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21 Online Classroom Games, Activities & Ideas in 2024

You found our list of online classroom games.

Online classroom games are fun activities that teachers can play with their students over the internet. For example, Digital Scavenger Hunts, Virtual Pictionary and Online Bingo. The purpose of these games is to educate and entertain students, which also helps build friendships. These activities are also known as “online activities for students.”

These activities may include interactive games for kids , team building games for students , online art classes , online group games , team building exercises for students , and video call games .

Specifically, this list includes:

• fun games to play at school online
• online games to play at school
• online activities for students
• motivational activities for students online
• online class games
• interactive games for online class
• online games for high school students

Let’s get into it!

List of online classroom games

Competitions are a great motivator that gets people excited and invested in lessons. From creative challenges to debate-based matches, here is our list of online classroom games.

1. Digital Scavenger Hunt

Digital Scavenger Hunt is a game where the teacher compiles a list of items and activities that students complete by a given time. For an educational spin, teachers can match the items and activities to the lesson. For example, if you are a science teacher, consider adding simple experiments to the Digital Scavenger Hunt, such as putting Mentos in Diet Coke.

Here are some free virtual scavenger hunt templates and scavenger hunt puzzle ideas . We also have a list of apps for scavenger hunts .

2. Virtual Pictionary

Virtual Pictionary is an online version of the classic game, where one player illustrates a word, while teammates attempt to guess it. Split your class into two teams, and text the word to the illustrator using Zoom’s private chat feature. The illustrator can then use the video conference software’s screen share abilities to show their drawing, while the other team members guess. Teachers can use Virtual Pictionary to teach vocabulary, and develop creative skills.

Here is a list with more fun Zoom games  and virtual Pictionary games .

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. Virtual Trivia

Virtual Trivia is a fun way to test your class’s knowledge on a particular topic. First, amass a list of trivia questions and answers. Then, divide the class into teams, who will compete to answer the most questions quickly and correctly. Virtual Trivia is a fantastic online classroom game because it is an exciting way to confirm whether your class retained the knowledge they need.

Check out this list of virtual trivia games to get started.

4. Virtual Musical Chairs

Sitting in front of your computer all day to attend class can be draining. However, teachers can get their class moving through Virtual Musical Chairs, which adapts the idea behind the in-person game for a remote class. To play, broadcast a song, and have your students get up and dance. Then, periodically shut off the music. Once the music stops, students should rush to sit down. The last person to get to their seat loses the round.

Musical Chairs is an example of a virtual minute to win it activity .

5. Ambassadors

For classes that miss Model UN, Ambassadors is an educational game where students act as ambassadors of a randomly assigned country . Great for geography classes, players describe their country with facts, as everyone else guesses what country they represent. The winner is the student who guesses the most countries correctly. After a few rounds, your students will learn all sorts of fun facts about nations of the world.

6. Summer Book Club

To keep your students occupied over the summer, enlist your reading class for Summer Book Club, an activity where students log the number and a brief summary of pages they have read. The winner of Summer Book Club is the student who reads the highest number of pages by the end of the summer. To make winning more appetizing, prepare rewards for the winner. Teachers can also compile a suggested reading list to keep students on track.

7. Geography Puzzles

Another game for geography class, Geography Puzzles tests your class’s knowledge of the world. Send students a blank copy of a world map. Then, ask students to fill out the map as completely and accurately as possible. To make Geography Puzzles a collaborative effort, teachers can also pair up students and reward the team that finishes filling out their map first.

8. Virtual Game Show

Virtual Game Show is an online version of the popular show Jeopardy, where students attempt to guess the answer to questions. Using this Jeopardy builder or Google Slide template , assemble your board. Then, split the class into teams and share your screen to display the board. The team that collects the most points by the end of the game wins. Teachers can use Virtual Game Show as a lively way to quiz the class’s familiarity with a variety of subjects.

Check out our list of virtual game show ideas and this resource on how to play team building Jeopardy .

9. Alphabet Chain

Alphabet Chain is a terrific online classroom game for expanding students’ vocabularies. To play, choose a category. Your students then name words that fit that topic, except that every proposed word needs to start with the last letter of the previous word. If a student is unable to think of another word, then they are out. The last student standing wins.

10. Class Limericks

Limericks are a whimsical poetry form with a specific rhythm. Class Limericks is a wonderful game for online English classes that asks students to compete to write the most amusing limerick. Teachers can choose a particular subject or let students choose what they would like to write about.

For help explaining limericks to students, here are some guidelines on how to write a limerick .

11. Virtual Show and Tell

Suitable for younger classes, Virtual Show and Tell is an online version of the classic classroom activity, where students share an item with everyone and explain its significance. Teachers can set a theme for your show and tell to help students decide what to bring. This online activity can be educational, and also bring the class closer as each session reveals more of your students.

12. Would You Rather

Would You Rather is a simple icebreaker that gets students talking. To play, compile a list of prompts. Then, open the online lesson by asking students what they would rather do.

Here are some examples of great Would You Rather questions:

• Would you rather go back in time and experience the Revolutionary or Civil War?
• Would you rather live without gravity or the laws of motion?
• Would you rather go back to the dinosaur age or explore the depths of the ocean?
• Would you rather be a character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ?
• Would you rather go on a pilgrimage with the characters from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales or Wu Cheng’en’s Journey to the West ?

Would You Rather gives students an opportunity to divulge more about themselves, and liven up discussions. Because these prompts rely on prior knowledge learned in class, teachers can use Would You Rather to check students’ retention of information as well.

Here is a list of this or that questions for inspiration.

And here are more icebreaker questions for students .

13. Desert Island Intelligences

For teachers running an online psychology course, Desert Island Intelligences borrows from Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences , which include:

• Visual-spatial
• Linguistic-verbal
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Logical-mathematical
• Body-kinesthetic
• Naturalistic

The premise of this activity is that a natural disaster strands eight people representing each intelligence on a desert island. Due to limited resources, the class must vote one person from the island each round by determining the intelligence’s value for survival. Teachers love Desert Island Intelligence because it adapts well virtually, and serves as a fun conversation starter.

Here are more problem solving games to try .

14. Rube Goldberg Off

Rube Goldbergs are intricate machines that people program to complete a simple task. Rube Goldberg Off is a challenging online classroom game for science classes that asks students to compete to design the most inventive machine. Teachers can set the parameters of the activity by instructing students to create machines to complete a certain task.

Building the machine is an example of a  hybrid activity .

15. Utilitarian Test

According to the University of Texas , utilitarianism is a philosophical concept that values the choice that brings the greatest amount of good to the group. Utilitarian Test is an online classroom activity, where students discuss the ethical nuances of famous utilitarian questions, such as the trolley problem , fat man, transplant surgeon, and Heinz dilemma . Teachers can use Utilitarian Test to get students to reveal the logic behind their decisions, and see if students truly understand the concepts.

Online instruction is a completely new experience than in-person lessons. To help bring your plans to the virtual classroom, here are some online classroom ideas to maintain your students’ productivity level, despite the distance.

16. Virtual Field Trips

A great way to have fun with an online classroom is to get out of the classroom. You can take your students on a virtual adventure of places like the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu. Some locations of live facilitated options, while others are fully digital. Either way, virtual field trips provide an excellent and engaging learning opportunity for students.

Here is a list of the best virtual field trip ideas , and one with virtual tours for kids .

You could also participate in take your child to work day online .

List of online classroom tips

Here are some tips to improve learning and engagement in online classrooms.

17. Use entrance and exit cards

When students and teachers are apart, it may be difficult to keep students on track. To help set the tone of your lesson, use entrance and exit cards at the beginning and end of class. These cards consist of questions regarding the lesson’s content. The entrance cards prep students for your lesson, while exit cards check comprehension.

18. Collaborate both synchronously and asynchronously

An important virtual classroom idea is that learning is not restricted to the time when your students are online. Students can collaborate synchronously, which is when they are all online at the same time, or asynchronously, which is when they are not necessarily online at the same time.

Examples of synchronous learning include:

• Discussion in breakout rooms
• Listening to the same lecture
• Giving presentations together

Examples of asynchronous learning include:

• Discussions in forums or message boards
• Readings that students complete on their own
• Pre-recorded video content that students view on their own

Using both of these methods helps enrich your students’ learning experience, and lets students continue thinking about the lesson, even after the class video call ends.

19. Break up your lesson into manageable chunks

When people are not in person and rely on video for connection, their attention span shortens. To prevent students from becoming disengaged in class, break up your lesson into manageable chunks. As a teacher, try to avoid speaking to students for extended periods because your students will become disengaged. Instead, pepper in activities or challenges throughout your lesson to encourage participation.

20. Check understanding with the chat feature

Another way to maintain student engagement is to periodically ask students to answer simple questions through the chat feature on the class’s video conferencing software. Teachers can use these questions to check comprehension among students, and see who is still actively listening to the lesson.

21. Think, pair, share

For teachers, think, pair, share may already be a familiar concept since it is a learning strategy that is used in in-person classes. However, with video conferencing software’s breakout rooms feature, teachers can capitalize on this characteristic by having students collaborate in small groups before sharing answers to discussion questions. Using think, pair, share in an online classroom maximizes participation and keeps students focused on the lesson.

Final Thoughts

Teaching online is a tough adjustment to make that requires teachers to think deeply about how to best adapt their methods for distance learning. With these online classroom games, activities, and ideas, you can take your lessons to the next level and increase student productivity.

Next, check out our list of free online group games for more fun ideas.

We also have a list of virtual graduation tips , and virtual birthday party ideas for when it is time to celebrate a student’s birthday.

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FAQ: Online Classroom Games

Still stuck on how to engage your students virtually? Here are some frequently asked questions about online classroom games, activities and ideas.

What games can you play in a virtual classroom?

Adapting in-person games for a virtual setting is entirely possible with some resourcefulness. Some examples of games you can play virtually are the digital versions of scavenger hunts, Pictionary, trivia, and Jeopardy.

How do you make a virtual classroom fun?

To make a virtual classroom fun, break up your lesson into manageable chunks with exciting online classroom games and activities. By mixing things up, you prevent your class from becoming bored and disengaged.

What are the best virtual classroom activities?

The best virtual classroom activities are extensions of ideas you have already taught in class. By tying in your lesson to the activity, students can play, while also applying principles you taught them. This method leads to a better absorption of the lesson.

Author: Jessica Chen

Content Expert at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Jessica has a double major in English and Asian Studies, and experience working with teams across cultures; including 3+ years in Taiwan.

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21 Fun Classroom Games Every Teacher Needs to Try This Year

Written by Maria Kampen

Challenge and reward your students

With Prodigy, you can set a weekly goal for students to answer over 50 math questions and reward them with exciting in-game rewards.

• Teaching Activities

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Active games, team-building games.

What do all kids around the world have in common? They love to play.

Classroom games are a great way to harness the power of play and use it to enhance your students’ learning experience. Not only are games fun and engaging, they can also:

• Help students focus better 
• Present educational material in a new and interactive way
• Give the whole class an opportunity to get to know each other better

Keep reading for 21 fun games to play in class , then build them into your lesson plans for more learning!

When it comes to new math concepts, students usually need lots of practice to master them. Use these math games for kids to make math practice engaging and effective – all while building their problem-solving skills!

1. Prodigy Math

Best for: 1st to 8th grade

Be your students’ math classroom hero with Prodigy Math, an online role-playing game (RPG) that turns math into an adventure. 

