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What if I told you that learning really could be all fun and games? Enter gameschooling, an approach to teaching kids that is growing rapidly among homeschoolers and fun-loving families of all types.
Gameschooling is more than just breaking out Monopoly on family game nights. Families that gameschool choose games strategically to explore a content area or fill a gap in their regular curriculum. As a veteran gameschooler myself, I think there are key times parents should consider reaching for a game:
- To master a concept your child is finding tricky or where you meet resistance. A game can help kids memorize those multiplication tables or help them explore classic literature.
- To provide a crash course in a subject that you can’t seem to squeeze into your regular curriculum. No time for a coding class? Grab one of the many games that teach it and let them play instead!
- To practice social skills and collaboration. Cooperative games are some of the most underappreciated. A carefully chosen game will teach teamwork, communication, leadership, and, of course, fair play.
The list of benefits of gameschooling is exhaustive.
“You’ll discover numerous benefits to gameschooling, like opportunities to practice skills like growth mindset, communication, and logic. Games take the pressure off by redirecting the focus from performance and grades to interaction and problem-solving,” says Amy over at Rock Your Homeschool.
But there’s another benefit to gameschooling that we as parents know intuitively—children learn more and learn better when they’re having fun!
Amy recommends that families carefully consider games before purchasing, asking questions like:
- Who will be playing this game? Consider ages, temperament, and skill level.
- What is the purpose (or purposes) of the game? Do you want a game to cover an entire subject matter or a specific topic?
- How much space does it take to play and store?
- When will we be playing the game? And how long does it take?
- Can we borrow this game from a friend or the library to try before buying?”
Ready to give it a try yourself? We’ve picked the brains (and combed the blogs) of some of the top gameschoolers in the homeschool world. Here are a few of their favorite games to get you started:
Gameschooling for STEM
What do kids learn? Players manage a number of “workers” within a cell to acquire resources and actions, which they use to build enzymes, hormones, and receptors and gain Health Points. Kids learn all about the anatomy and function of a cell—the smallest unit of life.
Who can play? 2-5 players, Ages 10+
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Amy from Rock Your Homeschool gives Cytosis a nod as a gameschooling winner in the STEM category.
Other Top Picks
- Evolution
- WildCraft
- Bird Bingo
- Totally Gross: The Game of Science
- Organ Attack
- Periodic: A Game of the Elements
- Ecologies
Games for Preschool/Kindergarten-aged Kids
What do kids learn? Don’t let the name fool you—this game teaches both addition and subtraction skills up to 12 as players lead their critters to safety through the swamp.
Who can play? 2-4 players, preschool and up
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Jamie Martin from Simple Homeschool says this game is “a frequently requested game in our home!”
Other Top Picks
- Spot It!
- Gobblet Gobblers
- Sequence for Kids
- Create a Story cards
- Hoot Owl, Hoot!
- Sleeping Queens
- Rat-a-Tat Cat
- Sushi Go!
Gameschooling for Critical Thinking Skills
What do kids learn? Which kitty committed the crime?! Players attempt to solve a series of increasingly challenging mysteries using deductive reasoning. The short play time and single-player gameplay make this logic game a favorite for not only gameschooling at home but while traveling too. See also Dog Crimes!
Who can play? 1 player (However, it can be played cooperatively as well), 8+
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Jessica from The Waldock Way says “The artwork is hilarious! Your homeschoolers will enjoy solving 40 different Cat Crimes and building critical thinking skills along the way.”
Other Top Picks
- Sequence
- Color Cube Sodoku
- Clue
- Dinosaur Escape
- Blokus
- Qwirkle
- SET
- Chicken War
- Onitama
- Roller Coaster Challenge
- Chess
Games for Geography
The Scrambled States of America
What do kids learn? This speed game challenges players to find a state that matches the criteria on a challenge card. Kids learn state names, shapes, and locations plus their capitals and nicknames.
Who can play? 2-4 players, 8+
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Gameschool-loving Erin over at Nourishing My Scholar tells us that The Scrambled States of America means, “U.S. geography has never been more fun!”
Other Top Picks
- Ticket to Ride
- Trekking the World
- Trekking the National Parks
- Sequence States and Capitals
- Game of States
- GeoBingo World
- GeoBingo USA
Games for History
Professor Noggin’s History of the United States
What do kids learn? Children learn about the people, discoveries, inventions, and events that shaped American history with this card game that includes trivia and fun true/false or multiple-choice questions on each card.
Who can play? 2-4 players, 7+
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Professor Noggin’s card games received more than one notable mention from the gameschooling experts! Caitlin from My Little Poppies says this is a favorite for her 10-year-old to gameschool history, and Amy at Rock Your Homeschool gives a thorough endorsement for all the Professor Noggin subjects saying, “My boys and I LOVE Professor Noggin’s trivia card games in a variety of subjects. The topics are wonderful ways to spark curiosity, and we’re often going down rabbit trails to learn more.”
Other Top Picks
- Trekking Through History
- 7 Wonders
- Cardline Dinosaurs
- Professor Noggin’s Ancient Civilizations
- Risk
- HerStory: The Strategy Board Game
Games for Coding
What do kids learn? Epitomizing the concept of “sneaky learning,” this game develops critical thinking and teaches programming principles, but kids just think they’re having fun and making silly turtle noises! What does a turtle sound like anyway?
Who can play? 2-5 players, 4+
Pro-Gameschooler Approved! Caitlin Fitzpatrick of My Little Poppies laments, “I was a little sad when we finally outgrew it and passed it on to a friend. My kids used to love acting goofy and [making] silly turtle sound effects.”
Other Top Picks
So, which ones did we miss? Let us know what makes your list of favorite games for some sneaky learning.