You’ve run out of time, but still want to squeeze some fun in at the end.
We all know that incorporating games into your tutoring, teaching or therapy sessions has plenty of benefits. Games:
Motivate, engage and make your sessions a whole lot more enjoyable.
Build rapport and help develop social skills.
Reframe a positive sense of self by tapping into strengths.
Promote academic and/or physical skills.
Reinforce concepts covered in sessions.
Even though we know games are valuable, sometimes we simply run out of time in our sessions.
If you find yourself with only a few minutes left to fit a fun game in, here are our 3 top picks for much loved games that can only take a few minutes to play.
Pass the Bomb Junior
To play:
Choose a card (eg At the Beach), press the button on the base of the bomb to start the bomb ticking, pass the bomb and take turns thinking of words to do with being at the beach.
The catch:
You can’t say a word that someone has already said. Whoever is caught out with the bomb when it goes off is stuck with that card. You never know how long you have, the bomb can go off anywhere between 10 and 60 seconds.
Features:
Language and Vocabulary building
Promotes speed of processing
Works well for 2 players (it can also work well for a whole class)
Play one or more rounds, depending on how much time you have
Great game for all ages
Easy to adjust for those with learning or intellectual disabilities (give time to think of associated words for a card before starting the bomb, chat about different things you might see in a particular scene
Cater to different interests by adding topics (not included in any of the cards)
Fastrack
To play:
Each player takes 5 chips. Take turns placing the chip on the elastic and flick through the centre gap to the other player’s side. First player to get all their chips through wins.
N.b there are several ways to play Fastrack. We have an additional rule we call “tennis rules”. The youngest player gets two shots on their turn (if their first attempt misses).
Features:
Promotes fine motor skills and hand eye coordination
2 player game
Great for all ages
Ideal for all abilities
Chickyboom
To play:
Place all the chickens, wagon wheels and bales of hay onto the beam, then place the beam onto the perch. Take turns removing a piece without capsizing the whole thing. The person with the most points collected wins.
N.b. The chickens, wheel and hay are all worth different points.
Features:
Involves a little strategy
Requires dexterity, hand eye coordination and understanding of balance
Counting up the points at the end has players doing simple addition
2 player game
Great for all ages
Ideal for all abilities
Finishing up...
Adding a quick game at the end of your session can be the perfect way to leave your students feeling energised and engaged. It's a simple yet effective way to end on a positive note and a great opportunity to strengthen bonds with your students.
So go ahead, take a few minutes to play one of these fun games, and watch as your students light up with excitement. Your students will thank you for it, and you'll enjoy it too!
Bio
Kirstie Wishart M.Ed (Special Education). Owner and founder of The Starfish Store. Kirstie’s professional life has included: teaching (in both public and private schools in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand), lecturer and subject coordinator at the University of Wollongong, Educational consultant (working with children and young people with a trauma background), OoHC Case Work Manager, and Specialist Tutor (working with children and young people with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities).
Your Free Guide
40 Proprioceptive activities for the classroom. Simple and practical activities to incorporate Proprioceptive into the classroom. 16 A4 sheets to print for your classroom, therapy space or home.
Looking to boost hand strength, improve dexterity, or find a calming sensory tool? Therapy putty is a versatile solution that can help with all of these, and so much more!
In our latest blog, we dive into the many benefits of therapy putty, plus share 20 creative and easy ways to use it for strengthening and stress relief! Perfect for...
Understanding phonics is essential for helping children learn to read and spell effectively. Our latest blog dives into the versatile letter 'y' and its four distinct sounds, offering practical strategies and tips for mastering these phonics rules step by step.
With easy-to-follow explanations and engaging techniques, you'll find that learning and teaching phonics can be both fun and rewarding. Join...
Discover creative and effective ways to maximise the benefits of your Lycra Body Sock. From sensory regulation to imaginative play, explore 20 innovative activities that enhance body awareness, coordination, and relaxation.
Perfect for sensory integration therapy, these ideas provide deep pressure input, helping individuals feel more grounded and centred. Whether you're a parent or a therapist, our guide...
