As students get older, society would have us believe that they should be outgrowing certain things like playing classroom games. I, on the other hand, stand with Jim Halpert and believe that you are NEVER too old to play a game or celebrate a victory!
Period.
Age is, however, a factor when it comes to playing educational games in your classroom. What appeals to a second grader will, obviously, not appeal to a middle school student, for example.
So, we have to change our game lineup to adjust accordingly to the big interest and maturity difference that comes with both the transition from lower to upper elementary and upper elementary to middle school. We also sometimes need more appealing awards for classroom game victories. However, it can be difficult to think of appealing awards that aren't the standard candy or a small prize from a bucket, and lots of silly and fun awards certificates are meant for smaller children and come with "little kid" clip art on them, which rules them out for middle school classrooms.
What do fifth or sixth-grade students want and find appealing? Let's start with games.
Games
Fifth and sixth-grade students want the opportunity to:
be silly.
be creative.
absolutely crush their opponents and secure a massive victory. (Seriously, they get competitive!)
There are many online options to choose from for hosting a review game, for example, like Blooket or Kahoot, but there isn't much room for creativity when using them. Also, sometimes teachers want to play games that give students a break and get them away from screens.
If you want more creativity and less screen time, I've got a few games that don't require students to use computers and can help check the boxes on the above list. Many of them are holiday-themed because it's that wonderful time of year!
You can also find the above Backward Ad Libs games in this bundle,
Backward Ad Libs Fall & Winter Holiday Game Bundle!
I also have a Backward Ad Libs Spring Holiday Game Bundle!
Awards
Now let's talk about awards for classroom game victories. What do fifth and sixth-grade students want to commemorate their victories?
Fifth and sixth-grade students want:
fame.
bragging rights
their names and a record of their victory written in permanent ink.
(They'd prefer to have their names immortalized in stone, but marble can be hard to come by on a teacher's budget. Ha!)
Trust me, if your fifth-grade or sixth-grade student has just won a massive victory in your classroom in Kahoot, Blooket, a classroom Spelling Bee, any of my games listed above, or any other game, there is nothing more fun for him/her than getting to parade down the hall proclaiming that they have defeated their competitors and emerged as the reigning champion while holding proof of their victory above their heads. So, why not give your students a reward that helps them do just that (and will last for longer than the bag of Skittles they'll down in 2.5 seconds flat)?
Present them with an original award that gives them something to hold up and say, "I am the victor!"
I made the certificates below specifically for fifth and sixth-grade competitors, and you can find them by clicking the links/pictures below.
However, whether you use the awards from my shop, make your own awards out of yogurt lids like Pam and Jim did in The Office, or make some out of random pieces of colored card stock in your room, make the awards, and always celebrate your students' victories!
If you're looking for more ways to bring some extra fun to your classroom while also maximizing your classroom game-playing time, check out this post: Eliminate The Team Name Time-Suck.
I hope you have fun and create awesome classroom memories while playing games with your students and celebrating their victories!
Until next time!
Lauren
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