist
the younger players to keep the game moving. Some example questions
could be: 1) “How many siblings do you have?” 2) Do you have any
pets?” 3) “Where is your favorite place to eat?”

9. Mix & Meet

What You Will Need: A bowl of M&M’s

Set Up: Associate each color of the candy with a meaning. Example:

Blue=Family, Green=School, Yellow=Friends, Red=Hobbies, and
Brown=Movies and Music

How to Play: Don’t tell the group what they will be using the M&M’s for.
Ask them to grab some from the bowl. How many they have in their hand
will be the number of facts they will have to tell. For each blue one they
have, they must tell a fact about their family, for each green they must
tell a fact about their school and so on until everyone has completed all
the facts. When they’re finished they can enjoy eating the M&M’s.

16. Tell Me a Story

What You Will Need: Any size group of mixed aged children and adults.

Set Up: Everyone can sit around in a circle, at a table, or on living room

furniture. This game can be played anyplace you choose, even around
the campfire or on a bus.

How to Play: This game is simple, yet creative. One person will start off
with 4 words such as “Once upon a time.” The next person will add 4
more words like “there was a duck.” The play continues until the story is
complete. You can choose to add more words or less, depending on the
age of children in the group. This is a great way to pair up small children
with the older ones for help. Be careful because some people might try
and get away with repeating the same words such as “long, long, long,
ago.”

17. Two Truths and A Lie

What You Will Need: A group of mixed aged children and some
questions.

Set Up: Form the groups into teams or play as individuals. Each person
should prepare a set of statements about themselves, possibly 5
different sets. With each set of statements, one should be the truth and
the other two should be a lie.

How to Play: Take turns going around the room allowing each person to
read from a set of statements. A set of statements should be one truth
and two lies. Everyone working in teams or as individuals should decide
which one of the three is the truth. An example of a set of statements
could be: 1) I was born in Canada, 2) I was adopted, 3) I’m an only child.
The group would need to decide which of those three is a true
statement. The participants can make up silly questions if they want to
as long as one is always true.
21. Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?

What You Will Need: A group of mixed aged kids and a plastic cookie
jar or container.

Set Up: Gather everyone in a group close together. The adult should

start by holding the cookie jar.

How to Play: The group starts singing “Who stole the cookies from the
cookie jar?” The leader states (child’s name) and hands the cookie jar to
the person named while everyone chimes in singing “stole the cookies
from the cookie jar.” The child holding the cookie jar sings, “Who me?”
The others sing, “Yes, you!’ The child with the cookie jar says, “Couldn’t
be!” The others then sing, “Then who?” At that time the child holding the
cookie jar passes it to another child and the song begins again with that
child’s name. The game continues until everyone’s name is used. The
kids love using the adult’s names too, so be sure and participate in this
game.

#1 Find a Friend Bingo

This simple icebreaker is a combination between a scavenger hunt and Bingo. It’s suitable for kids of all
ages and works great with a large group.

What You Will Need: A pen and printed Bingo sheet for every child (feel free to copy the one below)

Find a Friend Who…

B I N G O

Plays a sport:

_____________Favorite color is orange:

_____________Likes to make art

_____________Loves to cook:
#3 Toilet Paper Fun Facts Game

What You Will Need: A roll of toilet paper 

Set-Up: Sit everyone in a circle on the floor and pass around the toilet paper roll. Instruct everyone to rip
off between 1 and 5 pieces of toilet paper (but don’t tell them why). You can get fun giggles or potty
jokes as the kids pass around the roll and feel unsure about how much to take. 

How to Play: Similar to the candy bowl game, once everybody has passed around the roll, it is time to
share. Announce that each kid must share one fun fact about themselves for every piece of toilet paper
they ripped from the roll.  