Dive into the world of early literacy instruction with our latest blog post featuring Coko Educational Bricks! Follow Kirstie as she uncovers the innovative methods that are transforming the way we teach and learn language and literacy.
Click here to explore the full story and unlock the potential of Coko Educational Bricks.
Navigating the challenges of post-school meltdowns and hyperactivity is a common concern for parents. However, with the right strategies, we can support our child's emotional regulation and well-being. From routines to sensory techniques, each tactic contributes to creating a supportive environment for your child.
Join us as we explore practical solutions to ease the transition from school to home,...
When it comes to early start NDIS plans, you may find that not all children are allocated funding under the CORE category. The shift in funding allocation has left many families in a predicament, as they struggle to secure the necessary resources to support their children.
However, there is hope. You might be able to request an allocation...
Developing good handwriting is a valuable and practical skill. When you can write effortlessly, your work becomes legible and efficient, enabling you to focus on the content rather than the physical act of writing.
However, for left-handed students, achieving mastery in handwriting can be more challenging.
In this blog post, we'll showcase the top tips for...
Confusing the lettersbanddis a common issue for many learners. Whether it is mixing up b’s and d’s in reading or writing, or both, as parents and educators, it is important to address this early.
In this blog, Kirstie explains 'why' it is important and lists the strategies that she uses to help learners master their b’s and d’s in the Starfish tutoring...
Flashcards are a versatile and effective tool for teaching phonics. They are a simple and engaging way to introduce and reinforce letter sounds and word recognition skills.
In this blog, we will explore the benefits of using flashcards for phonics learning and provide practical tips for making the most of this valuable teaching tool.
As parents and teachers, we understand the importance of fostering early development in our little ones. Games are not only a fun activity, but they provide numerous developmental benefits.
From improving social skills to enhancing cognitive abilities, games offer a well-rounded learning experience for children.
Join Kirstie (M.Ed Special Education) as she talks you through some her top...
Learning to tell the time is an important life skill and it is a good way to promote self esteem & confidence. Many children struggle learning to tell the time, especially on an analogue clock. That doesn’t have to be the case, though.
You can make the process fun and easy by sticking to these three easy steps!
There are very few things (if any) more important for a child’s development than sleep. Sleep is essential for growth, brain health and overall wellbeing.
Poor sleep, or lack of sleep entirely, can be one of the biggest contributors leading to a child under achieving or struggling to reach their educational goals and developmental milestones.
Whether we like it or not, screens are here to stay. Technology is vital for staying connected, but what we can do is learn to manage screen time responsibly.
Games are an ideal solution. There are so many great, screen-free games to keep children entertained that are just as easy to pop in the bag or car, here's some of our...
I think we can safely say that learning to write your own name is probably one of the most fundamental early lessons. Let's face it, you'll need to do it your whole life! So teaching kids to write their name can be daunting.
Young or old, competitive or not, whether you have a disability or if games just aren’t normally your thing, there will be games out there to suit any house hold. It's not always easy picking the right ones, so that's where Starfish can step in.
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into responses. Our senses provide information to our brain (and nervous system) - so we can do our best to stay alive but also so we can learn and develop.
Face masks. A hot topic. And one that could be with us for some time yet. These are strange times for us as adults. Imagine what it is like for our children. We are all trying to find ways to live and function in what is the 'new normal'.
Teaching times tables is one of the most common topics we are asked about here at Starfish - and for good reason, they're tricky! So we would like to share with you some of our top tips for teaching times tables and hope you'll find at least one that cracks it.
Trying to judge the level of difficulty of something, especially when it is easy for us, is something that can be a hard task in itself. Sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves, is this too tricky for someone else? Is this book too hard for them?
Lycra Tunnels. We love them. With these fantastic sensory tools being the featured product of the month, we figured what better time to share some ideas with you on the best ways to make use of these stretchy tubes of fun!
We all love jigsaws. Most of us have being doing them since day dot. They have a fond place in our hearts but can you honestly remember the last time you got started on one for yourself, and not your kids? Well now's the time. And here's why....
Sight words and high frequency words are an important addition to a readers knowledge base because they account for a large number of words they will encounter and therefore assist with fluency and comprehension.