Learning with Games

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, January/February 2020 Issue

Kids love to play, so there’s no better way to encourage them to learn than with games. Keep your students up-to-date with the help of apps and websites that can be used to make your own games and quizzes based on the current topics being explored in the classroom. Here are some interactive apps you can use.

Kahoot!
(Paid – iOS, Android, Website)

With this platform, you can find out how much your students already know about a topic by using gamified multiple-choice and true-or-false quizzes. Create a kahoot to kick-off a lesson, introduce new concepts, or revise a lesson. You can also assign kahoots as homework. Encourage collaboration in your class by playing in team mode whereby questions appear on a shared screen and students answer on their devices. And if you’re time-strapped, Kahoot!’s library offers millions of ready-to-play quizzes you can use.

Make It
(Free – Android, iOS)

Users have access to a wide array of activities through this app as they can create educational games, activities, books, tales, and slideshows. It consists of 8 different interactive menus through which users can access a variety of themes that cater to various study areas. It can be used to test drawing, memory, art skills, etc. With 14 themes and 8 templates to choose from, the user can create quizzes, memory games, game-based slideshows, and much more. The ability to import your own graphics and sound is helpful too.

Quizizz
(Free – iOS, Android, Website)

Quizizz provides millions of free self-paced quizzes covering every subject from coding to the Roman Empire. Different modes allow students to play on their own, compete against their friends, or even play with the whole class. Quizzes can also be made more interesting with the option to add things like music and memes. The app isn’t just for students looking for a fun way to learn, it can also be used to prepare for tests such as the SAT, with a collection of teacher-created quizzes.

Wordables
(Free – iOS)

While pushing students to process dozens of facts can be challenging, using word picture puzzles makes it easier for them. Wordables is a guessing game using pictures made up of a cloud of smaller words that form each clue. With hundreds of Wordables of varying difficulty, kids can make their way through each step while remaining entertained. For example, if players were to guess the name of a sport, there would be a cloud filled with words relevant to the sport.