Read more at: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/icebreakers-for-kids/_____________ Eats pineapple

on pizza:

_____________

Likes vegetables:

_____________Is born in August:

_____________Loves science class:

_____________Favorite ice cream is chocolate:

_____________Has gone on a boat:

_____________

Has blonde hair:

_____________Likes to read:

_____________Is an only child:

_____________Likes to play games:

_____________Is a good swimmer:

_____________

Has more than 3 pets:

_____________The first name starts with an “S”:

_____________Has visited another state:

_____________Who loves cats:

_____________Has been out of the country:

_____________

Read more at: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/icebreakers-for-kids/

#7 Candy Bowl “About Me” Game

What You Will Need: A bowl full of different types of candy or treats (enough for each participant to
have at least 5 pieces)

Set-Up: Sit the kids in a circle and pass the bowl around. Ask everyone to take 1 to 5 pieces of candy.
Don’t tell them what they will do with it, but be sure they know not to eat it yet. 

How to Play: Go around the circle again and tell each kid to share something about themselves for every
piece of candy they took. You can assign a specific topic to each type of candy. For example, chocolate
means they have to share something about their family, or jawbreakers mean they have to talk about
their favorite things. After everybody has a turn to share, they can enjoy the candy together. 

Read more at: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/icebreakers-for-kids/

#17 Teddy Bear Introduction Game 

What You Will Need: A stuffed animal and a medium or large group of kids under the age of 6
Set-Up: Have the children sit in a circle with an instructor holding the teddy bear. 

How to Play: Let them know they are playing a game where each person pretends they are a teddy bear.
They will use the stuffed animal to introduce themselves and share one of their favorite things. To start,
you hold up the teddy bear and pretend like they are talking for you. Say, “Hello, my name is Sally, and
my favorite color is blue.” You can use goofy voices and move the stuffed animal’s arms to make it more
playful. 

Then, pass the bear around the circle and give everyone a chance to create their persona for the teddy
bear. This icebreaker game is perfect for shy youngsters because they get to take on the persona of the
cuddly stuffed animal. 

Read more at: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/icebreakers-for-kids/

1. Alphabet Name

Example: My name is Apple Anna, Bobby Banana

Students introduce themselves with a word that also shares the same first letter as their first
name. Other students then have to repeat the name and the word of each preceding
student as they introduce themselves.

2. Share a picture

In this icebreaker for kids, the student will bring a picture of who lives in their house and
share. (Note: You should definitely take a quick skim of each picture before allowing the
students to share.)

A great first-week-of-school activity is for students to bring in a picture of who lives in their
house with them. If students don’t have access to a photo to bring in, you could  have the
class draw a picture of the people who live in their house. Some students may have more
than one house to draw if they live in a family that shares custody of them.

Not only is this a way for students to proudly share who is in their family, it gives the
educator a better understanding of what life at home is like for that student.
3. My favorite

This icebreaker is simple enough: Students simply identify something that’s ‘their favorite.’
(Younger or hesitant students might require prompting with stems like, ‘My favorite pizza
topping is…’ or, ‘My favorite game to play with friends is…)

4. Pick a superpower

If they had a superpower what would it be, draw themselves as a superhero

Superhero stories are always popular. Give students a paper cut out of a child and ask them
to decorate it as themselves as superheroes. On the back, they can list what their
superpowers would be. It’s a fun way to see what is important to students and to learn
about them in ways you might not easily get to otherwise. I had a student write that his
superpower was to always have enough food. That helped me see that he suffered from
food insecurity and was worried about having enough to eat. It might have taken me
months to learn this but with this activity, I learned it the first week we were together.

5. “Something I like…”

In this icebreaker, your elementary-age student will tell the class something they like or that
they’re good at.

Students often hear ways they need to improve, what they need to work on to get to the
next level in academics or sports. That’s not inherently bad but it can mean that students do
not recognize things they are already good at doing. Being a good friend. Sharing. Singing.
Being kind. Dancing. Having them write down and share a skill they have can build their
confidence exponentially.

6. Introduce a partner

In short, you pair two students up and they then have to introduce the other to the class.
Students are assigned another person to interview then introduce to the class. This takes the
pressure off of them to brag about themselves but teaches them to ask questions,
remember information, and speak in front of others.