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Need some rainy-day inspiration? Or, maybe you need to calm your students’ nerves before an exam, or re-energize them for the final stretch of the day. In any case, we’ve got you covered with 45 fun classroom games for kids, both fast and slow. Continue reading for more.

Indoor Recess or Rainy-day Games

1) Rule game

 In this game, one student stands in the hall while those in the classroom come up with a “rule” for that student to guess, involving yes and no answers to a question. For example, the rule could be “only people wearing red say yes,” or “those with glasses say yes.” When the student walks back into the room, they ask questions such as “do you like ice cream?” or “do you have a dog?” This student then tries to guess the rule based on who answers says yes and no to these questions.

2) What changed?

 Send one student out into the hallway, and the other students must change something in the classroom for the hallway student to notice and guess. For instance, they might open the windows, erase the chalkboard, or flip a chair upside down.

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3) Hot potato

 For this recess classic, students pass around a ball or stuffed animal. Play some music as they pass this “potato,” and when the music stops, they stop. Whoever is holding the ball when the music stops must answer a question.

4)Break out the board games

 Divide the classroom into sections in which students can move around to play different well-known board games (or board game equivalents), such as checkers, chess, scrabble, or . Have students rotate as you see fit. Those not playing themselves can draw or cheer on their friends.

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5) Make your own board games

 To combine board games with art (as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skill development), have your students using classroom materials. They can teach others their games, and favorites can be saved for later rainy days

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6) Human knot

 Have your students stand in a circle and hold hands, before they tangle the circle into a messy clump, or “knot,” still holding hands. Then, try to reverse and make it back to the circle from before.

7) Balloon volleyball

For a safe way to get your students moving even though they can’t go outside, push the desks aside and see how long the balloon (or 2, 3, or 4 balloons) can stay in the air. This can also be done with students seated at their desks for a calmer activity with less setup.

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8) Tunnel ball

This game teaches coordination and collaboration. Student teams line up and pass a ball through their legs and then the last person to receive it walks quickly to the front of the line. The team with the most rounds completed in 5 minutes wins.

9) Card games:

Similar to board games (but taking up less space) pull out some kid-friendly card games and set them up around the classroom. Some great examples include Go Fish, War, Memory, and Uno.

Educational Games

10) Stop the bus

 Write 4 different categories on the board, such as “animals,” “colors,” “cities,” and “foods.” In pairs or teams, students copy these categories onto paper. The teacher says a letter and all the students must fill in each category with that letter. For example, if the teacher says “B,” the students might write “beaver,” “blue,” “Baltimore,” and “banana.” Whichever team finishes their categories first calls out, “Stop the bus!” and the rest of the class must stop writing. Teams earn points depending on how many words they write. This is a great vocabulary development game, and it’s commonly used by ESL teachers.

11) Review bingo

 Draw a 5×4 grid on the board (or larger, depending on how much time you have). Ask students to open their textbooks to the current unit and help to fill the squares with words relevant to the unit. As they tell you the words, put one in each square of the grid. Then, have them draw their own grid and write each of the words, but in a different order. Then, play bingo by randomly calling out words for your students. As a challenge for older students, you can also give hints instead of naming the word itself.

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12) Memorizing objects

 For a great way to introduce a science unit, place 10 objects on a table and ask students to observe and memorize them for 1 minute. Afterward, cover certain objects and ask students to recall details about them and guess their purpose. This activity also be done with images on a projector.

13) Jeopardy!

 Review lessons in any subject through a fun game of Jeopardy!, in which points are earned depending on difficulty. You can create your game using a number of different online jeopardy creators and project them for the class. This is a great way to prepare for a test while emphasizing teamwork.

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14) Fizz buzz

 With a goal number in mind (say 50), students go around the room to count to that number. However, if a number is a certain multiple of 5, students must say “buzz.” If it’s a multiple of 7, they must say “fizz.” So, counting would go something like: 1, 2, 3, 4, buzz, 6, fizz, 8, 9, buzz, 11, 12, 13, fizz, buzz, 16…. etc. When someone messes up, the counting restarts.

15) Replace the number

 For a related focused counting game, have students replace different numbers with different words or sounds. As the game continues, more numbers become replaced and they become more difficult to remember. By the end of the game, the counting might sound like “rabbit, 2, BOOM, hisssssss, 5, 6, apple, penguin, Batman, ahhhhh, 11…” (and so on).

