How to bring game-based learning to online K–12 classrooms

A practical guide of game ideas to engage students

This free resource is packed with strategies for bringing game-based learning into your online or blended classroom, whether you're teaching kindergarten or high school.

Game-Based Learning Guide-1

Why game-based learning?

Game-based learning turns lessons into experiences. Instead of simply listening or watching, students are drawn into an environment where they’re solving problems, making decisions, and learning through action. It shifts the dynamic from passive to participatory, giving students a reason to lean in and stay present.

This approach helps build stronger connections - not just to the material, but also to each other. A well-timed game can turn a quiet classroom into one filled with energy, focus, and collaboration. And when students are actively involved, they tend to retain more and feel more confident in what they’ve learned.

What you’ll learn:

  • How to turn everyday lessons into interactive games
  • Ways to foster teamwork online by using virtual tables and whiteboards
  • Practical tips for using timers, emojis, and polls to keep energy high
  • Easy-to-adapt templates for activities like Jeopardy, Pictionary, scavenger hunts, and more
 

Games designed for busy teachers

A quick peek at some of the games inside:
  • Group Jeopardy: Reinforce concepts in a fun, competitive format
  • Table Pictionary: Use visuals to spark creativity and comprehension in younger students
  • Color & Shape Scavenger Hunt: Encourage movement and observation
  • Emoji Voting: Get instant feedback with no extra tools required
  • Collaborative Storytelling: Boost writing and listening skills through shared narratives

These strategies are platform-agnostic, but we also show how features in Engageli can make it all easier to manage.