8 Games To Use In The Social Studies Classroom

This blog post is going to be short and sweet! I wanted to round up some of the best games I have used that are available on line, as well as mention a few other types of games you can play in your social studies classroom. Why use games? Because students love them, and it’s a great way to grab their interest. Not to mention games can be a great way to review before assessments or to informally check for learning. So, without further adieu, here are some games you should definitely try in your classroom!

• Simulations- Not every topic should be made into a simulation, but for those appropriate topics, simulations can be a tremendous way for students to fully understand social studies topics. I wrote a blog post about using simulations, so I highly encourage you to head {HERE} to read it before using simulations in your classroom. You can also snag a free simulation to try out!
• Escape rooms- Just like simulations, not every topic needs to be turned into an escape room! I wrote a blog post about using escape rooms, too, so head {HERE} to read about how to create them and use them in your classroom. You can also grab a free escape room to try out!
• Blooket– Oh.My.Goodness. My students LOVED Blooket! You can create a free account, and once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy to create Blooket sets. You can also search the database for already created sets to use. There are different game options, and even my MOST reluctant students were excited when I said it was Blooket time!
• Seterra Geography– I used this site to quickly make geography practice for my students to complete at home or in the classroom if they finished something early. I love how you can customize it for what you need your students to focus on.
• Gimkit– This one is sort of like Blooket, but it’s different enough to swap between the two and your students won’t get bored. They are also adding different versions or games so that can help students stay interested. You can create your own Gimkit sets or search already made ones. You can copy already made ones and then tweak them as needed.
• Mission US– The games here are online simulations, and they are wonderful for students to play! There are also complimentary activities that go with each mission, so students are really required to think about their choices and what is happening.
• iCivics– This site has government topics, so if you are feeling like your government class needs a little sprucing up, check out the games available.
• Ben’s Guide– This is another government site where students can accompany Ben Franklin to learn about the US government.