16) Pass the object

 Students pass a soft object (such as a stuffed animal or squishy ball) in small groups, each answering a question before passing it to another student for the next one. If each member of a group answers a question correctly, the group earns a point for the round. This game is perfect for quick math practice or science/history trivia.

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17) Invent a solution

 Announce a problem that students can solve using only 3 provided objects. The problem can range from saving the world from a giant monster to retrieving a book from the top shelf at the library. Each group has 5 minutes to figure out a solution (funny or realistic) and present it to the class.

18) Flashcard duel

 Students each have a set of flash cards. In pairs, they show each other the cards one at a time. If right, the student keeps the card. If wrong, their partner keeps the card. The “duel” continues until the cards have all been used.

Quick classroom games

 19) Human tic-tac-toe

Using simple masking tape, create a giant tic-tac-toe board on the floor of the classroom and have students wearing different colors be stand-ins for X’s and O’s.

20) 20 questions

 This one might already be familiar to many of your students. It can be played as a whole class or in small groups. One student (or the teacher) comes up with a word (animal, vegetable, or mineral), and others must guess the word by asking “yes or no” questions.

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21) Freeze-dance break

 For a fun and quick pause in class, choose a great song, turn it on, and have everyone start dancing. When you pause the music, the students must freeze. Those who keep moving are eliminated.

22) List 5

 Divide your students into groups and get a timer ready. Name a category, and in a minute or less, ask your students to write 5 things in that category. Categories can be as simple as fruits/colors/countries, or as complicated as vocabulary words for a unit of study. To make the exercise more difficult, ask for more than 5 words. Each group that succeeds earns a point.

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23) Duck-duck-goose

 Perfect for your younger students, students sit in a circle as one student “tapper” goes around and taps the others’ shoulders, saying “duck, duck, duck duck…” Eventually, this student says “goose!” and the sitting student must chase the tapper around the circle as the tapper rushes to take this student’s spot before being tagged. If they sit down in time, the tapped student becomes the tapper.

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24) Fix-it relay

 In groups of 4 to 6, have your students solve sentences with errors (either grammatical or factual). The first student in each line chooses a card and fixes its mistake (or mistakes), and then passes it to the next student to check for more errors. When each student on the team has checked the card, one team member runs it up to the front desk to complete the relay. This can be done with as many cards as you have time for.

25) Word scramble

 Each student or group has an assigned word, and they must pull as many other words out of it as possible within a time limit.

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 The leader draws a spot for a “snowman” (a less violent form of the classic “hangman” game) and adds spaces for letters of a particular word or phrase. Students guess letters and words, and whoever correctly guesses the word or phrase wins. However, for each wrong answer, a body part is added to the snowman. If the snowman is completed before the word/phrase is guessed, the leader wins. This take on a classic game is perfect for using extra time at the end of class while reviewing words relevant to your curriculum.

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27) Odd one out

Prepare sets of words or phrases written on pieces of paper. Students work in pairs or small groups to categorize the words/phrases as they relate to one another, eventually finding the “odd one out” (the word/phrase that doesn’t relate to the others). Categories can range depending on subject and grade level, from U.S. presidents, to chemical elements, to parts of speech, to colors or animals.

Games to calm or focus the class

28) Counting the class

 This counting game requires a bit of patience, so it can be useful for refocusing the class. The goal is to count to 20, or however many students are in your class. Your students begin standing, and without indicating who should go first, a student says “1” and sits down. Another says “2” and sits down. It goes like this, counting without knowing who will go next. As the numbers become higher, it usually becomes more difficult for students to speak one at a time.

29) Mad Libs

For a calm and humorous partner activity, put students in pairs or small groups to fill out Mad Libs. Have them present the Mad Lib stories to the class at the end of the activity.

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30) Wordle

 This popular internet game is great for completing as a class, and can also be a perfect daily brain warm-up for small groups. While the is the most popular, the exercise can also be to fit lesson plans.

31) Silent ball

 In a circle, students pass a ball back and forth without saying a single word while a timer runs. If a student talks or drops the ball, they are out. The winners are those still standing when the timer goes off.

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32) Create a sculpture

 For a class collaboration, have students take turns adding objects to a class sculpture in whatever way they find most beautiful or interesting. This can also be done in small groups.

