5 Games to Play on Zoom with Students

This is the first post in a series about Fun in the Online Classroom. You can read the second post here and the third post here. 

It seems like every teacher is looking for ways to make online learning more fun and engaging and online classroom games seem to be all the rage right now! If you are one of those teachers, you will need to check this out! 

We may not be able to make the learning fun, but we can take breaks and play games that are fun and allow students to reset and refocus. 

Check out my Top 5 favorite games to play with my students during my online lessons. 

• Kahoot

I am basically obsessed with Kahoot! I know that people think of it as silly and may not take it seriously, but with the updates to the platform, you could make a whole lesson in a Kahoot Game! 

But the best way to use Kahoot is for some much-needed relief from the learning! Students cannot be expected to be engaged and attentive for 5 hours straight so having a break is so helpful! 

I love going on the Kahoot site and finding something random and fun like the Top Songs from 2000-2019 or Name that Disney Movie. And the students love it too!  

• Scavenger Hunts

So, this isn’t your normal scavenger hunt. It is much more fun and gets the students up and moving. 

The idea is that you give the students something to find like “Something Fuzzy” and they have to run around the room they are in to find something that fits that description. 

My students love it and as soon as we are done, they ask when we are going to play again! 

It not only helps them take a break mentally but also gets them moving which helps them to get out some of that energy and allows them to refocus when they come back to the lesson. 

If you want to learn more about how I implement Scavenger Hunts in my classroom, check out the blog post here!

• Pictionary

So, this is a bit trickier but still just as fun! Here is how I play Pictionary over Zoom with my students!

1. I private message whoever is drawing with what they have to draw. 
2. Then I share my screen and make sure annotation or whiteboard is on. 
3. The student starts drawing and the other students in the class have to guess. 

It does get a little chaotic with all of them shouting and things so this can be a great time to teach turn-taking and listening skills.

• Scattergories

This is really fun and really has to get students thinking. Basically, you roll a dice and it gives you a letter. Then you have categories and you have to think of words that start with the chosen letter that fit that category. You also want to pick words that you think no one else will pick because if there is a repeat, you don’t get the point. (Although I usually don’t worry about this rule because it’s tricky enough as it is for some of my younger kiddos. 

Also, I found a virtual version of Scattergories so I don’t have to think of the categories or the letter or anything like that. 

• Shark Spotting

Okay, so this one is less of a game and more just relaxing fun, but my students and I made it into a game. 

So, we go to a zoo or aquarium’s website that has webcams like this one. We watch and I’ll name something that we are looking for like a stingray or shark (hence the name) and students will call out when they see one or I’ll have them count how many times they see the specified animal. 

Honestly, I don’t care about the number. It is just so relaxing to sit and watch the fish swim around. 

It honestly doesn't matter what kinds of games you play as long as students are getting a break and everyone is having fun. And bonus points if you can get them up and moving! 

If you want to play games in your online classroom you can get your own FREE copy of the Scavenger Hunt game, check it out here!