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Brain Challenge Games for Middle School

Finding educational, but fun games for the middle-school set can be a challenge, especially when you try to keep things low-tech. But there are hundreds of options that don't involve computers, batteries or cell phones, and here are a few of the best reviewed, highest-rated, and most-loved board and card games for middle-schoolers. Whether you want word games, trivia, geography or math, there are plenty of options to liven up your lesson plans.

Language Arts Games
- Language arts games build vocabulary and critical thinking skills.
  
  Taboo by Hasbro Inc. is one of the best-selling word games available. Players must guess a word or a phrase (for instance, "surfing") without using the taboo words given (for instance, USA).
  
  Another favorite is Language Launch by Wiebe, Carlson &Associates. Including facts and trivia from a variety of subjects, the game builds grammar and comprehension skills with 300 questions.
  
  BuzzWords and BuzzWords Junior, by Patch Products, are beloved family games that are sneaky brain-builders. With 45 seconds to solve the clues (which all contain the buzz word) players build their vocabularies and critical thinking skills.
  
  A noisier option, The Chain Game, by Out of the Box, requires players to come up with phrases based on a word from the previous phrase--cat fish becomes fish fry becomes fry pan, for example. Complete with plastic chain links and a bicycle-style horn, the game includes 216 cards for hours of play.
Math, Strategy and Logic Games
- Students can practice addition, subtraction and other math skills.
  
  Equate, by Conceptual Math Media, Inc., uses a crossword puzzle layout to create equations with division, addition, fractions and more. Adaptable to several levels, it is a fitting game for students of varied ages.
  
  Set, marketed as "The Family Game of Visual Perception" by Set Enterprises, Inc., can be played by one person or 10 people. Twelve cards lay face up, and the challenge is making a set of three shapes "in which each of the four features (number, color, symbol, shading) is the same, or each is different." Because everyone plays at the same time, students are less likely to get bored.
  
  Big Brain Academy Game, based on the Nintendo DS video game, offers five categories, including analyzing and memorizing. Teams play with more than 300 cards and earn medals for correct answers.
  
  Mensa-recommended Abalone uses math, logic and reasoning in the offensive and defensive marble-moving strategy game. Based on an ancient Japanese board game, it was designed for two players, but encourages teamwork with two to three students assigned to each of the two marble colors.
Trivia Games
- Test your knowledge with trivia games.
  
  The Black Heritage Trivia Game for Kids by Pressman is a fun and an educational way to expand Black History Month lesson plans, and includes 300 trivia questions about influential people and events from past and present.
  
  Which Came First? Chicken or Egg? Game by International Playthings has more than 300 questions about which came first, including "coffee or tea," "zippers or snaps," and "bricks or mortar." For two to four players, this game can work with individuals or teams.
  
  Elephants or Ants Trivia Game by International Playthings offers individual or team play with fascinating and zany trivia questions, so kids don't even know they're learning. Five different categories must be conquered to be declared the winner.

Kids Games