Old Games, New Tricks

"Life is more fun if you play games."

- Roald Dahl

Speaking from personal experience, creating a fun, game-based lesson from scratch is hard; my first escape room lesson took me over half a term to plan!

Depending on complexity, you'll have to consider rules, game mechanics, and difficulty level, then do a dry run to detect possible bugs.

Realistically, it's impossible to incorporate original gamified lessons in every single class.

But using traditional or old-fashioned games and giving it an educational twist? That is working smarter!

Tried and true board games can be adapted into powerful learning tools. The best thing is, we probably have the materials already lying around!

Here are some old games and ideas on how to tweak them into a fun learning opportunity:

💡 Pro Tip: Get students to create their own questions to be incorporated into the activities!

#1 Jenga

Stick a question on each block. Students must answer the question on the block they pull out correctly, or they'll have to put it back.

#2 Ludo / Snakes & Ladders / Monopoly

Pair the board game with a set of Q&A cards or flashcards. Students have to answer a question before they can move.

For Monopoly, replace the property cards with question cards (the higher the property value, the more challenging the question). Students answer the question correctly to gain the property.

#3 Scrabble

Have a spelling bee of key vocabulary words.

🥨 Fun Twist: Hide the tiles around the classroom and create a scavenger hunt where students have to find the letters to correctly spell the key words.

#4 Happy Family 

On top of asking another player for a family member, students must also answer a question correctly to obtain the card.

#5 Snap!

On top of yelling "Snap!" when there are matching cards, players must answer a question correctly to win them.

#6 Taboo / Pictionary / Charades

Play any of these games with key terms from your subject.

#7 Bingo

Give each student a Bingo sheet, or get them to create their own from a list of vocabulary words. Call out the definition of each word. 

#8 Memory Match

Make a memory match game using index cards. Write review questions and answers on separate cards. Mix them up and lay them face down on a table. Students take turns flipping two cards, trying to find a match by answering the question correctly.

Alternatively: matching vocabulary words with their definitions, finding matching synonyms or antonyms, matching an element with its chemical symbol, or an electrical component with its circuit diagram symbol.

#9 Congkak

This traditional Malaysian game can be a great tool for learning Maths! 

#10 Chequers / Chess

Learn coordinates while playing by getting players to call out their starting and ending coordinates with each move.

#11 Card & Dice Games

A deck of playing cards or a handful of dice is a great way to learn statistics and probability. What are the odds of getting a royal flush? Will the next card in Blackjack cause me to go bust? How likely am I to roll a double six?

So dust off that old board game in your closet, and turn it into a fun learning tool!

Which game will YOU adapt, and how?