As students explore the Prodigy world, complete quests and earn rewards, their success depends on answering curriculum-aligned math questions . Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm meets students where they are and tailors questions to their learning needs. 

Plus, you can align Prodigy to your classroom lessons ! You’ll get tools to help you:

• Differentiate content for every student
• Engage your learners with a new and fun way to practice math
• Gather insights to inform the teaching strategies you use every day

Sign up for your free teacher account today and start making math class fun.

2. Math baseball

Best for: 3rd to 8th grade

Divide your class into two teams to play math baseball — another activity that gives you full control over the questions students answer. Here’s how:

• One team will stand at the front of the room and start at bat , scoring runs by choosing questions worth one, two or three bases.
• “Pitch” the questions using flash cards, which range in difficulty depending on how many bases they’re worth.
• If the at-bat team answers incorrectly, the defending team can respond correctly to earn an out. 
• After three outs, switch sides. 
• Play until one team hits 10 runs.

3. 101 and Out

Best for: 2nd to 6th grade

101 and Out is a fun and effective way to end math class! The goal is to score as close to 101 points as possible without going over.

Divide your class in half and give each group a die, piece of paper and a pencil.

Groups take turns rolling the die, using their best strategic thinking skills to either count the number at face value or multiply it by 10. For example, if the first person rolls a six, they can keep that number or turn it into 60.

This game gets competitive quickly, and boosts excitement levels in your math class!

4. Get the Math

Best for: 6th grade and up

Make math come to life with Get the Math , a site that prompts your students to solve challenges related to math in different careers and real-world situations. 

The website contains videos with young professionals in fields like fashion design or video game development, explaining how they use math every day. You can assign challenges to your class after watching, some of which involve playing fun games. 

For example, one of the activities challenges students to use different materials and measurements to design a shirt for less than $35. 

5. Fraction War

Always a classic, the card game War can help students practice basic math skills in a more engaging way than traditional worksheets. 

This version teaches students the basics of fractions. Each student is dealt two cards, one numerator and one denominator. Once they calculate which fraction is larger, the person with the larger fraction wins and gets all four cards! Keep playing until all the cards are gone. 

Not teaching fractions? No problem! Use War to give students practice multiplying or dividing with two cards, or challenge students to practice place value and build a number bigger than their opponents’.

Make english class F-U-N with these games that boost reading and writing skills. Use them to practice the week’s vocabulary words or give ESL students more practice.

Can your students solve the puzzle before the hangman is complete? Use this classic game to introduce new sight words to the class or review vocabulary. 

Divide students into small groups with pads of paper, or stand up at the front and play as a class. Think of a word and put down one blank space for each letter. Have students guess letters, and write them in the blank spaces if they’re correct. If they’re incorrect, add another part to your stick figure.

You can also replace the hangman with a snowman for more festive (and kid-friendly) fun.

The game ends when students have either guessed the correct word or the hangman is complete!

You can even let your students take the lead in the game by asking one of them to choose the word, while the rest of the class attempts to solve their puzzle.

2. Bananagrams

Best for: 3rd grade and up

A portable take on Scrabble, Bananagrams is a fun way for kids to practice their word-building skills. 

Using a set of tiles with letters on them, students have to create interconnected words and use up all their tiles. The group that finishes first with correctly spelled words is the winner! 

Challenge students to play one on one or in groups to practice teamwork and cooperation. 

You can purchase official Bananagrams tiles online, but you can also find printables to make your own or use Scrabble tiles. 

3. Pictionary

Another classic game, Pictionary, helps students attach meaning to words that might be unfamiliar to them. Plus, they’ll get to flex their art skills!

Divide students into two teams or groups, then give each student a pad of paper or a whiteboard with a marker. Have one student stand at the front of the room and draw a word you show them. While they draw, the team has to guess the word. If they guess correctly, their team gets a point!

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. 

5. Beach ball analysis

Best for: 4th to 8th grade

Keep students engaged and active during reading comprehension lessons with a summer-inspired activity. 

Get a beach ball with colorful stripes and write a question on each section about the story’s:

As students catch the ball, they have to answer the question their fingers land on. Once they’re done, they can throw it to the next student!

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!

Do your students have ants in their pants and fingers that won’t stop fidgeting? These active games are great for getting out extra energy, taking brain breaks or even indoor recess activities . 

1. Scavenger hunt

Best for: All ages

Send intrepid explorers on a mission to find hidden treasures! For an interactive learning experience, create a scavenger hunt that challenges students to find or collect:

• Items or facts during a class field trip
• Objects with different shapes around their house
• Different leaves and animals in their neighborhood
• Things hidden around the classroom linked to a vocabulary or language lesson

Whether it’s educational or just for fun, scavenger hunts are a fun way for the whole class to engage with the world around them. 

2. Freeze dance

Best for: Kindergarten to 3rd grade

Sometimes you just need to dance it out. For a quick brain break, put on some fun music and encourage your students to stand up and dance away — the sillier the better. 

When the music pauses, they have to freeze in place. Any student who unfreezes before the music starts again is out!

3. GoNoodle

Best for: Kindergarten to 5th grade

GoNoodle is a tried-and-true favorite of many teachers. Colorful videos and engaging activities promote social emotional skills , active living and academic success! 

Whether you need activities for indoor recess or just fun ways for students to get moving more, GoNoodle worked with child development experts to create content that’s engaging and appropriate for young eyes and ears. Students can also complete activities at home to stay mindful and focused, even when they’re not at school.

Teachers can sign up for a free account, or upgrade to a GoNoodle Plus account starting at $10 USD/month.   

Not only does yoga help students stretch out the wiggles in their body, it can also help cultivate mindfulness!

Lead your class through some easy stretches as a fun mid-day break or to get them energized first thing in the morning. Whether it’s downward dog or just stretching towards the sky, they’ll benefit physically and emotionally.

5. Minute to Win It

Best for: 4th grade and up

Based on the game show, Minute to Win It games challenge the whole class to complete simple (or not-so-simple) tasks in under a minute. These interactive games help promote a little healthy competition in your classroom and provide hours of fun. 

Some challenges include:

• Speed stacking paper cups
• Rolling a coin between the tongs of a fork
• Building a tower out of spaghetti and string
• Getting an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands

Set up a couple different stations and divide the class into small groups. Rotate groups through each activity so the whole class gets a chance to participate.

Want to inspire some classroom unity and get students to work as a team? These games encourage students to put their heads together and solve problems.

1. Icebreaker games

Best for: 5th grade and up

If you have a new class or a group of students who need to get to know each other, icebreaker activities can help:

• Boost morale and motivation
• Get students working together
• Build a rapport between students

Short and easy, icebreaker games are a fun way for students to introduce themselves. Ideas include:

• Get students to line up by height, birthday, shirt color or any other characteristic
• Play bingo, where each square represents a characteristic and students have to interact and learn more about each other to fill out squares
• Start off the class with a short sentence. The next person has to add to the story without repeating information or getting stuck, so see how long you can keep it going!

2. Jeopardy!

Turn your classroom into the set of a gameshow and bring out your best host impression! Divide the class into two teams and challenge each to answer questions and earn points. 

Whether you’re reviewing concepts from class or just testing their trivia knowledge, Jeopardy! encourages teams to work together to answer questions. Plus, there are lots of free templates to help you build your game quickly.

3. Human knot

This is a simple game, but great for teaching students the importance of communication and working together. 

Have students stand in a close circle with their arms out in front of them. Each student must randomly grab someone else’s hand (but never the same person twice). The goal is to organize themselves into a perfect circle without letting go. For an extra challenge, time your students to see how long it takes them to untangle their knot!

4. Hula hoop chain

This game also promotes coordination and teamwork! Students stand in a circle and join hands with the person next to them. 

Before the circle is closed, place a hula hoop around one student’s arm. The objective of the game is to communicate with team members and pass the hula hoop around the circle without letting go. 

Have students close their eyes or blindfold them for more difficulty, or divide the class into two teams and race. 

5. Hands-free cup stacking

For this activity, you’ll need:

• 6 paper cups
• A rubber band
• 6 equal pieces of string

Tie the strings around the rubber band and divide your class up into small groups of six (or whichever number words best). Each student holds one string and has to help their team stack the cups into a pyramid by using the rubber bands to grab the cups. 

Remember — no hands allowed, so students will have to communicate and work together to complete the task.

Classroom games enhance teacher and student experiences

Every classroom is different, so keep trying new classroom activities and customize them to what your students need. 

Whether you want to engage your students during a lesson, occupy them during an indoor recess or build teamwork skills, classroom games can help you keep activities educational and fun. That sounds like a win-win to us!

Prodigy Math and Prodigy English help teachers engage students through the power of digital game-based learning . Success in Prodigy requires students to correctly answer curriculum-aligned questions adapted to their learning needs, and gives teachers more ways to make math class fun! Sign up for your free teacher account today to get started. 

Best Sites & Apps for K-12 Education Games

Game-based learning is a great way to integrate technology into the classroom while engaging kids with real learning.

FREE ACCOUNT OPTION

Game-based learning turns potentially tedious study time into an adventurous knowledge quest, complete with catchy soundtracks and digital rewards. It helps keep kids engaged with the subject matter and motivated to pursue greater expertise. Best of all, web- or app-based gameplay integrates easily into both online and in-person classes.

We’ve curated the best K-12 educational game sites and apps, arranged according to cost. Many are free (or offer free basic accounts), while some provide progress tracking and analysis tools for teachers. All are remarkably creative and will help kids enjoy learning. 

50 Sites & Apps for Educational Games

Ducksters This easy-to-navigate site affords a wide range of educational digital games for students or anyone who enjoys gameplay and learning. Included are math, word, geography, puzzle games as well as classic games such as chess, checkers, backgammon, mahjong and more. But it’s not just fun and games at Duckster. An extensive collection of illustrated lessons in history, biography, geography and science are accompanied by quizzes and links to the relevant games. No account required to play or learn.

Wordle Wordle’s simplicity belies its intriguing intellectual challenge. This new, highly popular word game tests memory, vocabulary, and spelling in a puzzle format that allows for rapid gameplay and feedback. Teachers and students can play this free game on the New York times website , no account needed. 

Khan Academy Kids An award-winning, free iOs or Android app, Khan Academy Kids offers a comprehensive collection of educational math, literacy, and music games and activities for kids aged 2-8 years. Top-rated by users, this free app includes no ads—and no subscription is needed. 

Vocabulary Spelling City Three dozen free games cover topics including vocabulary, spelling, phonics, and language arts. Each game includes several variations, so the total number of games to play exceeds 100. Just start playing- no account needed. Looking for premium content? Head over to the new site for premium games at VocabularyA-Z.com

Math Playground Explore this extensive selection of math, logic, skills, and word games for kids in grades K-6. Created by educator Coleen King, Math Playground is kidSAFE/COPPA Certified and includes only COPPA-certified children's ads. Shareable in Google Classroom. 

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Puzzle Playground From the publisher of Math Playground, Puzzle Playground is a free game-based learning site that uses puzzles of every kind to engage kids’ imaginations. Don’t think “jigsaw” because these amazingly creative puzzles go far beyond shape-fitting. Instead, these varied digital puzzles will keep kids of any age busy challenging their problem-solving, trial and error, spatial reasoning, and perseverance skills. Super fun too. 

Best Free Virtual Escape Rooms for Schools These top free virtual escape rooms combine the best elements of gameplay -- suspense, skill, knowledge, and speed. Arranged according to age suitability. 

