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Every science teacher knows that learning doesn’t happen in a textbook: it happens over a Bunsen burner, in collaborative groups, in diligent observation, and in fascinating physics experiments. In short, science learning should be fun—especially for middle school students who are just learning to follow the scientific process
Get every student involved with middle school science games, from digital resources to printable board games. These classroom games can help students review science concepts, get them out of their seats, and most importantly, get them into science!
Great science games for 6th grade
When you’re planning STEM activities for middle school, it’s easy to remember amazing labs and collaborative experiments. But don’t forget about classroom games to get students interested in the basics of science! Use these 6th grade science games as a unit review or activity for next Friday’s Fun Day.
- Scientific memory: Print a grid of pictures that represent scientific concepts, such as parts of a food chain or types of energy. Have students cut them out, place the pictures face down, and try to match them in a memory game.
- Energy relay race: How long does each energy last? Provide the team with units of “energy” (represented by foam blocks or paper rolls) and host a relay race outside where students strategically transfer energy to each other and cross the finish line.
- Biology Bingo: After completing a biology unit, distribute blank bingo sheets and have students write their biology vocabulary words on each sheet. Say the definition in bingo and see who can get five in a row!
- Four biomes: Assign each corner of the room a biome (such as desert, rainforest, ocean, and grassland) and summon an animal or plant. Students run to the corner where they think the organism lives – anyone who goes to the wrong corner is eliminated!
Start science lessons with back-to-school games
Introduce students to themes for the coming year as you incorporate science concepts into your back-to-school games. Whether it’s a fun survey to assess prior understanding or a game to get students working together for the first time, these activities are great icebreakers for middle school students.
Back to School Science Game Activity 2 Truth and Lies Science Trivia Questions
Author: Flying Color Science
Grade: 6-10
Subject: General Science
Combine getting to know you activities and your first lessons with this unique and engaging resource. Using 55 printable cards for different science topics, students work in pairs or groups to figure out which statement cards are true and which are lies.
Use games to review basic physics concepts
Middle school students may not be ready for more advanced physics courses, but building basic knowledge can help them succeed when high school physics arrives. Let middle school students apply what they learned in the physics unit and review important concepts they’ll need this year using engaging, collaborative science games.
Waves Trivia Board Game Project | Physical Science Notebook | Middle School
Author: Interesting World of Science
Grade: 4-10
Subject: Physical Sciences
How much do your middle school students know about the properties of light, sound, and waves? Comprehensive resources guide students in creating their own educational board games to review mechanical, electromagnetic, transverse and longitudinal waves, as well as reflection and refraction of light, and compression, rarefaction and frequency of sound.
Professional Science Games for 7th Grade
When middle school students take seventh grade science, they are ready to learn more about the life sciences, types of energy, and the basics of biology. They also learn how to be responsible laboratory participants and how to work with others to formulate hypotheses and draw conclusions. Build on what they learned last year and prepare them for success in middle school science with these science games for seventh grade.
- Find my baby: Do whales have calves or kittens? Write the names of the animals and their babies and give one to each student. Have pairs of students try to find each other (e.g. Joey to kangaroo, cub to bear, etc.).
- Science illustrated book: All you need is a whiteboard, some markers, and a list of science concepts to review. Divide the class into two teams and have one person at a time draw a concept that you are showing them in secret (such as “photosynthesis” or “wind energy”). They try to get the team to guess the word by drawing it on the board.
- Paper airplane competition: Experiment with aerodynamics and engineering design with paper airplanes. Individuals, pairs or groups design and build the best paper airplanes, then race them to see which one flies the farthest.
- Scientific taboos: Don’t talk scientifically! Create cards with a science word at the top (such as “electricity”) and add five words that students cannot use to describe it (such as “energy,” “light,” “plug,” “spark,” and “current”). Students try to get their team to guess their word without saying the secret word.
Gamify science basics to help students remember the rules
Are your middle school students familiar with labs? Let them get used to the middle school classroom and the laboratory safety rules therein. Games can effectively help them understand how to act in the laboratory and how to conduct experiments.
Board game for science lab safety and scientific thinking
Mixed by biology
Grade: Grades 7-12
Subject: General Science
Laboratory safety and the scientific method are two concepts that middle school students need to learn early in the school year. Print a self-contained resource that includes game rules, scorecards, teacher guidance guide, game board, and pre-made and editable game cards for groups to review lab safety and scientific thinking.
Academic Science Games for 8th Grade
There are some important middle school science concepts that eighth graders need to master before they enter high school. Use science games to allow eighth grade students to work more independently, implement the scientific method, and gain knowledge they gained in middle school science.
- Science escape room: Get middle school students out of trouble using only their science knowledge and teamwork skills with a range of escape room ideas. Feel free to incorporate scientific principles, vocabulary, and formulas into the codes they need to crack!
- Build an element: Introduce Legos, Jenga blocks, or any other type of building block for students to create the elements you assign. Bonus points if they can complete the task creatively with their own materials.
- Scientific crisis: Can your students guess the type of energy in $500? Create an interactive presentation that has students answer science review questions in the classic Jeopardy! “What is” format.
- Q&A panel: Bring the fun of trivia night into the middle school science classroom. Small groups huddle together to answer questions and riddles you pose, using whiteboards and pens to collect points for their team.
Moving things forward with physical science review games
The science of physics is about energy, and by the time your 8th grader arrives in your classroom, they probably already have plenty! Get them out of their seats and into the classroom with review games that cover important physical science concepts.
Physical Science Vocabulary Review Game
Author: It’s not rocket science
Grade: Grade 8-11
Subject: Physical Sciences
How much do your middle school students remember from the physical science unit? Test their knowledge with a review game inspired by the TV show “The Code.” This classroom resource includes three editable PowerPoints with physical science, chemistry and physics vocabulary, implementation suggestions for teachers, and a timer in presentation mode.
Online Science Games for Middle School
Need middle school students to play science games on their own devices or at home? Use these academic resources to assign high-quality, NGSS-compliant science games for homework review or for extra fun in science class.
Breathe life into your middle school science classes with TPT
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that students learn better when they have fun. Adding middle school science games to your lessons or end-of-unit review is an effective way to engage all learners in your class and ensure they enjoy science as much as you do.
Find more middle school science-themed games that fit your specific classroom setting or unit needs. To enrich your lessons and expand your students’ thinking, you can add middle school brainteasers to your warm-up or exit tickets during daily activities.
