I love, love, love, love incorporating games into a classroom! Because let's face it-students crave a break from the regular schoolwork routine every now and then, and yes, so teachers do too! Adding games to the classroom reduces boredom while at the same time strengthens social skills through peer interaction. They also help to increase students’ motivation by getting them actively involved in the learning process. Adding games to your class is a fun way to review relevant academic content whether you play them before a break when students are already on “school’s out mode”, or the day before a test as a review. They are a win-win situation for everyone any day! You are sure to see lots of smiles on your students’ faces when you announce at the start of class that they will be playing a game-you will be their shining hero for the period :).
My Science Thinking Bingos and Teachers
My science thinking bingos are an excellent way to engage students to learn about biology and important health-related topics. I have six of them: Biology, Circulatory System, Respiratory System, Skeletal and Muscular System, Digestive System, and Nervous System. The Biology Thinking Bingo was the first one I created. This game was such a hit with my students (and ME!) that it led me to make more of bingos down the line. My bingo games cover important teen health topics such as: nutrition facts, heart healthy facts, and tobacco, drugs & alcohol prevention & facts, anatomy and biology terms.
These games can be played in ways that appeal to both students with little prior knowledge of the topic as well as to those who know the content well. The later was my true intent for creating these bingo games. When playing the challenging way, students hear the clues read to them, then they must figure out the answer to it, then check if they have it on their playing board, if so, they mark that space. At the end you check winning boards by looking through your saved clue cards. I recommend students play in pairs using one card, but there are enough playing cards for most classes to play individually if you prefer this instead. And the game’s clue cards can be used as flash cards to review the content being covered.
As I stated before, I like to encourage social skills, so for this reason I usually have students play in pairs where they can work together to find the correct answer. Of course, in most classes, there is always at least one student that will ask me if they can play alone, and this is fine. I let them. Another perk about my thinking bingos is that they are designed to get a winner within 10-15 minutes usually, enabling you to play more than one round in a class period. Most students love the opportunity to play a second round!
Science Thinking Bingos and Homeschool Parents
Not just for teachers! These games are perfect for homeschooling parents too! Pop some popcorn and use these bingos for your family's game nights. My thinking bingos are a great way to get the whole family involved in what your child is learning. Younger children will get a heads up on a topic that they will eventually be learning if they play along.
I don't know about you, but I prefer that my kids have less screen time, and more real-time play, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic, where my kids have had too much screen time due to their school being all virtual. I like to get my kids outside playing more and also like to include more board games that we can place on the den table. These bingo games, like other games, can give kids a break from the screen and gets them back to playing the old-fashioned, classic, fun way!
Where to Find These Games
Whether you are on summer break or school is still going on, it is always a great time to build your games collections in your classes. You can always make your own, but they are quite time consuming to create. If you would rather spend your free time doing other things, then check out my Science Thinking Bingo Bundles, because this might be just what you need. It includes all six of my bingo games that are perfect for middle school and high school students but can also be used with upper elementary kids. Of course, if you prefer to buy just one or two, you can purchase the games individually on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. If you would like to take a closer look at each one, go ahead and check them out.
Another game I created was FOLLOW YOUR HEART, a great game to review or learn about the human circulatory system! Perfect for teachers and parents alike!
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