Moose Math - Duck Duck Moose iOs Android A multi-level math game that allows kids ages 3-7 to earn rewards and decorate cities by solving math problems disguised as adventures. Common Core-aligned for kindergarten and first grade. 

Wordscapes iOs Android Wordscape combines  features of crossword puzzles, word connect and word anagram games, all accompanied by scenery designed to relax and focus the mind. 

ChatterPix Kids iOS Android Kids aged 5-12 can easily make images come to life with their own voices. Great for all types of creative expression, from funny cards to school assignments. 

Mind Games Don’t worry, this site doesn’t advocate gaslighting or psychological manipulation. Rather it’s a collection of free online number, word and logic games, brain teasers, sudoku, crosswords, and more. Free with (blockable) ads. For a premium ad free gaming, visit adfreegames.com , where users pay only $10 for a full year of access. 

PurposeGames With tools for teachers, games on every school subject, badges, groups, and tournaments, PurposeGames offers a lot of free educational play. Create your own games and quizzes, too! Need a break from geography? Try the entertainment and television games, which allow users to show off their knowledge of Family Guy, The Simpsons, child actors and other light fare.

ABC kids Easy as ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), these super simple digital games are for young learners aged 2-5 years. Games include memory match, Alphabet Hunt, Fire fight, jigsaw puzzles, and more. Want more early education resources? Check out the ABC Kids Early Education curricula and ideas. 

Solving the Rubik's Cube! From educator Ryan Chadwick comes this top-notch digital tutorial for one of the most challenging hands-on puzzles ever. Includes images and advice to boost your speed solving Rubik’s cube. Free, no account required.

Annenberg Classroom That's Your Right Kids play alone or in multiplayer mode to learn and practice their Bill of Rights expertise. With high-quality graphics and music and three levels of difficulty, this free game is an excellent way to support civics education for middle and high school students. Additional resources include a Constitution guide, review of Supreme Court cases, and lesson plans. 

Cells Alive! Puzzles and Games Free digital memory match, jigsaw, and word puzzles help students reinforce classroom biology lessons. The interactive cell models are also a great way to learn about the parts and functions of plant and animal cells.

Funbrain Browse K-8 educational games by grade level, popularity, and topics such as math, grammar, and vocabulary. New games include chess, sudoku, and What on Earth?! (geography). Free, no registration required. 

Geoguessr A unique and visually captivating geography brainteaser that encourages children to decipher locations using hints from Google Street View and Mapillary visuals. Ideal for fostering cognitive abilities and logical reasoning, while providing an entertaining and immersive experience. 

GoNoodle Games iOs Android Unlike most digital activities, GoNoodle is designed to get kids moving rather than keep them glued to the screen. The latest free GoNoodle games for iOs and Android feature kids’ favorite characters, moves, and music. 

iCivics A rich resource for social studies education, the nonprofit iCivics was founded by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to educate Americans about our democracy. The site includes an educational portal for learning about civics and standards-based games and curricula. 

Little Alchemy 2 Air. Earth. Fire. Water. Simply creative. Simply brilliant. iOs and Android too. For makers and imaginers of any age. 

Sheppard Software Hundreds of free games for preK to post-secondary students, grouped by grade level and including subjects such as animals, geography, chemistry, vocabulary, grammar, math, and STEM. Choose relaxed mode for fun, timed mode for practice tests.

Math and Sorcery A super entertaining iOS app for learning basic math skills in an 8-bit style role-playing game. Students are challenged to find the stolen book of math and sorcery. A great way to improve mental math speed. 

Math Attax This free mobile ( iOS / Google Play ) math game helps students with basic math skills. An Asteroids-style shoot-em-up, it’s fast and fun.  

National Geographic Kids Free quizzes and games in topics ranging from animals and bugs to solving ciphers. 

ABCya More than 300 lively educational games and mobile apps for preK-6 students. Games can be searched by Common Core State Standards, as well as Next Generation Science Standards. Fully free for desktop use, premium plan for mobile devices.

PBS Kids Games Dozens of free games, from math to social-emotional learning, will delight younger learners. No account required on this user-friendly website. English and Spanish. New games include Nature sights and Sounds, Puppy Pet Care, Road Repair, and many more.  

Play4A A deceptively simple interface allows users to play surprisingly challenging games for free. In addition, teachers create gamified quizzes, then share the code with their students. A jaunty musical soundtrack adds to the enjoyment.  

Play to Prevent Games With a focus on sensitive topics such as opioid misuse, HIV/AIDS, vaping, and unintended pregnancy, these games tackle tough social issues while supporting kids’ mental health and development. Free with request for access. 

RoomRecess Find 140+ free learning games in a wide variety of subjects, including math, language arts, typing and keyboard skills, digital puzzles, and more. Games are grouped by grades as well as topics. Highly popular with teachers and students alike.  

Tate Kids Explore art-based games and quizzes on this super appealing, highly visual site from Great Britain’s Tate Museum. Activities focus on learning and discovery rather than test scores. An exceptional way to get kids thinking about and making art. Free.  

HoloLAB Champions (Educators Edition) Players in this remarkable virtual chemistry lab will measure, weigh, pour, and heat in a series of competitive lab skills games. No safety goggles required—but don’t forget your virtual pair! Free for educators. HoloLAB Champions is available in English on Steam for the Oculus Rift and VIVE VR platforms. Free to educators.

Braineos A simple, easy-to-use site with digital flash card-based games in a wide variety of subjects and topics, including English, math, sciences, and languages. No login required to play, but a free registration is needed to save your scores. 

NASA Space Place NASA invites users to investigate Earth and outer space via games that ask big questions such as, “How does NASA talk to its faraway spacecraft?” and “How does the sun make energy?” Free and fascinating.  

Education Galaxy This imaginative K-6 online platform uses game-based learning to boost kids’ academic success. The two main programs are online assessment prep and adaptive intervention for struggling learners and at-risk students. Free basic teacher’s account allows one teacher and 30 students/all subjects or 150 students/1 subject.

Arcademics An award-winning, innovative site for K-8 game-based learning in math, language arts, geography, and other subjects, Arcademics includes an educational portal that allows teachers to monitor student progress, generate detailed reports, and assess student learning. Free basic account provides most features and is ad-supported. Free 30-day trial. No credit card required.

Oodlu An online education gaming platform, Oodlu is perfect for learners of any age with some reading ability. Teachers create their own games using the built-in question bank, and analytics provide progress reports for each student. Free standard account.

Blooket A wonderful gamified learning/quiz platform with a user-friendly interface, Blooket offers nine different game modes and runs on student devices as well as desktop computers. Free basic account allows for unlimited sets & edits, unique game modes, and question set search for up to 60 players. 

Turtle Diary Online Games An extensive collection of games, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and other digital tools for preK-5 students, searchable by topic, grade, and Common Core standard. Free and premium accounts.

Gimkit Created by a high school student, Gimkit bills itself as a game show for the classroom. Kids can earn in-game cash with correct answers and invest the money in upgrades and power-ups. Reports for educators are generated after every game played. A second program, Gimkit Ink, allows students to publish and share their schoolwork. $4.99/month, or group pricing for schools. A 30-day free trial of Gimkit Pro can be converted to a free basic account. 

Kahoot One of the most popular sites for gamifying the classroom. Teachers create games and quizzes and students answer them on their mobile devices. You’ll find a plan for every budget: free basic, pro, and premium. 

Knoword A fine, fast-paced vocabulary game. Educators can create their own word packs and track student progress. Free basic accounts allow play of all public word packs, sharing, and exporting, while the moderately priced Pro and Team accounts allow unlimited word pack creation and assignments. 

Legends of Learning A fine collection of standards-aligned science and math games for K-8 students. Free teacher accounts, with premium features for school and district-level accounts. Bonus: Learn about the games before signing up here . Be sure to check out their free upcoming game-based STEM competitions . 

Prodigy An award-winning, standards-aligned online math game designed for grades 1-8, Prodigy is modeled on popular fantasy-style multiplayer games. Students select and customize an avatar, and then prepare to battle math problems. Free basic account includes core gameplay and basic pet features.  

Buzzmath Buzzmath provides more than 14,000 interactive math questions, as well as manipulable objects, audio text reading, math glossary, brain teasers, badges, and digital rewards. Teachers can personalize learning for each student with this standards-aligned supplementary math resource. 

Prodigy English From the makers of the popular Prodigy Math, Prodigy English is a gamified English language learning program that features all the fun bells and whistles of gaming, from creating worlds to boosting energy with correct answers. A suite of teachers’ tools includes assessments and reports. Aligned to Common Core reading and language standards for grades 1 to 6.

Sumdog Sumdog’s standards-based math and spelling practice platform aims to boost student learning and confidence with adaptive personalized gameplay. A hit with kids and research-validated to boot. Free 30 day trial.

MinecraftEdu A block-based graphics game, designed for education, that allows students to build and explore virtual worlds. Built-in educator controls support a safe and education-directed experience. The abundant classroom resources include lesson plans, training for educators, challenge building, and more. 

Skoolbo A 2016 SIIA CODiE winner for Best Game-Based Curriculum, Skoolbo offers educational games for reading, writing, numeracy, languages, science, art, music, and logic. Digital books and step-by-step animated lessons support young learners as well. Various plans for classes and schools, with the first month free.  

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Top 10 websites for online games in the classroom.

U sing Games in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom has always been a favorite tool from my teaching toolbox. However, I was always a teacher that wanted rigor in my classroom, so finding appropriate online games was always a challenge.  To help those of you still looking for the perfect sites, here are my Top 10 Websites for Online Games in the Social Studies Classroom .

Top 10 Websites for Online Games in the Social Studies Classroom

• Teaching Geography (even in the History classroom) requires practice.  There is no better online source for basic Geography review than Sheppard Software .  From studies capitals to countries to landmarks and more, this site has everything you need for fun content practice!
• Middle School U.S. History can often be boring and mundane.  Spruce up reading about America’s beginnings with the PBS Learning Mission US Video & Game Series .  Students play to learn about the start of the nation and its significant players.
• If you want to learn even more about Early America and the creation of the American Government, take a walk with Ben Franklin through time with Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government . This fun-filled adventure uses primary sources and age-appropriate explanation of key features of our national government.
• For older students, or those who like to debate , The Replica Times is a Games for Change product where fact-based debate is played out in 15 minute sessions.  Address current issues or events of the past with this student-centered activity. Don’t let the basic (aged) image of the site scare you off; the game itself will keep students playing.
• If you are teaching a civics course, iCivics has so many great resources at your fingertips. Among their best is Argument Wars , a game where students play out arguments based on Supreme Court cases. Play to learn as you play to argue!
• Also found at iCivics, Executive Command is a simulation game where students play the role of the president to make decisions for the nation.  While this game is not as rigorous as it could be, the premise does help students evaluate the role of the executive office.
• Weebly often provides great lists, and this offering of Interactive Sites for Social Studies courses is no exception.  Link through your content area for great activities from deciphering hieroglyphics to creating a Melting Pot of American immigrants.
• National Geographic is another go-to place for content-strong review games .  From studying the Greek Gods to the Features of the World, National Geographic has fun activities for individual students or small groups.
• While Learning Games for Kids was created for the primary grades, there are a number of fun activities for simple review or for students with academic challenges. Immerse your students in jigsaw puzzles or have them play word games, but all the while they will be learning the desired Social Studies concepts.
• Limiting this list to just 10 websites for fun, engaging games for Social Studies is a great challenge.  This leads me to cheat on this #10 spot.  Both Game On Learning and the Utah Education Network offered great listings of games for upper grades students.  Take your pick and you won’t be disappointed!

