How Do Board Games Help in Classroom Management?

The use of board games in the classroom has long been a topic of debate, as some see them as old-fashioned and out of date, while others see them as a fun way to pass the time, and a great way for students to learn.

Whether they are used as a break from the classroom environment, or used at designated learning times, board games offer benefits that are undeniable.  And it’s worth taking a look at just how these games can benefit your classroom and your students.

It’s All About the Place

Simply put, a board game is a game played with cards, or tiles, along with markers (paper or metal), or both.  The pieces of the board (the tiles in this case) are placed on a grid of spaces, and players roll the dice.  Each player’s objective is to move their piece of tiles across the board and into the ” winning” space.  The player with the highest value face value wins.  Of course, there is a twist – you can only lose your face value tile!  This means that you have a minimum of three face value tiles in order to win.

The value of the face values of the tiles are the same as in standard bingo.  The difference is that there is no risk of being out numbered.  Therefore there is much more likelihood that someone will win.  Don’t underestimate how much of a headache face value can be.

Of course if you really want to play a fun and unique game in class, the time is always Money Money Money Money.  This is a game that all ages can enjoy.  It can be played by individuals of families with children, and by groups with children and adults.  All of these groups will have different strategies and styles of play.

The most important thing to remember when playing money money money in class is that you are not actually playing the game.  All you need to do is tell the students to “Trade places”.  They will then trade places with each other until everyone has had a turn.  All the students will win.  The only person who gets out of this trade is the winner.  To make it fair you can have another person trade places with each of the other students who did not trade.  The person who is trading places with the winner gets the extra turn.  Sounds pretty simple, right?

 Trainer Money

The Trainer Money game can also be played with students of all ages, but the only limit that there will be is the amount of money that the students themselves can afford.  Trainer money is played like the normal game of bingo but with one key difference.  Instead of using bingo cards just containing numbers, the numbers on the cards are the trainer’s grades.  The only way to get the grades is by taking turns.  This game is a lot of fun, and the only limit is the students’ finances.

The only way to play this game is to have each person working on a desk covered with different grades.  Obviously, the grades will not actually match up with each other since there are different grades for each grade.  The only way to be able to discern these grades is through the collection of money.  Each grade contains money, and when all the students have gathered their money, they tell the trainer their grades.  The only way to tell the exact amount of money that each student has it their books, pocket, or on their person.

The game is simple enough.  The teacher sets up a small foldout desk and divides the desk into two parts.  One side of the desk is used for grades, and the other side is used for money.  The money is placed in a pile at the end of the desk, and taken out depending on the grade that each student is using.  If a student has a bad grade, the teacher will ask for the student’s money and then the student has to give back their grade.  If a student has a good grade, they will collect the teacher’s money.  When all the students have completed their grades, the game is complete.

Note that this game only occurs if the teacher allows it to happen.  Students cannot be forced to play.  This game can happen any time that the teacher has students who need extra help in the classroom.  It is a fun way for the teacher to have extra money for equipment or for treats for the students.  Since the money collected by the students is their own money, it will not be taken from them unfairly.

Another way to give students money when they need it is to play the Teacher Stink game.  You can use different items for this game too, but the thing to remember is that the more the students’ stink, the more the teacher will want to help them.