Fun & Educational Games for 11-Year-Olds

Word Games

• The game of Scrabble provides ample opportunity to test a young person's vocabulary and spelling skills. To make the game more interesting, suggest themes such as sports or geography and have the players only use words that relate to the topics. Every time the score reaches an odd number, have the players make an odd face or wacky dance move for an amusing spin on a traditional game. The funniest teams get extra points.

Literature Charades

• A great way to introduce a little improvisational skills and to sharpen their recall is to have11-year-olds pretend to be be their favorite authors and mention key characters and passages from their work. Alternatively, they act out one of their favorite characters by using some props or wardrobe changes. Have their friends or classmates try to guess who they are by asking leading questions. This helps if the students are reading some of the same works.

Scavenger Hunt

• Keeping young people moving pumps the adrenaline and makes the game fun. Go to an auditorium or playground, provide them with a map and have them search under rocks or behind chairs for clues. Each clue could be a riddle or brain teaser about a science topic. The team with the correct number of responses to the questions wins.

Guessing Numbers

• Place folded index cards with numbers written on them in a large hat, bucket or bowl. Have a youngster dip inside the bowl and choose one and give his friends clues, such as, "When this number is multiplied by 6 and divided by two the answer is ...." This will have everyone scrambling to respond, testing their computational skills and accuracy.