Games for Homeschooling
If you’re not using games in your homeschool, you’re missing out! Games are a huge part of our homeschool, because kids can learn so much, without ever opening a workbook or curriculum. Often they don’t even know they’re learning. ;) Some people call this “gameschooling” because you can use games not as an extra, but as a central part of your educational plan. Our family plays games every single day, and we’ve built up quite the game library. So I’ve gathered up a bunch of our favorite games to bring you the ultimate list of games for homeschooling and family fun.
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Benefits of games for homeschooling
A lot of people see games as just an extra. But the reality is, there is SO much your kid are learning through games. And yes, it “counts” as homeschooling. Not only can you get games for learning specific skills or topics, you can also learn many academic skills through “regular” games.
Games are a great hands-on way to teach concepts without worksheets or rote memorization. You can use games to learn:
- money
- spelling
- math facts
- sight words
- writing
- science or social studies
- critical thinking
- problem solving
The list of benefits goes well beyond this… it’s almost endless!
Shift your focus to HOME,
not school
download this
free pdf guide
How to build a library of games for homeschooling
- Thrift stores – just like how I’ve built my book library for our homeschool, we’ve built the majority of our gameschooling library through thrift store purchases! Yes, this runs the risk of missing some pieces, but most of the time
- Rummage/yard sales – people are always selling games at their rummage sales in the summer
- gifts – put games on your kids’ birthday or Christmas gift lists
- discount stores – Five Below is one of my favorite stores to find inexpensive but new games
- Amazon – put games in your cart and then click “save for later.” You’ll get alerts when the price drops or goes on a lightning deal. If your credit card has points connected to your Amazon account, you can also use your points to purchase them.
- Library – many libraries have games you can check out and borrow; if you’re not allowed to bring them home, you’ll be able to play them at the library
- Game swap – swap with a friend when your kids have outgrown or just become bored with a game.
Are games enough?
If you’re new to homeschooling or used to the school system way of looking at education, it might be hard for you to see playing games as “real” learning.
But play is how kids learn. Learning is not exclusive to curriculum and worksheets.
Research shows that it takes 400 repetitions for kids to form new synapses in the brain when learning a new concept, but it takes only 10-20 repetitions when it’s done through play. Mind blowing!
If we ignore everything that happens when kids are playing, we’re ignoring a huge part of how our kids are designed to learn.
Play isn’t an extra or a cute trend. We need to let our kids play so that they can learn – no the other way around.
If your child learns how to count money through a game, do they need to do worksheets? If your child practices spelling with a word game, do they need flashcards?
My kids have learned math facts, how to count and use money, skip counting, spelling, and more – all from games. Games can be a great reinforcement for skills already learned or a way to learn brand new skills. You can add them in to lessons or use them in place of a lesson – neither one is wrong.
Ultimate List of Games for Homeschooling
Games for homeschooling that are educational
These games are more “typically” educational. The kind that you could tell your mom your kids are playing, and she won’t question that you’re really “doing school” today. ;)
For younger kids:
Zingo (we have several different versions of this game – letters, time, etc.)
Sum Swamp
Snug as a Bug in a Rug
Count Your Chickens
Sequence Letters
Shelby’s Snack Shack
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
Great States Jr.
P is for Pizza
For older kids:
Nature Matching/Memory games (these are perfect for the whole family!)
Scattergories
Wiz Kids
Made for Trade (this one you’ll need to find used)
Trekking the National Parks
Trekking the World
The Scrambled States of America Game
Wildcraft!
Where in the USA is Carmen San Diego? (or the world version)
Wordical
Math Games
Multiplication Swat
Sum Swamp
Timing it Right Game
Payday
Gnoming Around *This is one of our family’s FAVORITE games!
Don’t rule out games like Monopoly or Life for learning about money, plus games are a great way for younger kids to learn counting, skip counting, and simple adding.
There are lots of math games you can play with just some dice and a deck of cards. You can find a bunch of math games in this Math Fun & Games Pack:
Portable Games
Take your games on the go! These are great for road trips, in the dentist’s office, sitting in the car waiting for a sibling, at a restaurant, etc.
Word games – crossword puzzles, sudoku, mad libs, hidden picture books, etc.
Professor Noggin’s quiz games
Never Get Bored Cards
Math SlamÂ
Brain Quest Q&A decks
Spot It
Travel versions of games
Monopoly Deal
Scrabble Slam
Printable games like the ones in this free road trip printable pack are great to keep in the car for long car rides, road trips, or when you get stuck in traffic:
Games for homeschooling that aren’t “educational”
Just because a game isn’t outright “educational” doesn’t mean that your kids aren’t learning from it! They can be learning strategy, problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, taking turns, good sportsmanship, etc.
Some of our favorite everyday games:
These are the games that get played on a weekly (and sometimes daily!) basis.
Scrabble (we often play Pick, which I explain in this post)
Uno
Chess/Checkers
Games for younger kids:
Enchanted Forest
Connect 4
Guess Who
Build a Robot
Battleship
Chutes and Ladders
Hi Ho Cherry-o
Games for older kids:
My kids don’t typically love games that are super complicated or require a lot of setup. They enjoy strategy games, but not if they’re super elaborate or complicated. So most of the games we play tend to be more straightforward (and a little less time consuming).
Settlers of Catan (we have the expansion pack so that all our kids can play together or play with friends)
Ticket to Ride
Hanabi
Codewords
Monopoly/Monopoly Deal
Cribbage
Mastermind/Ultimate Mastermind
Upwords
Throw Throw Burrito (this one is especially fun for playing with friends!)
Exploding Kittens
That Escalated Quickly
Kanoodle
Chickapig
Forbidden Sky/Forbidden Desert
Risk
Wingspan
Life
Family games we love:
These games we can play with most, if not all, of our family together.
Gnoming Around
Apples to Apples Jr. (we prefer the Jr. version to play as a family)
Five Second Rule
UpWords
Qwirkle
Rummikub
Pit
Sequence
Yahtzee
Sorry!
Clue
Charades for Kids
What are your family’s favorite games for homeschooling? Drop them in the comments!
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