My 4th grade students created their own science review board games to prepare for end of level testing. They had a blast and they turned out great! See how my students used their creativity to create games that helped review for the big test.
When I introduced this activity, students were so excited to review in a fun way instead of packets. The only requirement I gave them was to have at least 5 questions from each of the 6 topics we studied this year within their review board games – water cycle, weather, fossils, rocks and minerals, Utah’s environments, and soil.
Students were free to choose how they would create and run their game – complete with game pieces, question cards, and instructions. Students definitely enjoyed reviewing for the CRTs this way rather than through lecture!
It was so fun to see their creativity in what they created. I gave them a legal size file folder to use as their board. Most groups wrote more than the required number of questions. They did a great job and elaborated on their questions, not just requiring a yes/no answer.
The board games took 3 days of our science block to create with students in small groups of 2-3 people. I graded their board games with a rubric I created.
Because this was such a big hit with students, I made a Create Your Own Board Game resource to help teachers use this activity with their students!
Create Your Own Board Game
Unleash your students’ creativity by having them create their own board game. This resource can be used in so many different ways – novel studies, test prep, enrichment, content review, or assessment – just to name a few. Students don’t just create any board game – they need components that go with typical board games, which is where the critical thinking aspect comes in. They will write instructions, create game pieces, write content questions, and try out each other’s games to make sure they work. This is a project students will ask to be able to do again!
Have you ever had your students create their own board games?
