Do you believe that one of the best ways to learn in middle school is by using a variety of games and activities? If so, then we agree!
It’s just more engaging, and sometimes students don’t even realize how much they’re learning!
While any game that helps kids learn is a winner in my book, I have some wonderful middle school games and activities I’ve created to use at home or in the classroom.
Truth or Dare Middle School Math (and ELA) Games
Do you remember playing Truth or Dare when you were younger? Well, I’ve brought the concept to the classroom by taking math (and ELA) concepts and creating questions that are:
- Truth questions: true or false/more fact- based
- Dare questions: multiple choice or open-ended questions that are more application-based/more challenging
To play, students are in groups, and they take their turns by choosing either a Truth or a Dare question.
- They get one point if they answer the Truth question correctly.
- If students choose a more challenging Dare question, a correct answer will boost their score faster; Dare questions are worth 2 or 3 points.
I’ve converted all my print Math and ELA Truth or Dare Games to Google Slides, so students can have fun with these versions too!
Truth or Dare is one of my favorites middle school games; it really gets the students excited and engaged.
AND, it can be used in any subject area! Read more about this game HERE.
Middle School Dice Games
I’ve always loved the dice game Yahtzee!, so I decided to create my own little spin on it.
In this game, middle school math students practice converting fractions to decimals. They love rolling the dice and creating the fraction pairs.
The challenge comes when they have to convert those fractions into decimals or whole numbers.
This activity can be a little challenging to start, but it only takes a few turns before students learn the rules and get the hang of this math game.
It’s an incredibly engaging math activity for small groups, and could even be played as a whole class, allowing different students to roll the dice and decide which fraction pairs to create.
It’s also great as a center activity! You can read more about this math game HERE.
Using Footloose Task Cards in Math and ELA
With Footloose Task Cards, students answer various types of questions about math (and ELA) concepts – sometimes they are basic knowledge questions, sometimes they’re simple word problems, and sometimes they’re quite challenging.
It’s easy to differentiate using these cards:-)
Students move around to get a new Footloose task card each time they complete one, and they write all their answers and work on their Footloose grids.
It’s a great way to keep students practicing and moving, and it’s amazing how quiet they can be during this time!
For more details about how to play Footloose, check out this blog post.
Math and ELA Color by Number Activities
Coloring for adults is currently pretty popular, and it has become a great activity to incorporate into math class:-)
Color by number activities are great as:
- review before a math test
- homework
- assessments
- math center activities
- sub day activities
- fast finishers activities
Recently, I’ve created several digital color by number activities to provide that option for students and teachers. Although these don’t offer the same benefits that physical coloring offers, they still provide engaging math practice:-)
Learn more about how coloring is helpful to students here.