Benefits of Online Games in the Classroom A s mentioned above, I am a long-time advocate of a rigorous, content-based classroom .  Still, there is room in that curriculum equation for appropriate games and play.  Creating the ideal Interactive Classroom require a great mix of teaching methods and instructional platforms.  Don’t feel like you need to always do the one thing that works; instead mix it up to find the greatest benefit for all students in your secondary classroom.

Want more? B e sure to read through all of my other posts on game play in the interactive classroom.  Creating a classroom culture where play is still acceptable and even encouraged creates a climate where students want to learn.

A nd if you are looking for ready to go games and fun activities for your Social Studies classroom that are printable, visit my TpT Store Games Section .  Look through content-based games or my very popular Human Game Boards for any review!

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Starfall was founded by Dr. Stephen Schutz, who had difficulty learning to read as a child due to dyslexia. He was motivated to create a learning platform with untimed, multisensory interactive games that allow children to see, hear, and touch as they learn. read more...

Starfall was developed in the classroom by teachers and opened in August 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read. Since then it has expanded to include standards in language arts and mathematics for preschool through fifth grade and above. The program emphasizes exploration, play, and positive reinforcement—encouraging children to become confident and intrinsically motivated. Due to the engaging content that “feels like play,” Starfall serves as an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children. read more...

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Discover Engaging Google Classroom Games: Boost Learning Fun!

Are you looking for ways to make learning more fun and engaging for your students on Google Classroom? Look no further! In this article, we will explore the exciting world of Google Classroom games and …

Written by: Umair Ali

Published on: November 3, 2023

Are you looking for ways to make learning more fun and engaging for your students on Google Classroom? Look no further! In this article, we will explore the exciting world of Google Classroom games and how they can boost learning in your virtual classroom. Whether you’re a teacher or a student, incorporating games into your activities can make the learning experience more enjoyable and interactive.

With the increasing popularity of online learning platforms like Google Classroom, it’s important to find innovative ways to keep students engaged. That’s where Google Classroom games come in. These games not only entertain students but also help reinforce important concepts and skills. From interactive quizzes to virtual scavenger hunts, there are endless possibilities for incorporating games into your Google Classroom activities.

So, if you’re looking for suggestions and instructions on how to incorporate games into your Google Classroom, you’ve come to the right place. In the following paragraphs, we will provide you with a variety of fun and engaging Google Classroom games that will surely boost learning and make your virtual classroom experience more enjoyable. Get ready to take your online learning to the next level with these exciting games!

Unlock Learning Fun: 5 Keys to Engaging Google Classroom Games

Unlock the potential of learning through fun and engaging Google Classroom games.

1. Create a Game-Based Learning Environment

Transform your classroom into an exciting game-based learning environment that captivates students’ attention and enhances their learning experience.

2. Incorporate Interactive Elements

Integrate interactive elements such as quizzes, puzzles , and challenges into your Google Classroom games to promote active participation and critical thinking skills.

3. Foster Collaboration and Competition

Encourage collaboration and healthy competition among students by incorporating multiplayer games and team-based activities in your Google Classroom.

4. Provide Immediate Feedback

Offer immediate feedback and rewards to students as they progress through the game, motivating them to continue learning and improving their skills.

5. Personalize Learning Experiences

Tailor the game-based activities to meet the individual needs and interests of your students, allowing them to take ownership of their learning journey.

Embark on a journey of unlocking learning fun with these five keys to engaging Google Classroom games.

Boost Student Engagement: 10 Simple Methods for Google Classroom Games

Boosting student engagement is crucial for creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment. In this article, we will explore 10 simple methods to enhance student engagement through Google Classroom games.

1. Interactive Quizzes: Making Learning Fun

Engage students with interactive quizzes that test their knowledge and provide immediate feedback.

2. Collaborative Challenges: Fostering Teamwork

Encourage collaboration by incorporating group challenges that require students to work together to solve problems.

3. Gamified Assessments: Turning Tests into Games

Transform traditional assessments into exciting games that motivate students to demonstrate their understanding.

4. Virtual Field Trips: Bringing Learning to Life

Take students on virtual field trips to explore new places and cultures, making learning a captivating adventure.

5. Personalized Learning Paths: Catering to Individual Needs

Tailor learning experiences to each student’s needs by providing personalized learning paths that adapt to their progress.

By implementing these 10 simple methods, educators can create a stimulating and engaging learning environment that promotes active participation and deepens students’ understanding.

Level Up Learning: 5 Steps to Incorporating Games in Google Classroom

Step 1: set the stage for engagement.

Engage your students from the start by creating a captivating introduction to the game. Use interactive visuals, intriguing storylines, or real-life scenarios to grab their attention and spark their curiosity.

Step 2: Design Meaningful Challenges

Craft game challenges that align with your learning objectives and provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills. Ensure that the challenges are relevant, meaningful, and progressively more difficult to keep students motivated and engaged.

Step 3: Foster Collaboration and Competition

Encourage collaboration by incorporating team-based activities or multiplayer games that require students to work together towards a common goal. Additionally, introduce healthy competition by incorporating leaderboards or rewards for top performers, motivating students to strive for excellence.

Step 4: Provide Timely Feedback

Offer immediate feedback to students as they progress through the game. This feedback can be in the form of scores, badges, or personalized comments, helping students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

Step 5: Reflect and Reinforce Learning

After the game, facilitate a reflective discussion where students can share their experiences, insights, and lessons learned. Use this opportunity to reinforce key concepts and connect the game to real-world applications, deepening their understanding of the subject matter.

Maximize Learning Potential: 10 Simple Methods for Google Classroom Games

Engage students with interactive learning.

Incorporating games into Google Classroom can greatly enhance student engagement and participation. By creating interactive learning experiences, students are more likely to be actively involved in the material and retain information more effectively.

Utilize Gamification Techniques

One effective method for maximizing learning potential is to utilize gamification techniques in Google Classroom games. This involves incorporating elements such as points, levels, and rewards to create a sense of competition and motivation among students. By making learning fun and competitive, students are more likely to be motivated to actively participate and strive for success.

By implementing these 10 simple methods, educators can unlock the full potential of Google Classroom games and create an engaging and interactive learning environment for their students. From incorporating gamification techniques to utilizing interactive learning tools, these strategies will help maximize student engagement and enhance the overall learning experience. So, level up your teaching game and start gamifying education in your Google Classroom today!

Game On! 5 Keys to Engaging Google Classroom Activities

Key 1: interactive content.

Engaging Google Classroom activities require interactive content that captivates students’ attention. Incorporate multimedia elements such as videos, images, and interactive quizzes to make learning more exciting.

Key 2: Collaborative Challenges

Promote teamwork and collaboration by incorporating group challenges into Google Classroom activities. Encourage students to work together to solve problems and complete tasks, fostering a sense of camaraderie and enhancing engagement.

Key 3: Personalized Learning

Tailor Google Classroom activities to meet the individual needs and interests of students. Provide options for different learning styles and allow students to choose topics or projects that resonate with them, increasing motivation and engagement.

Key 4: Gamification Elements

Incorporate gamification elements such as leaderboards, badges, and rewards into Google Classroom activities. These elements create a sense of competition and achievement, motivating students to actively participate and excel.

Key 5: Real-World Connections

Make Google Classroom activities relevant to the real world by connecting them to current events, practical applications, or real-life scenarios. This helps students see the value and applicability of what they are learning, increasing their engagement and enthusiasm.

Enhance Learning Experience: 10 Simple Methods for Google Classroom Games

Google Classroom games can be a great way to engage students and enhance their learning experience. Here are 10 simple methods for incorporating games into Google Classroom:

1. Create a Quiz

Creating a quiz is a great way to get students engaged and test their knowledge. Quizzes can be created using Google Forms and can be easily shared with students in the classroom.

2. Use Interactive Games

Interactive games can be used to help students learn and practice new concepts. These games can be found online or created using Google Slides.

3. Incorporate Virtual Reality

Virtual reality can be used to create immersive learning experiences for students. Google Expeditions is a great tool for creating virtual reality experiences in the classroom.

4. Utilize Video Games

Video games can be used to help students learn and practice new concepts. Games like Minecraft and Roblox can be used to teach students about coding and problem-solving.

5. Incorporate Augmented Reality

Augmented reality can be used to create interactive learning experiences for students. Google Expeditions is a great tool for creating augmented reality experiences in the classroom.

6. Create a Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts can be used to engage students and help them learn new concepts. These hunts can be created using Google Forms and can be easily shared with students in the classroom.

7. Use Online Games

Online games can be used to help students learn and practice new concepts. These games can be found online or created using Google Slides.

8. Incorporate Simulations

Simulations can be used to create immersive learning experiences for students. Google Expeditions is a great tool for creating simulations in the classroom.

9. Utilize Board Games

Board games can be used to help students learn and practice new concepts. Games like Monopoly and Scrabble can be used to teach students about strategy and problem-solving

Gamify Education: 5 Steps to Incorporating Games in Google Classroom

Gamifying education can revolutionize the way students learn in Google Classroom. By incorporating games, teachers can create a more engaging and interactive learning experience. Here are five steps to get started:

First, choose the right games that align with your learning objectives. Look for games that are educational, challenging, and fun. Next, integrate the games seamlessly into your lesson plans. Make sure they are relevant and enhance the content being taught.

Then, set clear goals and objectives for the games. This will help students understand what they need to achieve and stay motivated. Additionally, provide feedback and rewards to keep students engaged and excited about their progress.

Finally, track and assess student performance in the games. Use this data to identify areas of improvement and tailor your teaching accordingly. By gamifying education, you can create a dynamic and effective learning environment in Google Classroom.

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10 Teacher-Approved Online Review Games

Online review games for the classroom are wonderful modern education tools. They provide an engaging way for students of all ages to study essential lesson material while remaining active participants, often in a positive group setting. Additionally, digital games are familiar to students and teachers alike and can be easily introduced into classroom pedagogy. In today’s tech-driven environment, 99% of boys, 94% of girls, and 62% of teachers play video games. 1

This guide to 10 teacher-approved review games will help you learn more about the different classroom review games available and select which of these gaming programs will best fit your curriculum, your budget, and your students’ educational needs.

If there is one review game platform on this list you’ve heard about before, it’s Kahoot!. Kahoot! is popular and boasts millions of users and more than 100 million ready-to-play games, according to its website 2 . Kahoot! launched in 2012 and is designed for social learning. 3 Kahoot allows you to create multiple-choice games, polls, and quizzes quickly for an exciting gaming classroom experience. Teachers can host live review games during class time, or display their “kahoots” on a shared screen to remote students participating from home. Students can play in classic mode, or team mode with shared devices. Kahoot! requires registration with a login. Once you’ve gained access there’s a basic, free version and a premium version to choose from.

Teacher Tip: Check out Kahoot!’s “curriculum aligned collections” to find games created by teachers.

