Best Homework Games for Students

Immediate feedback and breadth a huge plus, despite emphasis on drills

Bottom Line: Students can improve targeted skills by using practice modules in moderation.

Improve designs, collect favorites in robot creation sandbox

Bottom Line: A well-made and enjoyable STEM app that leverages what's great about play -- experimentation -- to spark engineering interest.

Excellent elementary NGSS engineering practices embedded in fun games

Bottom Line: Fun gameplay lets kids explore important physics concepts in a solid standards-aligned context.

Playful collection of games reinforces a diversity of skills

Bottom Line: A great add-on to any classroom as a treat for students or as a way to get students to practice taught concepts to mastery.

Creative sandbox opens the door to coding in any subject area

Bottom Line: Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.

Awesome, adaptive math games with a killer teacher dashboard

Bottom Line: Fantastic tool for flipped or blended classrooms, formative assessment, or extra practice in any setting.

Solve problems, puzzles, brain teasers while creating wacky machines

Bottom Line: Hands-on problem-solving leads to great fun and independent learning with the right curricular wraparound to connect what kids are doing with what they need to know.

Sandbox tool enables engaged, conceptual physics inquiry

Bottom Line: A robust, free pedagogical tool that's like a digital workbench where kids build and apply conceptual science knowledge.

Dungeon-crawling adventure where code is king

Bottom Line: While not everyone loves fighting ogres, CodeCombat offers a classroom-ready platform and an authentic learning experience.

Super fun, cutting-edge approach to learning and practicing algebra

Bottom Line: Kids build a strong foundation for algebra by learning the underlying concepts for solving equations with this extremely fun and educational math tool.

Well-developed biome sim provides cheap, endless learning

Bottom Line: This affordable ecosystem balancing game teaches life science skills while keeping students engaged.

Superb sandbox for astrophysics experimentation

Bottom Line: An impressive -- and complex -- tool that encourages a playful, systems thinking-oriented exploration of the universe and astrophysics.

One of the best creation tools available for aspiring game developers

Bottom Line: Great choice for a full unit or class on game design; fuels students game-making dreams.

Immersive genetics sim puts evolution in students' hands

Bottom Line: This hands-on genetics game allows students to experiment, explore traits, and come away with a sophisticated understanding of the subject.

Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim

Bottom Line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.

Games, creative activities give 360-degree view of common sight words

Bottom Line: Combination of guided games and open-ended activities give kids a great opportunity for digging deep into words.

Illuminating native Alaskan folktale supports SEL skills

Bottom Line: A beautiful achievement developed in cooperation with indigenous folk that offers players valuable SEL skill building and a respectful window into Inupiat culture, ways of life, traditions, and stories.

Well-designed games, lessons can spice up your civics curriculum

Bottom Line: This game-based curriculum would be an excellent addition to any secondary social studies.

Legendary strategy game is a hit with history buffs in school and out

Bottom Line: For flexible classrooms, creative teachers, and sharp students, Civilization V is the perfect platform for making rather than memorizing history.

Charming political campaign sim mixes data analysis and civics

Bottom Line: It's a highly entertaining and surprisingly deep way to help students see the strategy -- as well as ethical choices -- involved in elections.

Variety is key in charmingly effective SAT vocab app

Bottom Line: Upgrading to the full version gets you great games and a thorough word list for SAT vocab prep.

One-stop shop for a wealth of fantastic PBS Kids educational content

Bottom Line: Robust collection of learning resources covers an impressive array of topics.

Customizable multiplayer auto races rev up basic typing practice

Bottom Line: Nitro Type is pretty darn engaging, but teachers need to prep students' typing skills first.

Classic logic puzzler gets a beautiful new look

Bottom Line: Promote powerful thinking skills, resilience, and decision-making through purely fun gameplay that will keep students begging for more.

Spiraling sandbox of adventure and creation gets kids to dig deep

Bottom Line: An irresistible and seemingly limitless incubator for 21st century skills that, with a little guidance, can chart new courses for learning.

Practice typing by exploring and defending a world made of paper

Bottom Line: Great for practicing touch-typing skills, this adventure game draws players in with a slowly revealed backstory.