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Third Grade Fun Games

Even though it's important to play games that have an educational purpose, third-grade teachers will need to keep a few games up their sleeve. These games can come in handy for an indoor recess or as a reward for a day's hard work. Most of these games can be played in the comfort of a classroom, but Red Light Green Light should be played in a gymnasium to prevent any injuries.

Seven Up
- In Seven Up, the teacher chooses seven students to stand at the front of the class. The rest of the class puts their heads down on desks and close their eyes. Each student keeps their thumb raised in a "thumb's up" position. The seven chosen students each touch one person's thumb. When the classmates open their eyes, they must guess who touched them. If they guess correctly, they get to be one of the chosen seven. This game can go on for an indefinite period of time.
Matching Game
- The Matching Game can be played among students in the classroom. The teacher will need several laminated sheets with images on each (they must each have an identical pair). The sheets must be placed face down on students' desks. The class is split into two groups and each group takes turns sending one person to try and find a match. When the student picks up a card, he must show it to his classmates before turning it back upside down. Students who get a match keep the cards and the group with the most matches at the end wins the game.
Word Games
- Word searches and crossword puzzles are classic word games that teachers can print for their students. If students would have more fun with a hands-on game, let them participate in a spelling bee. Divide the class into two groups. The team that spells the most words right is the winner. Another word game is hangman. The teacher thinks of a word or phrase and draws out blank letter spaces on the board. The children guess at letters that fill in the blank spaces. Every time a student guesses a word that is incorrect, the teacher draws one part of a stick figure until the entire figure is drawn. If the word is guessed before that time, the kids win. If not, the teacher wins.
Red Light Green Light
- Red Light Green Light will burn some of your third graders' energy. To complete this game, you will need to have enough space for the children to run around freely. To play this game, the teacher stands at the front of the room and calls out one stoplight color: Red, Yellow or Green. The children must stand about 15 feet away from the "stoplight." Every time a color is called out, students must run, changing speed according to the color that was called. The first person to touch the "stoplight" gets to call the next round.

Kids Games