Educational Play Activities to Consider

Oh, the places you will go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss, the author of many children’s books, knew that children, in particular, love learning through play activities. Not everyone enjoys sitting in a classroom for hours on end and, so, it they really appreciate it when lessons have an element of fun in them, including games. Even adults love learning through imaginative play.

This is very true of the world that we live in today, where many of our activities (from socialising to banking) have moved online. Thus, there are a plethora of games online and new generation tools, that cover a broad range of interests.

Teachers, today, are making use of online games, from trusted websites, which have learning activities which encourage play.

Indeed, education experts are taking a serious look at how games can be incorporated into lessons, in a whole host of subjects.

While most educational games are geared at children between 5 and 15, there are still some that would appeal to those who are a bit older. So, without any further delay, let’s delve right into the top ten educational websites that would help teachers make any lesson a breeze … and fun!  

Let's now look at some of the games that support learning through play activities.

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Do Games in the Classroom Benefit Learners?

Before we explore what the best websites for activities and games for primary and high school learners are, we should pause for a moment and consider whether or not games are of value in the conventional classroom.

Do games benefit learners or do they serve to distract learners from their core activities and tasks?

Let’s look at the pros and cons.

The Pros

Over time, a growing band of teachers have been trying to introduce fun and games into their lessons, to see if it would impact on their students and their motivation to learn. Here, we take a look at some of the advantages of employing games in the classroom:

Games, of course, have many more advantages and will, therefore, grow increasingly more popular in the classroom.

But, do games have disadvantages?

Let's have a look.

The Cons

As with almost anything, introducing games into the classroom does have some drawbacks. Below we highlight two reasons that you should give some thought to before introducing games to your students:

Now that you’ve been exposed to both sides of the coin, you will be able to make informed decisions regarding the use of games in your classes.

The Top Ten Game Websites for the Classroom

Participating in recreational activities, or playing a game, have long been considered as a way of distracting your mind from serious issues or was regarded as what you do when you have some free time. However, this is not always the case. Research has shown that games can be both educational and beneficial to people of all ages.

Primary school learners, in particular, are partial to online games, since it engages their minds and helps to keep them focussed.

Here they are then: the top ten game websites for students!

Bitesize/BBC Schools

This is a great place to start, since this site has been running for more than a decade. Bitesize is an important site for all subjects, up to grade 11, while Schools goes into greater detail for those approaching their matric finals. So, in essence, BBC Schools has plentiful resources for parents and teachers, while BBC Bitesize caters for kids. Making use of the games on offer at Bitesize, is a wonderful revision technique for teenage students in the upper grades.

AGAME.com for Music Games

A popular, flash-based, game site, AGAME.com is the darling of the social media generation. AGAME.com does showcase a number of other games that are not, in essence, educational, and it also features a wonderful selection of music games that will excite your thinking cap. MusicGames.com is far more than just a rhythm and music learning site. Its rhythm and music cover various genres and helps learners to demonstrate various skills such as rhythm, harmonies, instrument knowledge and much more. This site is highly recommended for you, if you’re a music teacher.

The Jason Project

These digital labs and online games were created to capture learners’ attention and maintain their interest. It is worth noting that JASON learning is heavily biased towards STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Before users can participate in activities and games, they are requested to sign up for access to a wide range of carefully-designed educational games and activities.

Cut the Knot

Described as “a mathematician’s delight” by merlot.org, Cut the Knot hosts a massive range of interactive puzzles and mathematics and also has an interactive monthly column. Cut the Knot.org covers the areas of arithmetic, algebra, calculus, geometry and that is only for starters. If you truly want to get ahead with your mathematics revision, this site beats poring over a textbook any day and has the added advantage of making learning a truly fun experience.

NASA Quest Challenges

NASA is renowned for excellence, right?

This quality is evident in its NASA Quest Challenges, where its free learning resources are available. An extensive range of engineering and scientific topics are covered through interactive challenges and games, relevant to real-world, everyday experiences within the domain of specific sciences. NASA Quest Challenges are best suited for older learners.

A whole host of workbooks, lesson plans and other resources for educators can be found here!

Teachable

Teachable is a great website with a good reputation around the globe. It houses plentiful resources which are crowd-sourced by teachers themselves. Many of the asynchronous (self-paced) lessons include a number of quizzes and games which are designed for all year groups and subjects.

Creative Chemistry

Creative Chemistry has chemistry quizzes, games, resources and worksheets and teachers can access the website to find resources to make the lessons interesting and exciting.

Younger learners, at primary school in particular, will not be exposed to chemistry, so these resources will be of specific interest to high school and, possibly college students.

Adventure Academy

The creators of ABC Mouse put together Adventure Academy for children between the ages of 8 and 13. It aims to help kids with maths, science, reading and several other subjects, by introducing them to games that are fun and accessible. You will have free access for 30 days, after which a small fee applies. The fee is well worth it, since it holds the following benefits:

• 4000+ games and activities;
• The possibility to learn from any location,
• The ability to track your progress, and
• No need to commit.

Mangahigh

You love manga, but you struggle with maths. No problem: this site mixes the two.

Mangaghigh makes good use of the popularity of the Japanese comic genre throughout its site. The boffins at Mangahigh have gone out of their way to change the way maths is traditionally viewed, using colourful and casual games to tackle sticky problems, like quadratic equations.

PBS Kids Games

If you’re keen to encourage learning through play, why not consult the reputable PBS website. PBS Kids Games has numerous video games which are related to education. It offers three game sections: Popular games, new games and winter games. Browse through the website to check if PBS has the appropriate educational activities for your learners.

So, there you have them: the top ten websites that feature learning activities which encourage play for kids of all ages. Whether you’re a teacher or a student, you'll benefit from exploring each website before selecting the activities you think will encourage learning through imaginative play.

In the end, it does not matter that you or your students think that a topic is boring, there will be a website to help you turn it into a rich, fun and fulfilling experience!