Making kids compete often brings out a drive for learning---making kids want to have a greater knowledge of various subjects. Jeopardy is a great game for classrooms as it can be applied to nearly any subject. The game consists of at least three teams, each of which can have several kids that alternate turns. The teacher places answers to questions behind columns designated as point amounts on a board in front of the class. After an answer is given, the first team to buzz in and state the question correctly is the team to get the points. At the end of the game, the team with the most points is the winner.
Games don't always have to take place in the classroom to be effective. "Snake in the Gutter" teaches teamwork and strategy for kids. The game requires three students to be designated snakes and to stand on one side of an imaginary line---which is the "gutter"---while the remaining students stand on the opposite side of the gutter. When the teacher says "snake in the gutter," the kids must create a strategy about how to get across the line without being tagged by a snake. All caught students automatically become snakes for the next round.
Another game that can be performed outside is called the "Team Throwing Game." This game focuses children on working in teams. It requires at least six children; kids should be divided up into teams of two. One child on each team will be blindfolded. A foam ball will also be given to each team. The non-blindfolded player is not allowed to touch the foam ball at any point in time. Their job is to verbally tell the other teammate where to throw the foam ball in order to hit a blindfolded member of another team and where to find other loose foam balls. If a team gets hit by a ball, they are considered out.
For older children, teachers can create an imaginary stock market game---which serves as an excellent introduction to economics. Teachers are required to play the role of the "broker"---the person that will allow students to buy and sell stocks. Children are given a designated amount of money and then are allowed to invest in any real company. The game can be followed in real-time over the course of a week, weeks or even a month. The winner is the person that finishes with the highest valued assets.