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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

How I Gamified My Classroom: Mini Games

I remember playing Mario Party 2 as a kid on my Nintendo 64. After reading Explore Like a Pirate I played it again to see if I could find the different game aspects he talked about. Some were easier to find than others, but one that jumped right out was mini games! Of course, this game within the game, was the best part! 

That being said, this post is all about mini games to use in your classroom!



Mini games are a great way to practice skills. You can make them as simple or as complicated as you want. I prefer to keep it easy! Here are some quick tips I have for playing games:


1. Everyone does every problem. Keep them engaged and you'll have less problems to deal with.


2. Use something easy to write on like white boards, scratch paper, journals, etc. Don't make it too complicated, and everyone doesn't need to use the same thing. 


3. The fewer teams you use, the better off you'll be. I recommend a max of 4 teams, but I usually end up using 2 teams. 


4. Number off everyone on each team, so every team has the same numbers. Have students solve the problem, or answer the question, etc. and then call out a number to see what their answer was. This helps keep them on their toes. 


I've written out more detailed procedures I've used in previous posts. This is the spark notes version for those of you who've read about my games before. If you're just tuning in now, be sure to check out the other mini games I play at the bottom of the post!

 This game is called Mystery Boxes!


The boxes have point values hidden behind. The point values range from 0 - 100. 

Let's say I'm using two teams. I write a problem on the board, let's say 1+1=, and the students have to solve it. I call on team mate number 3 from both teams, and they both show me their answer. Both teams have 2 as the answer, so both students get the chance to choose a mystery box. Team 1 chooses box 1, and let's say there's 5 points behind it. Team 1 earns 5 points! Team 2 chooses box 28, and let's say there's 50 points behind that one. Team 2 earns 50 points!

Click the video for a sneak peek of what's inside the product!



Click the image to view this product in my TpT store!




If you haven't read about the other mini games I play in my class check them out below!



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