Many matching card games take very little time to create. For example, you can place fractions on one set of cards and pictures of pie slices or boxes in a grid for students to match in math. Match capital names on cards with the name of their states or a picture of the state outline for geography card games. Connect a card with an event such as the Civil War or the American Revolution with the correct dates for possible history matching cards. Create cards that challenge students to coordinate characters from a story with their actions or a mythological deity with his or her designation, such as Mars as the god of war or Venus as the goddess of love.
Parents and teachers often use flash cards to review math skills, vocabulary and basic facts. Place fractions on flash cards and have the fourth grade class provide simple equivalent fractions or decimal equivalents. Review addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts in a speed game with students divided into teams. Flash a card with a monetary value and have students think of one or more ways to combine coins to make that amount. Write vocabulary words on flash cards and have teams compete to give the definition or make a sentence with the words.
Trivia games challenge students’ basic knowledge and offer a constant source of new questions for your cards. Ask questions such as “name major generals of the American Revolution” or “explain the meaning of this common saying” and have students write the answer on a blank card or sheet of paper. Use the trivia cards to review for tests or to create friendly classroom competition.
Completing the pattern card games provides a more complex and challenging situation for students. Line cards with various geometric shapes on the board and have a student or student teams determine the next card in the sequence. For example, two squares followed by a circle and then two additional squares requires a circle to complete the pattern. Alternatively, place cards with words on the white board and ask teams to use all the words in a single sentence or arrange the words to create a grammatically correct sentence.