Worksheet Busters
If getting your students active makes you break out in a cold sweat or you simply can't justify spending more of your already limited time and money on activities, Worksheet Busters are a great place to start. We trust worksheets, and we have filing cabinets full of them.
But your students probably don't squeal with eager anticipation when you pass out a worksheet.
Bust that worksheet boredom with these Worksheet Busters! These activities increase engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking for any worksheet or book assignment without costing you all your money or valuable free time.
Every Worksheet Buster can be used for virtually any worksheet, any content, any time.
A little time up front will save you tons of time in the long run. No need to seek out cute-but-costly ideas for every topic you teach!
Some Worksheet Busters even require no special materials!
You'll find all the directions and tips you need on the following pages.
Paper Airplanes
Fold a worksheet into an airplane and fly it around the room. Grab the nearest one and keep it going!
Musical Desks
An educational twist on the classic party game--circle the room and complete one item from the worksheet when the music stops.
Hungry Hippos
Gather numbered balls to complete any worksheet.
Giant Bull's-Eye
Sort multiple choice answer options on this giant Bull's-Eye.
Students write answers on balls and aim to knock each other out of the rings to win the most points.
Interval Races
Students race against an unpredictable timer to finish their worksheet first.
Go on 6
Students roll dice to get to answer questions in a fast-paced, intense Worksheet Buster.
Single and looking? Students get a question and "date" answers until they find their "true match"!
Heads Up Seven Up
We all love this classic time-filler. But what if it could actually be a valuable educational experience? Students match questions and answers in this take on the familiar game.
Giant Grid
Match worksheet questions to answers using this giant interactive grid.
Strike a Pose
Students answer multiple-choice questions by answering with their bodies.
Students build a block tower of correct answers in a collaborative learning effort.
Hilarious learning action when students race to put a sock on over their shoe to match answers to their questions
What kid doesn't love playing with cars? Even better, let's smash them in a demolition derby! All in the name of learning...
Question and Answer
Try to form the biggest group by matching your question and answer to other people's. Can you link the whole class?
A larger-than-life version of the beloved (or hated) board game Monopoly where students claim real estate by answering worksheet questions correctly while moving around a GIANT board.
Candy Land
Your students are the game pieces as they race around a giant game board to complete items from any worksheet.
Using just words (vocabulary, facts, people, places, events, images, etc) from your content, challenge students to consider how each word is related and sort them into logical categories they determined based on those relationships.
Poker
Make a flush or full house by finding classmates and grouping up.
Board Games
Transform common board games into partner and small group worksheet activities.