For those interested in a free classroom review game that's made by students, for students, Gimkit is the answer! Gimkit’s Kahoot!-style gameplay is supercharged by delivering virtual dollars to players for correct answers. As an added bonus, players can get more money per correct answer as they level up. Gimkit “streak bonuses” deliver even more money for sequences of correct answers meaning student players are rewarded for their overall efforts. Gimkit’s increasing virtual rewards, based on question level and willingness to take risks, encourages strategic play among students and teams. Other features include “insurance,” “multiplier,” and “money per question.” 4 It’s easy to get started with Gimkit. Just create a new “kit,” add an appropriate title, add your choice of cover image, create your questions, and go live. Paid versions of Gimkit allow you to edit your questions after your quiz has been created. Once your Gimkit review game is underway, it’s up to students to build value for their teams. They will be encouraged to do so with Gimkit’s exciting, monetized gameplay features.

Teacher Tip: Turn off Gimkit’s clapping feature to minimize distractions at the end of games.

3. Flipgrid

Flipgrid is perfect for discussion-based style classroom reviews or reviews which require a bulletin board style program to facilitate learning. Acquired by Microsoft in 2018, 5 Flipgrid describes itself as a free video discussion platform that promotes social learning that’s both “fun” and “supportive.” 6

Educators start a Flipgrid by creating topic grids, setting sharing and access guidelines, and lastly, opening up grids for student participation. Students can create short video responses to grids that last anywhere from a short 15 seconds to five minutes in length. This online review tool also provides an accessible forum for students who are less talkative in a traditional classroom setting. With Flipgrid, all students can share at their own pace. To turn your grids into a game, have students post responses to practice quiz questions. In summary, Flipgrid is an easy-to-use conversation starter for students who are middle school age or older, including high school and college students.

Teacher Tip: Press the “disco grid” button to get already-created assignments by other educators that you can customize to your classroom needs.

Launched in 2015, Quizizz bills itself as “the world’s most engaging learning platform,” 7 and is a great way for educators to create tech-based exams, pre-test reviews, unit tests, and impromptu tests for their online review activities. Educators can choose from Quizizz’s presenter-led or student-led setting options. Students have more autonomy with Quizizz and can work at their own speed on a variety of personal electronic devices. This online review program also allows teachers to see student performance data. As of late 2020, Quizizz has more than 65 million global users across 150 countries. 8

5. Flippity

Flippity enables educators to turn their very own Google Sheets spreadsheets into different online reviews games including flashcards, crosswords, trivia games, and board games. Flippity is free to use, though some additional features are ad-supported. Flippity works on most browsers but does require Javascript to function. Each student can have his or her own version of the Flippity review game and teachers can have student results emailed to them for quick classroom progress tracking. A web connection is needed for each page to load, but no special application is needed to get the program.

6. Quizlet Live

Quizlet helps students build their soft and hard skills while they use this collaborative classroom game to solve quiz questions. You’ll need at least six students to run the game and both the students and the classroom education will need an electronic device to participate. To get started, teachers should divide students into groups. With Quizlet, only one student’s device has the correct answer, per group. This ensures student teams must cooperate and communicate in order to find the correct answer and progress to the finish as a group. Teachers can track each team’s progress along the way. The more effectively teams work together, the faster they can win. Wrong answers put teams back to the start to collaborate together again. Students do benefit from Quizlet’s method of group learning and seven different study modes. According to Quizlet, 90% of students who use Quizlet report higher grades. 9

Teacher Tip: Quizlet Live can be accessed from a browser or the Quizlet downloadable app.

Padlet is recommended for Grades 2-12 and is a great way for your students to share their ideas and their work with the entire class. Padlet has a free basic version that provides three “padlets,” or bulletin boards, and comes with an ample amount of storage space for classroom use. If you need more padlets or storage space, select the paid pro version. Any type of file can be posted to Padlet and students can type in responses to a question as well as share work files from external applications. Classroom educators can customize Padlet backgrounds and content to keep material visually interesting and conducive to classroom learning. To get started with this online review game, create a new Padlet, decide on the layout, and give it a name and description. Further customize it as you like to your classroom needs. For classrooms that need more monitoring, select “require approval” for each student comment to review that material before it is posted for the group. Padlet’s approval option works best if you want more control over classroom content and if you have time to check Padlet regularly to prevent content approval backlogs. Lastly, have your students sign in to free Padlet accounts to launch their experience and you’re ready to go.

Teacher Tip: Turn on Padlet’s “attribution” feature to see what each student has shared. Turn on comments to get students engaging with one another. Keep “reactions” off to tamp down on student competition over who has the most “likes.”

8. Quizalize

Quizalize is your tool to help create and share your online review quizzes while conducting formative assessments. 10 Quizalize allows teachers to track individual student progress accurately and to see which students have mastered which skills. Tailor each quiz to your curriculum’s needs or utilize the application’s existing quizzes, designed by fellow educators, that are tied to common curriculums. Quizalize motivates students individually but also on the team level and can be played from a variety of devices (laptop, cellphone, tablet) that are internet-connected. To get started with Quizalize, select from their free, teacher-made quizzes or create your own review quizzes. You can add images to your quiz and correct answer explanations. Next, choose quiz length and then save. With Quizalize, you have the ability to add as many questions as you’d like and you can customize the quiz delivery options for students. Once all of your preferences are set for your classroom needs, your Quizalize quiz is ready to launch!

Teacher Tip: Select “mastery mode,” to have students receive individualized questions based on information they need to show improvement with.

9. Bamboozle

Need to boost your students' vocabulary skills? Bamboozle is a great online review game option for vocabulary building. It’s also free. Bamboozle is easy to launch, is great for all classroom levels, and has the ability to be replayed in the same classrooms as its games are randomized. To get started quickly, search for games in a category, preview the questions and pictures, pick the number of teams, and the number of questions. Next, set up scoring and additional game options and you're ready to launch. You can also set up your own Bamboozle games from scratch.

Teacher Tip: Once your game is ready to play, increase the fun levels in class by calling on your students individually, asking them to pick a numbered card and answer the question that appears. Click and show the correct answer after each individual student has participated to review answers and reinforce group learning.

10. Bookwidgets

No online classroom review games list would be complete without Bookwidgets. With more than 40 exercise templates to choose from, Bookwidgets empowers teachers and curriculum developers to evaluate, grade, and give valuable feedback to students. 11 Bookwidgets can interface with Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Schoology, and Moodle. Games you can create with Bookwidgets include flashcards, quizzes, bingo, crosswords, and math exercises. Customize your tests for a variety of devices including tablets, PCs, and Chromebooks. Create your very first widget and follow the series of prompts to get started. Though free for students, Bookwidget does have a cost for teachers. Pricing plans start at $49 for a year-long subscription for individual educators. Discounts apply for group purchases. For those who want to try Bookwidgets before committing to a full purchase, a 30-day trial version is available.

Teacher Tip: Share your newly created widget with students and other teachers via Bookwidgets’ customized, shareable links.

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• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from thetechedvocate.org/the-positive-connection-between-games-and-online-learning/
• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from kahoot.com/schools/how-it-works/
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• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from venturebeat.com/2018/06/18/microsoft-acquires-education-focused-video-platform-flipgrid/
• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from blog.flipgrid.com/gettingstarted
• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from quizizz.com/
• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quizizz
• Retrieved on July 6, 2021, from quizlet.com/features/live
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Top 30 Quick Games to Play in the Classroom

If you need a fast, low-prep game you can play with your whole class, you're in the right place! These 30+ quick games to play in the classroom are fast, easy, and so much fun!

30 Quick Games to Play in the Classroom

The best classroom games require little set-up or equipment and are a great way to test your students' knowledge or help them bond as a community. 

They're great for quick brain breaks when everyone needs to let off some steam!

1. This or That

This is one of the simplest games, but kids absolutely love it! Announce two categories or opinions. Students will go to one side or the other, depending on their preference. Such a good conversation starter!

2. Four Corners

Like This or That, you'll assign each of the four corners in your classroom an answer. After you read off the prompt or question, students must run to a corner to make a choice.

This could be the best season, favourite snacks, the best classes, etc. It's quick and the best way to get some energy out while learning!

3. Copy Cats

The whole class stands in a large circle. As one student waits out of sight, another student silently leads the class to move in a certain way (clapping, stomping, swaying, etc.). 

The student waiting out of sight returns to figure out who the leader is. As the leader changes the movement, the rest of the class must follow along discretely without giving them away.

This is a great, quiet game that really helps younger children become aware of body language and get the wiggles out! 

4. Connect Four

I love using this popular game to practice identifying CVC words, long vowels, and other literacy skills! Students can play alone or with a partner to see who can get four words in a row. 

Get this game here.

5. Simon Says

Kids still love this classic game, and it's quick! Whether you're stuck in a long line or need to kill 5 minutes, pull out this old stand-by.

6. Jeopardy

Although this one may take a little more prep on your part, you can easily create your own Jeopardy game and come back to it again and again! 

It's great for a quick review game before a big test or to rehearse classroom norms and expectations. 

You could play with the students against the teacher instead of dividing the students into teams, especially if you're still working on building positive student relationships.

7. My take on Uno

This classic card game is a great way to teach specific literacy skills, like identifying long vowel sounds and more! 

The goal is to have just one card remaining in your hand and you can't help but get into it!

Bingo is still such a fun classroom activity! You can play endless varieties of Bingo, and I love incorporating math skills whenever possible! 

Depending on the age of your students, you can go for four corners, blackout, and more variations.

You can use Bingo to help your kindergarten students practice their phonological awareness skills in this fun game !

This two-digit number bingo game is great for small groups, too.

9. Charades

Charades is always such a riot, especially in primary grades! Have a bowl of ideas to choose from to keep the game moving quickly. 

The first kid to get the correct answer gets to go next, and you can play just one round or stretch it out during indoor recess days!

10. Tic Tac Toe

All you need is a simple sheet of paper for this simple game! Play it with your whole class by pitting the students against the teacher. This builds camaraderie among your students as they all work together to reach a shared goal

Make this game educational by hunting for CVC or CVCC CCVC words !

11. Heads Up Seven Up

There's a good chance you grew up with this fun game! Seven students will try to secretly choose seven students, who will try to guess who selected them and take their place. 

Heads Up Seven Up is fast enough for a quick brain break but also makes a great game to play once your kids get all their brownie points!

12. Snakes & Ladders

I've adapted this game to practice key phonics skills like identifying digraphs and more! If students land on a square with a snake, they go back one square, and if they land on a ladder, they follow it up the game board. 

Once they reach the finish line, the game ends!

13. Hangman

If you ever have a random 5-10 minute and need something to fill the time, this is a good way to do it! The concept is a little dark, so feel free to adapt it into something else (maybe decorating a gingerbread man or building a teddy bear). 

I usually play this with the teacher as the one running the game to ensure the words are all appropriate and correctly spelled.

14. Duck Duck Goose

Younger students love Duck Duck Goose, and it's a fun way to get some energy out. 

All students sit in a circle, with one student walking around the group, tapping each person on the head and saying, "duck." They'll choose one person to call, "goose," who will get up and chase the picker around the circle, trying to return to their seat. 

The first person to return to the goose's spot stays seated, and the person standing becomes the picker.

This is the best game for the lower grades! The leader says, "I spy something..." and states a colour or texture. The rest of the class tries to guess what they're looking at. The person who gets it right first gets to be the leader.

I've also created printable versions of I Spy you can use to reinforce phonics skills, like this one that requires students to identify CVC, CVCC, and CCVC words! 

16. Higher or Lower

Have a little fun while building number sense! In this game, one student waits outside the classroom while the rest of the class solves a math problem. After you go over the problem to find the answer, you'll bring in the guesser, who will need to figure out which number was the answer.  

As the guesser comes back in to stand in the front of the class, tell them the class has chosen a number between 0 and 100 (adapt as needed), but the only way they can help them find the right answer is to say "higher" or "lower!" 

