Reviewing content does not have to be boring! Reviewing is necessary and to make it more meaningful we need to make it engaging and fun! Check out five ideas below for fun review games you could use in your classroom. (These games are mainly math focused, but you could use them for any subject matter).
Connect 4 Review Game
I got this idea from Candance (@themeaningfulmiddle on IG). Connect 4 is always a fun game and it can be used to review any type of content! I’ve used it in math and to review classroom expectations. This game can get very competitive and it’s fun to see the different strategies the teams use to win.
To play…
- Divide your students up into teams. I typically put 4-5 students on each team.
- Each team gets a different color pad of sticky notes. This is where they write their answers.
- Create any type of questions (Math, ELA, Grammar. Social Studies, Science, etc). I project these on my Smart Board. This photo is an example from a first grade math review. (This is done ahead a time).
- Students will work with their team to answer the question and place their sticky note on the board. The goal is to try to connect 4 horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Students may also place their sticky note in a way that blocks others from connecting 4.
- Once a team has connected 4, I draw a line through the four and give the team a point. The team with the most points at the end wins!
This game may get a little rowdy, but they have tons of fun and they are reviewing content all at the same time!
Crack the Code
I created Crack the Code last year as a way to review math content. This game works well with math because the hidden message is uncovered through numbers. You could always use this with different content areas too.
To play…
Create your hidden message. I often make it a fun reward like (YOU GET EXTRA TIME AT RECESS) or something with a special treat.
Then, you create the questions. I typically create around 20. You just want to make sure you have enough to cover all of the letters.
The hidden message is put up on a white board (as seen in the first picture) and I normally show the actual content questions on my Smart Board.
The questions then align to the numbers which help them crack the code. For example, the problem 8 + 7 = ___. Students will get 15 as their answer which corresponds to A. You then fill in the letter A in the 15 number spot of the hidden message.
For students, I have them use white boards for this game. This way each child is engaged and participating. Students will respond on their white boards and then show their answers. We will then discuss, put the letter in the correct spot, and move on to the next question.
Once all of the questions are answered, the hidden message is complete and the kids will find out what it says.
Basketball Review Game
This review game came to be because it tied in perfectly with my basketball room transformation during March Madness!
To play…
- Divide your students up into teams. I typically put 3-4 students on each team.
- Each team gets a white board to respond to the questions.
- Create any type of questions (Math, ELA, Grammar. Social Studies, Science, etc). I project these on my Smart Board. (This is done ahead a time).
- Students will work with their team to answer the question. Once each group has answered any team who has the correct answer gets a chance to shoot a basket. (I gave a clear rotation for this so students knew the order and everyone got equal turns).
- The basketball shooter would come up to the carpet with one of my tiny basketballs (foam or small ones) and would shoot it into the basketball Easter basket (you can see these on the students tables). If they got the ball in the basket, then their team earned a point. The team with the most points at the end – wins!
- I didn’t get very clear pictures of this game, but you can see the basketball hoops used in the photo above!
Horseshoes Review Game
This review game came to be because it tied in perfectly with our Rodeo Day in February and my rodeo room transformation!
To play…
- Divide your students up into teams. I divided the class up into two teams.
- Each team gets a white board to respond to the questions.
- Create any type of questions (Math, ELA, Grammar. Social Studies, Science, etc). I project these on my Smart Board. (This is done ahead a time). You can see an example at the bottom of this paragraph.
- Students will work with their team to answer the question. Once each group has answered any team who has the correct answer gets a chance to toss the horseshoe. (I gave a clear rotation for this so students knew the order and everyone got equal turns).
- The student would come up to the carpet to throw the horseshoe. If they got it around the pole then their team earned a point (see picture above). The team with the most points at the end – wins! I got my horseshoe game at Amazon.
Saran Wrap Game
I know this game is often played as a holiday game at Christmas time, but it also works well as a review game!
To play:
- Teacher sets up the saran wrap ball ahead of time. I included 16 review questions so I had 4 different colors and a total of 16 unifix cubes. I used blue, yellow, green, and orange and had paper that color coordinated.
- Then, set up the review problems. I used a simple table and made sure the paper color coordinated to the colors in the saran wrap ball.
- Students are each given their own review packet and each group is given a saran wrap ball. I had my students work in groups of 3-4.
- One student unravels the saran wrap ball until a cube pops out. If it’s a yellow cube then everyone solves one problem on the yellow page.
- This continues until all of the cubes are unwrapped and all of the problems are solved.
- During the activity, I would go around to check for understanding and assist as needed while the students were solving the problems.
I hope this ideas are helpful and can make your review time more engaging. I know my students and I both enjoy these games and they definitely are more fun than a boring review packet.
