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...