TOP PICKS | 31 TOOLS
The Most Engaging Games for the Classroom
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GoNoodle
Brief bursts of physical exercise add classroom fun, build brain power
Bottom line: In a genre of its own, GoNoodle is a ready-to-go and classroom-friendly exercise program that challenges students to get moving.
Grades: Pre-K–8
Price: Free, Free to Try, Paid GoNoodle is free. A GoNoodle Plus subscription provides additional features and games for $99 per year or $10 per month; GoNoodle Plus has a 30-day free trial.
Cork the Volcano - Puzzlets
Fun elementary coding through hands-on puzzle tiles
Bottom line: Programming that combines engaging physical puzzle tiles with digital gameplay.
The Robot Factory by Tinybop
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.
Minecraft: Education Edition
Stellar collaboration tools, controls make Minecraft classroom-ready
Bottom line: An excellent tool to engage students in learning, collaboration, and critical thinking is now more accessible than ever to teachers.
Grades: K–12
Price: Paid $5 per user per year; schools may qualify for volume licensing.
Fruity Fractions
Stellar tool builds rock-solid foundational understanding
Bottom line: A stellar way to dig deep and give kids an excellent intro to fractions.
DragonBox Big Numbers
Carrot-and-stick arithmetic app makes students fluent in regrouping
Bottom line: Hopelessly addictive addition/subtraction app keeps students learning and learning.
The Land of Venn - Geometric Defense
Brilliant, wacky adventure game seamlessly integrates geometry
Bottom line: This captivating game is a great way to introduce or reinforce early geometry concepts.
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 Free with optional paid upgrades. Premium membership costs $8.95 per month or $59.88 per year.
Slice Fractions: School Edition
Clever twist combines math instruction with engaging gameplay
Bottom line: A fun, innovative way to help kids build a strong conceptual understanding of fractions.
Crayon Physics Deluxe
Influential physics game is still a draw
Bottom line: Instantly engaging and super accessible to learners of many ages and abilities, Crayon Physics Deluxe fuses conceptual science learning with a brand of playful problem solving that demands creativity.
Grades: 2–12
Price: $19.95
Minecraft
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.
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/.
Zoombinis
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.
Kahoot!
Gamelike 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
DragonBox Algebra 5+
Mesmerizing step-by-step puzzler sets the foundation for algebra
Bottom line: This innovative game-changer teaches algebra, changes the way kids learn it, and even changes how they feel about it.
Twelve a Dozen
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.
Elegy for a Dead World
Compelling sci-fi world imagined -- and written -- by its players
Bottom line: With some teacher guidance, Elegy offers an opportunity unlike anything else to get students to write stories and stretch their creative muscles.
Grades: 4–12
Price: $14.99
Geoguessr
"Just one more turn" gameplay jazzes up geography
Bottom line: It's not a typical educational game, but students are inspired to explore the world and encouraged to think critically about what defines culture and geography.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free, Paid The optional $2.99/month Pro version removes ads and allows users to create their own maps for people to play.
W.E.L.D.E.R. Swap
Mashup of Boggle and Candy Crush gets kids forming new words
Bottom line: Students, especially word geeks, will dig this strategic game, but it's unclear how much it'll impact learning.
Journey
Gorgeous, moving adventure -- a jewel of social and emotional learning
Bottom line: Journey is a must-play experience and a shining beacon of the good that games can do.
Never Alone: Ki Edition
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.
Divide by Sheep
Extremely addictive puzzle game has dark, slightly gory play
Bottom line: A great game for math problem-solving, but be careful choosing your audience.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Unique cooperative adventure with lasting social and emotional impact
Bottom line: With good support, an extremely powerful game to build empathy.
Niche - a genetics survival game
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Paid $17.99
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Best entry in classic strategy series might not be best for classrooms
Bottom line: As with all games in this series, Civilization VI is a great learning experience with the right support, but older, cheaper versions may be more practical for classrooms.
DEVICE 6
Inventive, interactive short story puzzles, scares, and delights
Bottom line: Utterly unique, short experience packed with exploration, mysteries, and surprises, but will take inventive teacher to wrap around.
Political Animals
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: $14.99
Walden, a game
Thoughtfully designed game illuminates Thoreau's writing, philosophy
Bottom line: It's rare to be so moved and permanently transformed by a work of art; that this game manages to (re)create these experiences is a triumph.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free, Paid Teachers can request a complimentary copy of the game.
Gone Home
Compelling narrative game fosters empathy, self-reflection
Bottom line: If you're searching for a unique way to analyze storytelling from a social and emotional angle, look no further.
Grades: 9–12
Price: $14.99
Kerbal Space Program
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free to Try, Paid $39.99, free demo
Papers, Please
Mature immigration game forces tough ethical choices
Bottom line: It's a provocative simulation about ethics and immigration that could spark debate but might be tough to implement.
Grades: 9–12
Price: $9.99
