Game Play, Freebies and Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites Chapter 4

I’m a bit late but back to hook up to the Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites Book Study and Strategy 4 is all about games.
I love that research supports what parents and teachers have known for so long.
bookstudy-2Bchaper-2B4-2Bcover

 
 
Game play builds cooperative relationships, allows students to practice without pressure and teaches them how to follow rules and social norms, problem solving, develop strategies and  . . . Let’s face it . . . It’s just FUN.
 
99-2B5

 
I know when my students are motivated and engaged, learning is enhanced dramatically.
In my own house, the boys always have a deck of cards or board game out.
99-2B2

 
While I love that Eric Jensen (Brain Research guru) confirms the importance of game play in brain development, my boys are the real experts that confirm for me that kids are engaged and learning during game play.
 
99-2B1

 
 So why wouldn’t I want those same things for my students.
 
strategy-2B4-2Bgame-2Bplay

 
 
Sometimes, games are just for the sake of playing games.  And other times they have a  objective this being addressed.
Here’s just a few examples of how I use them in my own class, and I’ve added links to quite a few freebies that you can try in a  few different versions.  Try them out in your own class!

YATTA!!!

This is a game that was actually inspired my by boys.  The concept is the same whether you are using it to solve equations . . .
 
game-2Bplay-2B4

 . . . or practicing word work  . . .

game-2Bplay-2B3

 . . . or basic number recognition.  A card is turned, a problem is solved, word read or number identified, and then students search the mat to find the answer.  When they find it, they point to it and say YATTA!  If they are the first to identify the answer and say ‘YATTA,’ then they win the card.
If you’d like to try a  FREE version of this game in your own class, just click HERE!!!
 
game-2Bplay-2B5

 

JENGA

I couple of years ago I found these miniature sized Jenga block games at a store for $1.50 each.  I bought every one they had.  This particular one has nonsense words written on them, but I have them for letters, cvc words, addition and subtraction.  Basically if there is a skill to be practiced, I have a Jenga game for it.
 
game-2Bplay-2B2

 

Hide and Seek Card Games

A simple concept of having one student hide a card (or cards) behind a picture, problem, number or word depending on the skill being practiced and having the other students guess where that card is located.
 
game-2Bplay-2B14

Students make their guess by identifying, in the picture here, two rhyming words, the student that hides the cards, removes the cards guessed to reveal whether or not the guess is correct.
I use this game for number recognition, tens and ones identification, sight word practice or whatever skill they need to practice.
game-2Bplay-2B13

I seldom have a word work or math station this game isn’t being used to practice one skill or another.  You can try this game out with an Easter freebie HERE from a couple of years ago called Bashful Bunnies.
 
game-2Bplay-2B12

 

Spinner Games

If you know anything about my class, you know we use spinner games.  While many people only think of ‘Bump’ as a game played with dice, if you add a spinner, you can give a total ELA twist.

game-2Bplay-2B15

 

 
Or add some equations and make ‘Bump’ a bit more challenging.

game-2Bplay-2B18

 

Spinner games that are played like the traditional ‘War’ game are another favorite for building math skills.
 
game-2Bplay-2B9

 
You can even play a ‘Four In A Row’ game with dotters and spinners for identifying tens and ones.  (Who doesn’t love spinners AND dotters?  They don’t even care who loses or wins!) If you’d like to try on a differentiated spinner game for size, just click HERE  and HERE for a couple of freebies to wet your whistle.

nsm-2B24

 

Games With Fun Manipulatives

You can take any normal game up a notch and make it that much more engaging just by adding different and interesting manipulatives.
 
game-2Bplay-2B17

 
This isn’t your average BUMP game!!!! (Get the egg trays at Walmart and free playing cards to go with HERE!)

game-2Bplay-2B8

 

 
The picture is horrible, but the game is FUN!!!! Want to play a little Spider Bite?  (There’s a free card version HERE!)

game-2Bplay-2B16

 

 
How about some place value practice?  Easter Monsters Love to Race is differentiated so your students race to 30, 50 or 100 using tens and ones manipulatives and it’s FREE so click HERE.

Roll-Say-Keep

Students love it, because it’s fun.  I like it because it’s so darn versatile.  Practice words, shapes, numbers . . . or several skills all at one time.  
 
game-2Bplay-2B10

game-2Bplay-2B1

game-2Bplay-2B11

 
And those are just a few fun way, I use games in my own class. The one question I always get about games is if students get bored having the same kinds of games.  I can’t speak for everyone, but, especially in kindergarten, students like games that are familiar, fun and at ones they can be successful.  Just by changing the skills from time to time or creating a new theme or using an interesting thematic manipulative, you can give a familiar game a brand new life.  And the best part about using games that are familiar is that your students become very independent when they play them.  They don’t need an adult to supervise or manage it.  They can do it!
 
I hope you’ll take advantage of some of the free games I have included links for above.  I can’t wait to read all the other posts about this great strategy.  Remember to head over to Katie’s blog Queen Of The First Grade Jungle to see all the other great posts about this strategy.
 
bookstudy1


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

7 Comments

Wow! You have some great ideas for games!!! I’m behind on the book discussion, but I am bookmarking all of these posts for when I catch up. Thank you for the freebies and the ideas, looks like I know what my summer project is going to be!!

I love everything about this post! I play most all of these games too but the pictures were some great reminders for what to pull out in the next few weeks (and how to take some old ones up a notch!). Thank you! 🙂

First off, I absolutely love your blog! 2) Marcia Tate’s workshops are amazing! 3) Thank you for all of the information you post on your Daily 6 and how to incorporate it specifically for Kinders. Your blog has set me at ease with attempting to implement it for the first time (I have struggled with centers before so I bought the Daily 5 book and came across your blog which has made it much more clear!) 🙂 THANK YOU!!!