Once the student reaches the number, the class cheers, and the guesser picks their replacement.

If you're looking for more math games, look at these differentiated elementary math games for K-2!

17. Where the Wind Blows

This is a great option for building positive student relationships! 

The entire class stands in a large circle. The leader says, "The window blows for people who like _____." Any student who likes what they mentioned moves to a different point across the circle. 

Students will naturally erupt in conversation about what they like or don't like, and they'll quickly see which people have the same interests.

Make your own custom IKEA spinner to determine who gets to be the leader first -- or to play some other fun number or phonics warm up games!

18. Human Knot

There are several different ways to play this game , but you tie all your bodies into a big knot! 

This is one of the best team-building games since you must work together to get everyone untangled!

19. Musical Chairs

For this classic game, turn on some fun music and have students walk in a circle around a row of chairs that is one short. 

As the music stops, everyone scrambles to a chair. The last person left standing is out. Take out another chair each round until the group gets smaller and smaller. 

The last one in a chair wins!

20. Silent Ball

This is one of the best classroom games because it's quiet, and everyone likes to play! 

The goal is for students to toss the ball to each other silently. If they talk or drop the ball, they're out. 

20. Two Truths and Lie

This classic ice-breaker can be a fun way to fill a gap in your lesson plans! Invite a few students to share two truths and lie, and try to figure out which is which.

21. Telephone

As students sit in a circle, one person whispers a message to their neighbour, who then whispers it to the next neighbour, and so on, until it travels around the circle. 

At the end, the last student reveals the message they heard.

The message almost always becomes distorted as it travels around the room. To help teach your students to listen more closely to each other, challenge them to pass the message accurately the whole way around!

22. Scavenger Hunt

Hide things around the classroom or school and have students track them down! This is a great way to change up your math routine, too. 

Blow up the problems on your math assignment, print them out, and spread them around the room. Have your students work on their answers on a separate piece of paper. 

They'll love moving around and working with others, which is excellent for a late-afternoon math class.

23. Freeze Dance

You can play this game with or without music, but the goal is to get your students moving and dancing as much as possible until you shout freeze!

There are even YouTube videos that guide your class through this game.

24. Hot Potato

This is a simple game, but it works! As you play music, students toss a ball or toy around the circle like a hot potato. 

When the music stops, whoever has the bean bag is out!

This dice game is a little noisy but so much fun! It's also great for teaching pattern recognition and practicing multi-digit addition! Learn how to play Farkle here. 

You can order a set of 6 cups on Amazon and have six groups playing at once! It's a wonderful treat for Fun Friday or a special occasion!

This is one of the best classroom math games for kids! Basically, you'll ask your kids to count by one. If someone reaches a multiple of 7, they say "buzz!" 

If they don't say buzz or take too long, they're out, and the group keeps going. 

This is perfect for teaching multiples, and you can adapt the number to make it easier or harder.

Want to help your kids learn their math facts? These no-prep digital interactive math warm-up games will get your kids playing right away!

27. Pictionary

Although the actual game has rules and guidelines, keep it simple. Have one student draw a picture, then have the rest of the class guess what it is. 

I prefer to do this within a category like food or animals to make it easier. Whoever gets it right first becomes the new artist. 

This one is great on Zoom if you ever do remote learning!

28. Marco Polo

If it's a nice day outside, divide students into partners, and take your whole class outside. Ask each pair to come up with a unique two-word phrase. 

Once everyone has a phrase, send them all to opposite ends of the space. Have them close their eyes and carefully try to find each other, with one partner saying the first part of the phrase and the other person saying the second part. 

This is a great way to practice social skills and careful listening. Plus, it's active, creative, and just plain fun!

29. Bananagrams

Like Scrabble, kids use tiles to build words but don't need a gameboard! 

The goal is to use all of your tiles to create words, building off of other words as needed. 

You can play as a whole class or have students work with partners or small groups. Students will practice quick thinking and spelling words! 

30. Would You Rather

This is a great game to learn more about your students! Ask silly questions for fun, like "Would you rather lick a slug or eat a raw egg?" 

You can also use it to dip into deeper conversations and ask questions, like "Would you rather be five years younger or ten years older?" 

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32 Amazing Free Sites and Apps To Use With Google Classroom

Share, collaborate, communicate, and so much more.

Google Classroom is a handy and free way to keep your students on track and organize learning and lessons plans. Even better, there are lots of programs and apps designed to work with Google Classroom, making it easier to assign work, track progress, and communicate with students and parents online. Check out our favorite Google Classroom apps and programs. A few offer paid options too, but their free versions have plenty of fantastic included features worth exploring!

1. ASSISTments

ASSISTments is a free site that works with many existing math curriculum programs. Assign practice problems using Google Classroom apps, and students receive on-the-spot feedback. Plus, teachers get analytic reports to help them identify those students who are struggling and which problems are causing the most trouble. It makes homework more meaningful for students and teachers alike.

Try it: ASSISTments

2. BookWidgets

BookWidgets is a content creation tool. It allows teachers to create 40 different types of interactive activities and assessments and assign them to their Google Classes. What sets BookWidgets apart is that you can do all of that without ever having to visit another site. BookWidgets is a Google Chrome Extension that works right in your Google Classroom. Every feature (including an extensive image library) is already included. Plus check out these four ways to use BookWidgets in the classroom .

Try it: BookWidgets

3. Adobe Express for Google Classroom

Adobe Express is now available in Google Classroom, which makes it easier than ever to incorporate more opportunities for creative thinking and communication into your assignments. It’s an easy-to-use tool that allows students of all ages to create posters, infographics, slideshows, webpages, and videos. We love it because it saves teachers prep time with its library of thousands of templates organized by grade level and subject area.

IT admins from schools or districts that have the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and/or Education Plus editions of Google Workspace for Education can now install Adobe Express directly into Google Classroom from the Google Workspace Marketplace . This new feature allows teachers to create, customize, assign, view, and grade Adobe Express projects from their existing Google Classroom workflow.

Try it: Adobe Express for Google Classroom

You won’t believe the incredible amount of free resources available on CK-12. Every subject, every grade—it’s all covered in videos, exercises, lessons, and even complete textbooks. It’s a cinch to assign any of these items in Google Classroom using this app, and completion and grades are recorded in your online Gradebook.

Try it: CK-12

5. Classcraft

Motivate even the most reluctant learners when you gamify your lessons with Classcraft. Turn your Google Classroom assignments into learning quests, and provide rewards for academic and behavioral achievements. The free basic program gives you lots of fun options; upgrade for even more features.

Try it: Classcraft

6. ClassTag

Google Classroom apps make it incredibly easy for students and teachers to collaborate. They don’t really have any built-in tools to make parent communication easier, though. That’s where ClassTag comes in. This completely free app lets you send notes to one parent or a whole class. You can send home documents, schedule meetings, and more, all without giving parents your personal contact info. Oh, and did we mention you can earn real-life rewards like classroom supplies just for doing what you need to do anyway?

Try it: ClassTag

7. DOGOnews

The kid-friendly news articles on DOGOnews make it easy to assign reading for current events discussions. Each article is marked with reading/interest-level guidelines and offers lesson plan ideas for use with Common Core and National Curriculum Standards. It’s free to assign articles for reading; paid plans provide discussion questions and quizzes too .

Try it: DOGOnews

8. Dreamscape

Here’s another fun (and free!) learning game, focused specifically on reading skills for grades 2-8. Assign learning quests through Google Classroom, and kids will clamor to do their homework! In addition to all the learning, students get cool rewards that build their digital profile and world.

Try it: Dreamscape

9. Edpuzzle

Turn any video anywhere into an interactive lesson, or even upload your own. Add questions, audio, or notes, so students can watch and learn at their own pace. The tracking features allow you to monitor their progress and comprehension and integrate easily with Google Classroom. The robust free plan includes storage for up to 20 videos at a time.

Try it: Edpuzzle

10. Explain Everything

Explain Everything is a whiteboard app, and you can use it just as you would an  interactive whiteboard in the classroom . Even better, it allows you to record your interactions and share them via Google Classroom for students to view later. The free version has some limitations but provides plenty of cool features. Premium education plans are available .

Try it: Explain Everything

11. Flip (formerly Flipgrid)

With Flip, students record short videos to respond to topics you assign. This is an especially cool app for students who are hesitant to speak up in front of a group—it gives everyone a chance to be heard. It’s easy to share your grids and assignments with Google Classroom.

Try it: Flip

12. GeoGebra

The tools on GeoGebra may not look fancy, but they provide the functionality to bring math concepts alive for students. From basic arithmetic to high-level calculus, this site has hundreds of resources math teachers will love, including an online graphing calculator. It’s a snap to share lessons, exercises, quizzes, and more with students.

Try it: GeoGebra

13. Kahoot!

We’re willing to bet you’re already using Kahoot! Students and teachers everywhere love it, and it’s easy to use alongside Google Classroom. Learn how to get the most from Kahoot! here.

Try it: Kahoot!

14. Khan Academy

Many teachers are already familiar with Khan Academy’s incredibly wide range of free online learning resources. They cover every subject and grade level and give students the extra practice they need to master important concepts. Create and integrate classes using your rosters from Google Classroom, and you’re all set to assign content.

Try it: Khan Academy

15. Listenwise

Listenwise regularly posts new  free current events podcasts  you can share with your students. These short audio lessons are great for morning meetings or starting general current events discussions.  Listenwise Premium  offers a large podcast library with lessons, quizzes, and interactive transcripts, currently free to try for 90 days.

Try it: Listenwise

16. MathGames

Elementary math teachers, this one is for you! Follow up your math lessons with these fun and free practice games. Assign them as an alternative to boring old homework worksheets or for kids who need extra practice.

Try it: MathGames

17. Nearpod

Nearpod is an easy-to-use collaboration tool that has so many applications for education. Teachers start a board and post a question or comment, then students add their own answers or thoughts. You can share pictures too. Nearpod is a cool way to introduce writing prompts, review for a test, collect virtual exit tickets, and a lot more, and it works seamlessly with Google Classroom. The free version has all the basic features and a decent amount of storage. Upgrades are available .

Try it: Nearpod

18. PBS Learning Resources

PBS has a huge variety of video resources on every imaginable subject, all of which are easy to share in your virtual classroom. Each standards-aligned video includes suggested grade levels and support materials to help you make the most of it with your students.

Try it: PBS Learning Resources

19. Quizizz

Quizizz is a nifty tool for helping students review what they’re learning in class. Use one of the thousands of quizzes already available, or create your own. Host live online quiz games in class or assign them as homework using Google Classroom. Customize each assignment to indicate how many times a student may attempt each question and whether they see the correct answers when they’re done—instant feedback that makes learning more meaningful.

Try it: Quizizz

20. Quizlet

This is one of the most popular online flash-card apps for use with Google Classroom, and it’s entirely free. Find the flash cards you need in their extensive library, or create your own to support any kind of lesson. Share the flash cards to Google Classroom to give students instant access to these practice tools in school or at home.

Try it: Quizlet

21. Science Buddies

This site is every science teacher’s best friend. It’s packed with free videos, lesson plans, and experiments, all searchable by grade level and subject. This is also a terrific go-to during science fair season, with scientific method resources galore, science fair planning tools, and an enormous repository of project ideas. When you use Science Buddies with Google Classroom, you get access to extra quizzes and assessments too.

