Games for Sixth Graders: Fun Games that Promote Learning

Benefits of Playing Educational Games

Playing educational games is a great way for sixth graders to practice academic skills because they have to use higher order thinking skills in order to participate in the game. Since kids are playing a game rather than completing dull worksheets, they may be willing to study for longer than usual. When children are able to participate in the learning process, they retain information better and are more engaged.

Fractions

Have your child add and subtract fractions with this cookie recipe. First, have your child look over the below recipe and circle all the fractions he sees. Tell him that this recipe makes 48 cookies, but you only want to make 24 cookies. Ask him how he could revise this recipe to only make 24 cookies. Have your child rewrite the recipe by dividing each fraction by two.

Next, tell him that you want to double the recipe and make 96 cookies. Have him rewrite the recipe by doubling all the ingredients. Once you are finished, pick which recipe you would like to make and bake the cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

• One cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar
• Two eggs
• Three teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• One teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Scene Charades

This game will increase your child's reading comprehension. Have all players read the same picture book. Once all the players have read the book, choose 5-10 different scenes from the story that can be easily recognized and that can be acted out. Write the scenes on separate sheets of paper and put them into a hat.

During each turn, a person will draw from the hat and act out that scene, using only actions and no words. The first person to guess the correct scene that he is acting out gets a point. The judge will be the scorekeeper and make sure that each player is following the rules. Play until all the scenes in the hat are gone. The person with the most points at the end wins the game.

Observation

Having good observation skills is an important quality to have in any class. You can help your child with her observation and memory skills with this fun game.

Line five sheets of construction paper in a row on a table. Make sure each piece is a different color. Have your child study the order of the colors for 15 seconds, then cover them up with a blanket. Have her write the order down on a sheet of paper. If she gets it correct, she gets a point.

Next, have her line five various colors of paper out for you to see if you can earn a point. Keep adding sheets of paper for five or six rounds or for about ten minutes. Whoever gets the most points is the winner.