One of the best ways to keep kids interested in school and engaged in lessons is through fun, educational games. Teachers across all disciplines use games in a variety of ways to reach all kinds of learners.
In an Education Week article titled “Ways to Use Games Effectively in the Classroom,” authors and teachers Susan Lafond, Eric Schildge, and Michael Fisher talk about the value of games in the classroom. They note that games should be thoughtfully designed to be inclusive and meaningful and emphasize participation more than winning or losing. “The real value of using games in education is the balance they offer between problem solving and engagement.”
As teachers prepare for the upcoming school year, why not consider a donation to your local school or a school in need. DollarDays has some classic games and tons of prizes any teacher would love to have on hand.
Here are 5 games and prizes every student will love.
A simple deck of cards and dice can be used for all kinds of games in classrooms from grades 1-12. Both cards and dice can be used to reinforce multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction facts. They also lend well to “math races.” They can be used to create equations (or try this Math Smart game).
Playing cards make great high school games that can reinforce good numbers sense and can help create an inclusive classroom. They can foster creativity as older students can even develop their own games.
Board games are another tool teachers can use to promote learning in a fun and interactive way. At DollarDays, we have plenty of games to play at school. Fraction City is perfect for math. Fifth Gear is an excellent STEM game that can work with a wide range of ages. Older students will love Sum Word Game and teachers will love it for the speaking, sketching, and acting options that appeal to all learning styles. For early learners, Spelling Beez is a great tool to teach spelling.
We’ve got tons of fun crossword puzzle and word search books that are perfect for storing in the classroom for early finishers or for a fun Friday afternoon game. Older students can team up and challenge one another to crossword puzzles while younger learners will be challenged with word searches. These are great for supporting vocabulary and spelling.
Okay, technically chess is a board game, but the benefits of chess are so vast we’re giving it its own shout-out. According to Brainscape, chess can increase your IQ and creativity as well as improve memory, reading skills, concentration and problem-solving skills. This game is a classic for a reason. While it does require some instruction, it’s best learned by playing. Help stock a teacher’s classroom with chess sets from DollarDays, available at wholesale prices.
Modeling clay and play dough are highly versatile, relatively neat tools essential to any art curriculum. It’s a great medium for supporting creativity – and kids love it! It lends itself to countless art projects but could be used for other educational purposes as well. In science, it can be used to create models. In math, it can be used to illustrate whole numbers and fractions. In ELA, modeling clay can be used to recreate a scene from a book or a favorite character.
Fun school games are essential to any classroom. At DollarDays, we’ve got a huge selection to choose from no matter the subject or grade range you’re looking for. Let us help you make this a successful year for all students, in all communities with our games available in bulk quantities and at competitive prices.