Try it: Science Buddies

22. Wakelet

Think of Wakelet as a collaborative tool for organizing and sharing information. Use it to create and share lessons with your students by collecting media all in one place, with your own notes and explanations. Even better, have students use it to create presentations, book reports, newsletters, and more right in Google Classroom.

Try it: Wakelet

23. Boddle Learning

Boddle is a super-engaging math platform for K-6 (they recently launched ELA content!) that allows students to customize their learning through fun game play that’s fully aligned to state standards. Teachers can create customized assignments and assign them right into their Google Classrooms. Boddle’s resources are free, though a Premium version is also available.

Try it: Boddle

24. Flocabulary

With Flocabulary, your students (and probably your teacher neighbors) will think they’re attending a concert rather than engaging with high-quality educational content. With resources for a plethora of subjects and suited for grades K-12, you can try a free 30-day trial now. Teachers can create and assign whole-group or individual assignments using Google Classroom integration.

Try it: Flocabulary

25. Legends of Learning

K-8 teachers, you’ll feel like superheroes when you assign math and science content through Legends of Learning. Students can practice the skills they’re learning in class through interactive and fun games and simulations. Looking for more engaging ways for your students to master their math facts? Legends of Learning recently launched a fact-mastery practice game called Math Basecamp.

Try it: Legends of Learning

26. BrainPOP

Who doesn’t love Tim and Moby? BrainPOP has video lessons on all sorts of topics for grades K-8, including accompanying vocabulary, quizzes, and games. BrainPOP is a great resource to use to launch a new unit of study or to prepare for an upcoming assessment. Teachers can sign up for a 30-day trial and then explore a paid version from there. Seamless integration into Google Classroom? Check!

Try it: BrainPOP

27. WeVideo

WeVideo is a creative and unique way for your students to demonstrate their understanding of a unit of study. Plus, it introduces them to the multimedia world of video creation and editing. WeVideo is currently available as a Google Classroom add-on, and students can record a video and submit it alongside any assignment. Check out these WeVideo project ideas your students will love .

Try it: WeVideo

Calling all middle school math teachers! Desmos has free and completely customizable question sets that align with your standards and integrate seamlessly into your Google Classroom stream. Your students will be thinking deeply and practicing rigorous math concepts with interactive tools and virtual manipulatives.

Try it: Desmos

29. Duolingo

This 100% free app that helps students learn a new language is ACTFL- and CEFR-aligned and comes with fun and personalized assignments that can be pushed right to your Google Classroom. Students forget that they are actually learning because the gamification aspect is just so fun!

Try it: Duolingo

30. Newsela

With Newsela, teachers can choose from hundreds of thousands of articles to accompany their lessons. Teachers can assign a single text or a text set to their students through Google Classroom. With content ranging from SEL and science to current events and social studies, Newsela is a great classroom accompaniment. Here are some tips for using Newsela in any classroom.

Try it: Newsela

31. Pear Deck

Pear Deck uses proven formative assessment strategies to adapt instruction to meet student needs. Through its expansive catalog of interactive lessons, teachers can instruct whole classes or allow students to move at their own pace, which is perfect for virtual learning. Pear Deck Premium users can seamlessly integrate their Pear Deck lessons through the Google Classroom add-on.

Try it: Pear Deck

Tynker is an interactive coding program that teaches students the basic building blocks of coding and even transitions them to learning about JavaScript and Python. The program offers over 70 courses and thousands of lessons and is fully integrated with Google Classroom.

Try it: Tynker

What are your favorite Google Classroom apps? Come share on the  WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out google slides 101: tips and tricks every teacher needs to know ..

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100 ESL Games | Ready-To-Use Games To Teach English

Welcome to our ESL Games page, where you can find many games for teaching English. These ESL games are great for teaching English both in the classroom and online to kids and beginner English language learners. Our ESL games are absolutely FREE! Simply show them from this website or from our YouTube Channel. See below for all the latest ESL games available. And don’t forget to check out our other FREE resources including,  Flashcards ,  Board Games ,  Worksheets ,  Lesson Plans , and  PowerPoint Games .

Featured Game

All ESL Games

Below you will find over 100 free ESL games on many different topics for kids and beginner English language learners. Browse through the games below, which are arranged alphabetically, or search our whole site for resources.

• Accessories Vocabulary Game
• Action Verbs Game
• Alphabet and Phonics Games – A to Z
• Alphabet And Phonics Games – The Phonics Train Game
• Animals – ‘What Am I? Quiz’
• Animals Vocabulary Game
• Animals Hidden Picture Game
• Animals – How Many..?
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MLB Fans Call for Angel Hernandez’s Job After Another Truly Horrific Game

• Author: Tim Capurso

In this story:

MLB umpire Angel Hernandez, notorious for his wishy-washy strike zone, was in rare form during Friday night's game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, a 12-8 victory for the visiting Rangers.

Hernandez's performance definitely didn't pass the eye test, as he left the Rangers broadcasters practically gobsmacked after calling three consecutive strikes on pitches that appeared to be outside the zone.

The veteran umpire didn't fare much better on a deeper dive into the numbers behind his performance Friday, as Umpire Scorecards, an account on X (formerly Twitter) that grades the efforts of the game's officials, rated his performance quite harshly.

Umpire: Angel Hernandez Final: Rangers 12, Astros 8 #StraightUpTX // #Relentless #TEXvsHOU // #HOUvsTEX More stats for this game 👇 https://t.co/RJKSQogI6y pic.twitter.com/uRM1ykGr3R — Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) April 13, 2024

MLB fans proceeded to react to Hernandez's less-than-stellar performance, which included 12 called strikes that Umpire Scorecard regarded as true balls, exactly as one would expect.

WHY IS HE NOT FIRED ALREADY — . (@HalToHell) April 13, 2024

Yet another flawless performance by Angel Hernandez — Sill E. Gewce (@ParahoyitsAJ) April 13, 2024

I’m really not sure why or how he’s still allowed to umpire MLB games. — Texas Rangers Insider (@RangersInsiders) April 13, 2024

78% accuracy — Space City Sports (@LiveSCS) April 13, 2024

Hernandez has been an MLB umpire since 1991. It's safe to say that the majority of baseball fans are ready for his tenure to end.

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A Video Game Made Out of Brick, Clay and Tenacity

The handcrafted Harold Halibut, about a hapless janitor stuck in an undersea city, was more than a decade in the making.

By Rollo Romig

A handmade video game sounds like an oxymoron, like a rock opera or a TV movie. But on rare occasions, designers choose to build their interactive worlds not from pixels and polygons but from physical materials like cardboard and clay.

For his haunting 2013 puzzle game, The Swapper, Olli Harjola sculpted sets and characters out of Plasticine and then digitized them using a technique called photogrammetry. “People were often like, ‘Wow, why did you choose this very cumbersome and complicated method of making stuff?’” Harjola said.

In fact, it was a practical decision: Harjola had no idea how to program 3-D models, so working with real stuff felt like an easier entry point into video game design. The same was true for Slow Bros., a studio in Cologne, Germany, behind Harold Halibut, which releases on Tuesday for the PC and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Fourteen years ago, fresh out of film school, Onat Hekimoglu had an idea for a game about a hapless janitor stuck in an undersea city on an alien planet after his ancestors fled from a calamity back on Earth. The scenes he imagined were visually ambitious, but he had no experience building things digitally. So he and his friends chose to work around the skills they did not have (coding, 3-D modeling) in favor of those they did (carpentry, sculpture, lighting, costume design).

Soon Hekimoglu, Harold Halibut’s director and designer, enlisted Ole Tillmann, who became the game’s art director and puppetmaker. Tillmann attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where his instructors had emphasized making things by hand, he said, “and then it’s up to the students to figure out the digital portion themselves.”

At a scale of 10 to 1, the game’s designers built nearly everything players see onscreen, including clay characters and adorably miniature costumes sewn from real textiles.

They built several walls from real minuscule bricks fastened with real mortar. To weather sets, they would leave them out in the rain, or allow them to collect dust for weeks, or accelerate rust with a special spray. For a while, Tillmann became fascinated with 19th-century faux-marble techniques, which he used to create trompe-l’oeil surfaces with a blend of plaster, dye and bone glue.

At first, Slow Bros. thought it would animate Harold Halibut using traditional stop-motion techniques. But the studio was unhappy with an early prototype and set off on a journey of experimentation. Eventually the designers devised a novel solution: They made detailed 3-D scans of their handmade puppets, props and set pieces before importing them into the video game engine Unity and using motion capture to bring the characters to life.

Few game developers have taken this hybrid route. “It’s not a very reasonable thing to do,” said Jakub Dvorsky, the founder of Amanita Design, whose forthcoming game Phonopolis is digitally animated from scans of hand-painted paper and cardboard. “So it needs a developer who’s driven, passionate, a little crazy.”

Despite what many assume, Hekimoglu said, the handmade approach is not the reason Harold Halibut took more than a decade to produce. Funding is what slowed them down.

But even that had its benefits. With little money but plenty of time, the team pursued creative puzzles just for the fun of it, making water animations from scratch instead of importing a premade asset.

Narratively, Slow Bros. was inspired by a genre of games known as walking simulators , such as Dear Esther and Firewatch, whose interactivity is less about gameplay and more about pursuing a story by exploring an environment. But the studio’s frame of reference was not centered on video games; Tillmann singled out inspirations like Archigram and Ant Farm, two avant-garde architecture collectives.

Harold Halibut is teeming with little details and detours. If you opt to sit down and watch a tiny television in a break room, you can catch eight minutes of a surreal, unsubtitled Turkish-language telenovela that the developers wrote, built from clay and animated from scratch.

The game, including the telenovela, is fully voice-acted by a large cast of actors. But when Slow Bros. recorded motion capture to map physical performances onto its clay puppets, Hekimoglu played every character himself — an impressive feat of acting given the game’s variety of personalities. This spared him from having to painstakingly explain to actors how to move and where to look without the benefit of life-size sets as a reference point. “I have the entire game in my mind,” he said.

Harold Halibut’s handmade quality dovetails with its story and ideas. In the characters’ attempts to escape the planet they are stuck on, they are trying to build a solution with the materials they have on hand, just like the game’s own designers. The deliberately imperfect aesthetic also syncs nicely with Harold Halibut’s vision of futuristic tech: Despite the incessant hype of tech corporations, the gear the characters produce is often unreliable or disappointing.

“Usually games want to make you the hero,” Hekimoglu said. “We liked the idea of things not working, things failing, and maybe not reaching your goals.”

Inside the World of Video Games

What to Play Next?: For inspiration, read what our critics thought about the newest titles , as well as which games our journalists have been enjoying .

Welcome, Vault Dwellers:   Here’s what you need to know  about the universe of irradiated monsters seen in the postapocalyptic Amazon show “Fallout.”

A Digital Outback:  Broken Roads, which was inspired by the “Mad Max” films as well as the dystopian Fallout games, takes its Australian environment seriously .

Powerful Bonds:  Our critic reviews several games, including Open Roads , that take on the emotional depths of family life in ways that shred the heartstrings.

Pursuing Action Nirvana: Hideaki Itsuno helped shape the fighting genre in the 1990s with Street Fighter. Now he’s applying similar ideas to Dragon’s Dogma 2 .

Freedom and Chaos:   Rise of the Ronin , the first open-world game by the studio behind Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, explores Japan as it opens to Western influence.

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‘fallout’ is amazing, though these five video game tv shows reviewed better.

