Category Archives: games

Taboo Talk Around

Speaking tasks are important for language learners.  Speaking puts students on the spot and forces them to be quick and use their language in real time.  This is difficult and might not be the best measure of a student’s ability, but speaking is fundamental to communication, so all language courses incorporate these activities.  One ofContinue reading “Taboo Talk Around”

Codenames

Codenames, designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition, is one of the highest-ranked party games on BoardGameGeek. I think it is easier to adapt good games to a classroom than try to convince students edutainment games are good. When I use a game for class, I want the students to have funContinue reading “Codenames”

Play and Direct Learning

As an early childhood educator, my mom collects all sorts of books devoted to childhood development. When I told her she was going to be a grandmother, she dug through her library to pass on a few choice titles. One book was Play With a Purpose by Dr. Dorothy Einon. It must have been aContinue reading “Play and Direct Learning”

Spot It! Adjectives

Spot It!, also known as Dobble, is a matching game where players look at two circular cards and need to identify which object is on both cards.  Each card shares exactly one object with every other card.  The game comes in a variety of themes to match the intended audience.  Spot It! can help ELLContinue reading “Spot It! Adjectives”

Parallel (play) Intersections

Parallel play is a vital stage of toddler development. Emerging between two an three years, parallel play involves toddlers “playing alone, together.” When two children sit at the same table and build their own block towers, that’s parallel play. Children learn a lot from parallel play. While they aren’t directly communicating, they are stealing glancesContinue reading “Parallel (play) Intersections”

Freelancer at 20

I recently learned that March 2023 is the twentieth anniversary of Freelancer. Developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios, Freelancer never seemed to be as popular as I feel it deserves. I loved it back in college during the mid-2000s and still consider it one of my favorite games. In honor ofContinue reading “Freelancer at 20”

Why Board Games?

         Games should always have a place in class. When students are having fun and feeling good, their affective filters lower, and they become more receptive to learning. However, not all games are created equally. There has been lots of research and handwringing over screen time, and I think educators are responsible for providing alternativesContinue reading “Why Board Games?”

Why Does he Need his Own Games?

My little guy turned 3 last month and for his birthday and Christmas he received a couple of board games. During the winter holiday, I used these new games as an opportunity to give him his own little game shelf. At first this was a simple bit of organizing and trying to keep him fromContinue reading “Why Does he Need his Own Games?”

A Brief History of Monopoly

Nearly any comment about Monopoly in a Board Game Geek forum thread will eventually lead to three predictable replies. First, somebody will badmouth Monopoly as a crappy game that nobody should play. Next, another poster will reply how it’s not such an awful game if played by the official rules; all the house rules makeContinue reading “A Brief History of Monopoly”