11 Team-based Review Games
Team-based classroom review games are fantastic for making learning interactive and fun. When students work together in teams, they engage more deeply with the material, helping each other understand complex concepts and reinforcing their knowledge. These games also encourage healthy competition, motivating students to pay attention and participate actively in class. Plus, they help build essential social skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. As a teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how these games can transform a quiet classroom into a lively and interactive learning environment.
1. Bingo
Playing Time: 15-30 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Bingo cards, markers or chips
Preparation: Prepare Bingo cards with a grid of answers that correspond to potential questions you will ask. Each team gets a different card to ensure variety.
Game Rules: The teacher calls out a question related to the subject matter. Teams discuss briefly and then mark the square on their Bingo card that contains the answer they believe is correct. The first team to mark five squares in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line shouts “Bingo!” and the game pauses. The teacher checks the team’s answers against the called questions. If all answers are correct, that team wins. If not, the game resumes until another team achieves Bingo.
2. Jeopardy
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Jeopardy board (can be digital or on a whiteboard), questions, and answers
Preparation: Set up a Jeopardy board with categories relevant to the review material. Under each category, place point values (e.g., 100 to 500). Prepare questions for each point value.
Game Rules: The Jeopardy rules are simple. Teams take turns choosing a category and a point value. The teacher reads the question associated with the chosen category and point value. The first team to signal (raise a hand, ring a bell, etc.) gets to answer. If correct, the team earns the point value. If incorrect, other teams have a chance to answer. After all questions are answered, the team with the highest points wins. A “Final Jeopardy” round can be included where teams wager points on a single, challenging question.
The video below will help you to customize the Jeopardy game template:
3. Beach Ball
Playing Time: 15-20 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: A beach ball with questions written on it
Preparation: Write review questions all over a beach ball with a permanent marker. Each question should be brief enough to be read quickly.
Game Rules: Students stand or sit in a circle. The teacher tosses the ball to a student. The student who catches the ball must answer the question under their right thumb. After answering, the student tosses the ball to another team or student. Teams earn points for correct answers. The game continues until all questions have been answered or time runs out. The team with the most points wins.
4. Classroom Feud
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Friendly Feud game template, buzzer or bell
Preparation: Prepare questions based on a survey of popular opinions or facts related to the study material. List the top answers for each question.
Game Rules: Divide the class into two teams, and have representatives from each team face off to answer a question first by using the buzzer or bell. The team of the student who answers first gets the opportunity to reveal more answers for the question. Team members take turns guessing the survey answers. Incorrect guesses earn a strike. Three strikes, and the play passes to the other team, who can steal the points by guessing any remaining answer. The team with the most points after a predetermined number of rounds wins.
This video will help you understand how to play and customize the Friendly Classroom Feud game:
5. Digital Dice
Playing Time: 20-30 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Digital dice app or website, list of questions
Preparation: Prepare a list of review questions. Assign each question to a number that can be rolled on the digital dice.
Game Rules: Teams take turns rolling the digital dice. The number rolled corresponds to a specific question on the teacher’s list. The team must discuss and then answer the question. If correct, they earn points based on the difficulty or the dice number. The game continues with each team rolling the dice and answering questions until all questions are exhausted or a set time limit is reached. The team with the highest score at the end wins.
6. Kahoot!
Playing Time: 20-30 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Devices with internet access (computers, tablets, smartphones), projector and screen
Preparation: Create a Kahoot! quiz online with questions related to the subject matter. Each question should have multiple-choice answers.
Game Rules: Students are divided into teams, and each team logs into the Kahoot! game using a shared device. The quiz questions are projected on a screen for all teams to see. Each question has a time limit for responses. Teams discuss and select the answer they believe is correct on their device. Points are awarded based on correct answers and the speed of response. After all questions have been answered, the team with the highest score wins. Kahoot! automatically keeps track of scores and displays them after each question.
7. Pictionary
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Whiteboard and markers or paper and pens, list of subject-related terms
Preparation: Prepare a list of words or phrases related to the current unit of study that can be represented through drawing.
Game Rules: Teams take turns sending up a “drawer” to the front of the class. The drawer randomly selects a term from the list and has a set time limit (e.g., 1 minute) to draw it on the board without writing any words or numbers. The drawer’s team tries to guess the term based on the drawing within the time limit. If they guess correctly, they earn a point. Play rotates to the next team. The team with the most points after all terms have been drawn wins.
8. Quizalize
Playing Time: 20-30 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Devices with internet access, Quizalize account
Preparation: Create a quiz on Quizalize with questions tailored to the subject being reviewed. Questions can be multiple-choice, true/false, or short answer.
Game Rules: Students are grouped into teams, and each team accesses the quiz through their device. Questions appear on student devices one at a time, and teams discuss and submit their answers. Points are awarded for correct answers, and additional points may be given for speed. After all questions are answered, Quizalize displays the team rankings based on their scores. The team with the highest score wins.
9. Scavenger Hunt
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: Clues related to the subject matter, objects or information to find
Preparation: Prepare a series of clues that lead students to different locations within the classroom or school. Each clue should be related to the subject matter and lead to the next clue.
Game Rules: Teams receive their first clue and must solve it to find the location of the next clue. At each location, teams find a clue or perform a task related to the subject before receiving the next clue. The first team to find all clues and reach the final location wins. Ensure the final clue requires a synthesis of the knowledge gained during the hunt.
10. Trivia
Playing Time: 30-40 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: List of trivia questions and answers
Preparation: Compile a list of trivia questions related to the subject being reviewed. Questions should vary in difficulty to accommodate all learners.
Game Rules: Teams take turns choosing a category and a difficulty level for their question. The teacher reads the question aloud, and the team has a limited time to discuss and provide an answer. Points are awarded for correct answers, with more difficult questions worth more points. After a set number of rounds or when all questions have been exhausted, the team with the highest score wins.
11. Hot Seat
Playing Time: 20-30 minutes
Subject: Adaptable to any subject
Materials: List of terms or questions related to the subject
Preparation: Prepare a list of key terms or questions from the unit of study.
Game Rules: One team member sits in the “hot seat” facing the class, with their back to the board or screen. A term or question is displayed to the rest of the class but not to the person in the hot seat. The team provides clues to the person in the hot seat to help them guess the term or answer the question without saying the term or answer directly. Points are awarded for each correct guess within a set time limit.