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The reception for Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout series has been stellar, racking up high critic scores and a ton of praise on social media. It’s a faithful adaptation of the world of the games while charting its own course, and is shaping up to be a big hit for Amazon with a likely season 2 on the way.

I’ve heard a lot of talk of some believing it’s the best video game adaptation ever made. Or at least better than one show perhaps, The Last of Us, HBO’s high profile, Emmy-winning adaptation of the Naughty Dog series. That’s subjective, of course (I tend to possibly agree? They’re great in different ways though). But I wanted to address this “video game curse” thing and remind everyone as great as Fallout is, there are actually four other game-based TV series in the modern era that have reviewed better. Here’s the list, along with some other shows that reviewed worse for context.

• Arcane – 100% critics, 96% audience
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – 100% critics, 95% audience
• The Last of Us – 96% critics, 89% audience
• Castlevania Nocturne – 96% critics, 45% audience
• Castlevania – 94% critics, 89% audience
• Fallout – 93% critics, 86% audience
• Dragon Age Absolution – 92% critics, 52% audience
• Dragon’s Dogma – 83% critics, 92% audience
• Halo – 80% critics, 61% audience
• Twisted Metal – 67% critics, 94% audience
• Resident Evil – 53% critics, 26% audience

It’s quite a range on that list, but as you can see, most modern video game adaptations, animated or live-action, have reviewed decently well with few exceptions. Even the second-lowest reviewed show on the list, Twisted Metal, was well-liked by fans and has gotten a second season.

Best Nintendo Switch Games: It’s Mario’s World, We’re Just Visiting

As for the top five, Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners are two of the only perfect 100% series to even exist on Netflix, especially with audience scores that are also that high (oh, and Ella Purnell from Fallout? She voiced Jynx in Arcane). The Last of Us is certainly the highest profile live action hit on this list, which is why it’s drawing these comparisons. I’d argue the original Castlevania animated series started this entire new era. And while I don’t dislike its Nocturne followup, I certainly don’t think it’s better than the original. Or Fallout. Or Twisted Metal. Fallout, interestingly, would be in seventh place on this list by audience score, which I find surprising.

Despite “fifth” place I am deeply impressed with Fallout because unlike The Last of Us, which is a good, but very grounded apocalyptic story, Fallout had to pull off action comedy on an entirely new level without source material to draw on, and it’s easy to see how maybe that could have hit with gamers but not general audiences. Instead, it seems to have hit with everyone. I look forward to a season 2 announcement in short order.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .

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Bulldogs Close Homestand With Pair Of Midweek Games

April 15, 2024 | Softball

By: Brian Ogden, Associate Director/Communications

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Kyle marisa roth dies: blind items tiktok star was 36, family reports, caitlin clark goes no. 1 in wnba draft, ensuring lots of indiana fever games on national tv this year.

By Patrick Hipes

Patrick Hipes

Executive Managing Editor

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Caitlin Clark , who helped grow the popularity of women’s basketball with her record-breaking college career at the University of Iowa, was the most no-brainer pick of the WNBA Draft on Monday, going No. 1 to the Indiana Fever.

The league will waste no time putting Clark front and center: The regular season begins May 14 with a doubleheader on ESPN2 leading off with Indiana against Connecticut, the first of a full slate of Fever games slated for national broadcasts.

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Clark, who scored 30 in that game to end her career, scored an NCAA Division I record 3,951 points in her four years, breaking both the men’s and women’s marks. She also became the first women’s Division I player to record 3,000 points and 1,000 assists.

The 6-foot shooting guard now joined a team in the Fever that haven’t made the WNBA playoffs since 2016, but now have to back-to-back No. 1 picks in Clark and Aliyah Boston.

The moment @caitlinclark heard her name called as the #1 overall pick, taking her talents to the @indianafever ☝️ 2024 #WNBADraft presented by @statefarm pic.twitter.com/u4xVPEw7uC — WNBA (@WNBA) April 15, 2024

Last week, when the WNBA released its schedule for the 2024 season, it had 36 of 40 Indiana Fever games set for national broadcasts or on streaming platforms: Eight games across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 including May 14’s opener, eight on Ion and two on the CBS Television Network. Indiana will also be highlighted 13 times on NBA TV, four times on Prime Video, and once on CBS Sports Network.

Clark’s popularity has boosted her own profile as well, with commercials for State Farm peppering this year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament coverage. Most recently, she appeared on Saturday Night Live this past weekend (she was in New York for tonight’s draft, held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music), participating in a “Weekend Update” skit skewering co-anchor Michael Che for his jokes making fun of women’s sports.

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A congressman wanted to understand AI. So he went back to a college classroom to learn

Rep. Don Beyer, a 73-year-old congressman tasked with regulating artificial intelligence, is enrolled in classes at George Mason University to get a master’s degree in machine learning. He weighs both the benefits and risks of the new technology.

FILE - Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., speaks at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 9, 2021. To educate themselves on Artificial Intelligence, lawmakers have created a task force and invited experts to explain how AI could transform our lives. Beyer is taking it even further by enrolling in college to get a Master’s degree in machine learning. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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FILE - Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., speaks during the Assembly session in Sacramento, Calif., June 17, 2019. To educate themselves on Artificial Intelligence, lawmakers have created a task force and invited experts to explain how AI could transform our lives. While many Americans may have formed their ideas about AI from science fiction movies, it’s important that lawmakers have a clear-eyed understanding of the technology, said Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., the chairman of the House’s AI Task Force. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

FILE - Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., speaks at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 26, 2020. To educate themselves on Artificial Intelligence, lawmakers have created a task force and invited experts to explain how AI could transform our lives. Eshoo is the Democratic chairwoman of the AI Caucus. She represents part of California’s Silicon Valley and recently introduced legislation that would require tech companies and social media platforms like Meta, Google or TikTok to identify and label AI-generated deepfakes to ensure the public isn’t misled. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Don Beyer’s car dealerships were among the first in the U.S. to set up a website. As a representative, the Virginia Democrat leads a bipartisan group focused on promoting fusion energy. He reads books about geometry for fun.

So when questions about regulating artificial intelligence emerged, the 73-year-old Beyer took what for him seemed like an obvious step, enrolling at George Mason University to get a master’s degree in machine learning. In an era when lawmakers and Supreme Court justices sometimes concede they don’t understand emerging technology, Beyer’s journey is an outlier, but it highlights a broader effort by members of Congress to educate themselves about artificial intelligence as they consider laws that would shape its development.

Frightening to some, thrilling to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called a transformative technology, a threat to democracy or even an existential risk for humanity . It will fall to members of Congress to figure out how to regulate the industry in a way that encourages its potential benefits while mitigating the worst risks.

But first they have to understand what AI is, and what it isn’t.

“I tend to be an AI optimist,” Beyer told The Associated Press following a recent afternoon class on George Mason’s campus in suburban Virginia. “We can’t even imagine how different our lives will be in five years, 10 years, 20 years, because of AI. ... There won’t be robots with red eyes coming after us any time soon. But there are other deeper existential risks that we need to pay attention to.”

Risks like massive job losses in industries made obsolete by AI, programs that retrieve biased or inaccurate results , or deepfake images, video and audio that could be leveraged for political disinformation , scams or sexual exploitation . On the other side of the equation, onerous regulations could stymie innovation, leaving the U.S. at a disadvantage as other nations look to harness the power of AI.

Striking the right balance will require input not only from tech companies but also from the industry’s critics, as well as from the industries that AI may transform. While many Americans may have formed their ideas about AI from science fiction movies like “The Terminator” or “The Matrix,” it’s important that lawmakers have a clear-eyed understanding of the technology, said Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and the chairman of the House’s AI Task Force.

When lawmakers have questions about AI, Obernolte is one of the people they seek out. He studied engineering and applied science at the California Institute of Technology and earned an M.S. in artificial intelligence at UCLA. The California Republican also started his own video game company. Obernolte said he’s been “very pleasantly impressed” with how seriously his colleagues on both sides of the aisle are taking their responsibility to understand AI.

That shouldn’t be surprising, Obernolte said. After all, lawmakers regularly vote on bills that touch on complicated legal, financial, health and scientific subjects. If you think computers are complicated, check out the rules governing Medicaid and Medicare.

Keeping up with the pace of technology has challenged Congress since the steam engine and the cotton gin transformed the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors. Nuclear power and weaponry is another example of a highly technical subject that lawmakers have had to contend with in recent decades, according to Kenneth Lowande, a University of Michigan political scientist who has studied expertise and how it relates to policy-making in Congress.

Federal lawmakers have created several offices — the Library of Congress , the Congressional Budget Office , etc. — to provide resources and specialized input when necessary. They also rely on staff with specific expertise on subject topics, including technology.

Then there’s another, more informal form of education that many members of Congress receive.

“They have interest groups and lobbyists banging down their door to give them briefings,” Lowande said.

Beyer said he’s had a lifelong interest in computers and that when AI emerged as a topic of public interest he wanted to know more. A lot more. Almost all of his fellow students are decades younger; most don’t seem that fazed when they discover their classmate is a congressman, Beyer said.

He said the classes, which he fits in around his busy congressional schedule — are already paying off. He’s learned about the development of AI and the challenges facing the field. He said it’s helped him understand the challenges — biases , unreliable data — and the possibilities, like improved cancer diagnoses and more efficient supply chains.

Beyer is also learning how to write computer code.

“I’m finding that learning to code — which is thinking in this sort of mathematical, algorithmic step-by-step, is helping me think differently about a lot of other things — how you put together an office, how you work a piece of legislation,” Beyer said.

While a computer science degree isn’t required, it’s imperative that lawmakers understand AI’s implications for the economy, national defense , health care , education, personal privacy and intellectual property rights, according to Chris Pierson, CEO of the cybersecurity firm BlackCloak.

“AI is not good or bad,” said Pierson, who formerly worked in Washington for the Department of Homeland Security. “It’s how you use it.”

The work of safeguarding AI has already begun, though it’s the executive branch leading the way so far. Last month, the White House unveiled new rules that require federal agencies to show their use of AI isn’t harming the public. Under an executive order issued last year, AI developers must provide information on the safety of their products.

When it comes to more substantive action, America is playing catchup to the European Union , which recently enacted the world’s first significant rules governing the development and use of AI. The rules prohibit some uses — routine AI-enabled facial recognition by law enforcement, for one — while requiring other programs to submit information about safety and public risks. The landmark law is expected to serve as a blueprint for other nations as they contemplate their own AI laws.

As Congress begins that process, the focus must be on “mitigating potential harm,” said Obernolte, who said he’s optimistic that lawmakers from both parties can find common ground on ways to prevent the worst AI risks.

“Nothing substantive is going to get done that isn’t bipartisan,” he said.

To help guide the conversation lawmakers created a new AI task force (Obernolte is co-chairman), as well as an AI Caucus made up of lawmakers with a particular expertise or interest in the topic. They’ve invited experts to brief lawmakers on the technology and its impacts — and not just computer scientists and tech gurus either, but also representatives from different sectors that see their own risks and rewards in AI.

Rep. Anna Eshoo is the Democratic chairwoman of the caucus. She represents part of California’s Silicon Valley and recently introduced legislation that would require tech companies and social media platforms like Meta, Google or TikTok to identify and label AI-generated deepfakes to ensure the public isn’t misled. She said the caucus has already proved its worth as a “safe place” place where lawmakers can ask questions, share resources and begin to craft consensus.

“There isn’t a bad or silly question,” she said. “You have to understand something before you can accept or reject it.”