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10 Great Free Games for Elementary Students

It's hard to narrow the list of great learning games out there, let alone the ones that don't cost a penny. With this list, our editors selected the 10 best elementary-level games that are engaging for students and either completely free or free enough that you only need to spend on optional extras. Use them with kids from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade to help them move around, go on adventures, and learn foundational math and science. Whether kids are playing an engaging STEM puzzler or creating their own games from scratch, they're sure to have fun and learn at the same time.

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Khan Academy Kids

Creative, smart mix of pre-K to K activities is a breath of fresh air

Bottom line: It's tough to stand out in the crowded early learning space, but this collection does just that, offering a one-stop shop for creative learning of foundational skills.

Grades: Pre-K–K Price: Free

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Prodigy

Adaptive math practice wrapped in role-playing adventure

Bottom line: Sometimes kids just need some math practice to get things to stick, and Prodigy delivers in a fun format with great teacher support.

Grades: 1–8 Price: Free, Paid Access to all educational content is free; subscriptions ($8.95 per month or $59.88 per year) include exclusive items, customizations, and other extras.

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Scratch

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.

Grades: 1–12 Price: Free

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Spaceteam ESL

Chaotic game offers silly yet novel way to practice English vocab

Bottom line: An irresistibly fun way for ELLs to practice high-frequency English vocabulary, but as an app it's a bit rough around the edges.

Grades: 2–12 Price: Free

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Contraption Maker

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.

Grades: 3–8 Price: Free, Paid The game costs $9.99. Teachers can receive free copies; see here for more information: http://contraptionmaker.com/education/.

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Kahoot!

Game-like student-response tool can spark competitive fun

Bottom line: Effortlessly fun quizzing that can lead to productive formative assessment and student reflection if implemented effectively.

Grades: 3–12 Price: Free, Paid While Kahoot! is free, there's a Plus version for teachers priced at $1 per teacher per month, which includes a shared folder for quizzes, co-creation and co-editing of quizzes, and advanced reporting. A $3 per month Pro version adds an image library.

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Twelve a Dozen - all access

Engrossing math platformer puts problem-solving skills to the test

Bottom line: This absorbing game challenges kids' math and thinking skills as much as it entertains.

Grades: 4–8 Price: Free, Paid Offers in-app purchases.

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CodeCombat

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.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free, Paid Intro course is free. Contact the developer to get set up with purchasing a group license for the classroom version.

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Geoguessr

"Just one more turn" gameplay jazzes up geography

Bottom line: It's not a typical educational game, but Geoguessr inspires students to explore the world and encourages them to think critically about what defines a place, including culture and geography.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free, Free to try, Paid The optional $2.99 per month (or $23.88 per year) Pro version removes ads and allows players to create their own maps; there's a 10-day free trial. Group plans are available: $39.99 per month for 15 members, $69.99 per month for 30 members, and $200 per month for 100 members.

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