Virtual Class Games for Video Conferencing

As remote, e-learning has become our “new normal” we teachers are turning to video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to virtually connect with our kiddos.  This is a great way to deliver instruction, answer student questions, or just casually connect.  In this post, you’ll discover 5 games you can play to jazz up your video sessions with students.  Perfect for community builders, time fillers as you wait for other students to join, or a quick wrap up!

Be sure to stick around to the bottom, where you can snag free video conferencing expectations for a wide variety of platforms!

Scavenger Hunt

This is a great activity to get your students moving a bit.  If you sense them looking a bit antsy in your video call, take a scavenger hunt break.  Ask students to find you something…. and off they go!  Remind them that the device stays where it’s at – no running around the house with the laptop.   Some ideas:

• Find something blue
• Find something round
• Find something from nature

Boggle

Ask students to rename themselves to their first initial only. Then, have them turn their cameras off.  You end up getting a Boggle board!  Students can work to find as many words as they can in a given time.  They can write them on a scrap of paper or put them in the chat.  If they are putting them in chat, have them refrain from hitting enter until the time is up.  One consideration with this game is that students on laptops will have different sized/shaped boards than students on a phone.

Would You Rather

This is a great, quick game to start or end your video conference calls.  By giving two choices, and assigning a “1” or “2” to them, students can vote by holding up one or two fingers.  Some questions to get you started are:

• Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?
• Would you rather eat only ice cream or only hot dogs?
• Would you rather be able to have xray vision or super hearing?
• Would you rather travel by boat or train?

Pictionary

By sharing your screen and using the whiteboard feature, you can play Pictionary.  You’ll use your mouse to draw, which can take a bit of getting used to!  You might want to practice a time or two with a friend or colleague if you haven’t used the whiteboard features before.

Guess Who?

Think of a person that your students will know.  I like to start with someone who works in the school, such as the librarian or secretary.  Students take turns asking a question that can be answered with a “yes” or “no” response (similar to 20 Questions).  Once you think students have narrowed it down enough, they can share their guesses with you via private chat.

If you’re wanting to set some clear expectations for video conferencing with your students, you need these free expectations visuals.  With multiple versions, customized for Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and more, there’s something for everyone.

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