33) Collaborative drawing

 Students sit in a circle and draw quietly on their own pieces of paper for 30 seconds. When the timer goes off, they pass their papers clockwise, for another student to draw on the same page for 30 seconds. This continues until each artwork returns to its original owner. Display these works of art at the end of class for others to admire.

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34) Story sharing

 Use free time to help students connect with each other through stories. Give a prompt for a personal anecdote (for example, “describe a time you learned something new,” or, “tell a story about overcoming a challenge”). Have students pass around a ball of yarn, telling their stories and taking hold of a piece of the string as they pass it to the next storyteller.

35) Secret leader

 Choose a student (the investigator) to leave the classroom and another student (the secret leader) to coordinate the other students in actions like clapping, chanting, or mimicking movement, which can change about every 30 seconds. The investigator enters into the classroom and uses reasoning skills to determine who the secret leader is.

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36) Secret hand tap

 3 students are chosen to go around the class and lightly tap 1-2 of their classmate’s hands, as the others close their eyes with hands on desks. Afterwards, those with their hands tapped guess who tapped their hands. They switch roles if their answers are correct.

Games to energize the class

37) Back to the board

 Write some vocabulary words on the board and split students into teams. A student from each team comes up and faces their back to the board, and you circle one of the words. Without using the word itself, each team tries to get their representative to guess which word you’ve circled. Whoever guesses first earns their team a point. This game can become more active (and quieter) if each team is only allowed to use gestures to help their representative guess the word.

38) Apple pie

One student comes to the front of the class and faces their back to the other students. One at a time, the students say “apple pie” and the student at the front tries to guess who spoke. Students can try to trick the guesser by moving around and changing voices. This game often involves a fair amount of laughter, so it’s great for waking up a sleepy class.

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39) Speed Mad Libs

 If you need an energizing and quick break in-class activities, try Mad Libs but this time, at a rapid pace. Project a Mad Lib on the screen and quickly go around the room asking students to choose adjectives, nouns, colors, etc. with only 5 seconds to say each word. Read the result as a class for a nice laugh.

40) Zip zap zoom

 For another classic game that’s sure to wake up your students, try zip zap zoom. In a circle, students pass around an imaginary “ball” of energy. They say “zip” when passing it clockwise, “zap” when passing it counterclockwise, and “zoom” to send it to someone across the circle. Students try not the ones holding the ball of energy when the 2-minute timer goes off.

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41) Musical chairs

 For this classic game, line up some chairs back-to-back, several fewer than the number of students in your class. Put on some great tunes, and have them scramble for a chair when the music stops. Each round, eliminate 1 or 2 chairs, until there’s only 1 chair left and 2 students.

42) Four corners

 This game is perfect if you want to get your students moving, and if you have a fair amount of space in your classroom. Teachers assign names to each of the four corners of the classroom, and students have 20 seconds to choose which corner to stand in. Pick out of a hat to announce one of the four corners. The students standing in the corner you call are eliminated until the next round. The last student standing wins.

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43) Who am I?

 Each student gets a card taped to their forehead with the name of a topic, historical figure, or book character written on it. The students circulate to ask questions and try to figure out who/what is taped to them.

44) Pictionary

 Create cards naming class topics that students can visualize, ranging from historical events, to vocabulary words, to science concepts. In small groups, one student chooses a card and works to draw an image that the other team members use to guess the word. For an extra challenge, add a timer. For more assistance, allow them to include a letter or two in the drawing.

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45) Minute-to-win-it 

For an energizing break, have students compete in small tasks that can be completed in under a minute. Common minute-to-win-it exercises include stacking cups, transferring small objects with chopsticks, and passing a balloon around a circle without using hands.

Fun Classroom Games for Kids – Further Reading

As you can see from this list, classroom games can be quite versatile. Teachers can use them for a range of purposes, from reviewing class material, to developing collaboration skills, to waking students up, to calming them down. For more classroom resources, we recommend the following blog articles:

• 124 Good Icebreaker Questions for Students/Adults
• 141 Fun, Weird, & Interesting Facts—2024
• 60 Easy Science Experiments for Kids
• Best Teacher Intro Letter to Parents—with Examples
• 30 Writing Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarten
• 55 Best Short Stories for Kids and Middle Schoolers
• 60 Team-Building Activities for Kids & Middle/High School Students