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30 Virtual School Activities That Students & Educators Love

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Written by Laney Kennedy

Save time, engage your students and offer differentiated learning online with Prodigy Math game!

  • Teaching Activities
  • Virtual learning games & apps for online learning
  • Traditional learning activities to bring online
  • Fun virtual field trips to try
  • Virtual first day of school activities

More ways to make virtual school fun

As a teacher, you know better than anyone how much the past year has transformed learning. And although our circumstances will continue to change, virtual learning is still a reality for many students and teachers.

No matter what teaching looks like this year, building a sense of community is so important for you and your students, especially if they’re learning at home . 

But with hundreds of virtual teaching platforms to choose from, how do you make sure your students are getting the best resources to learn and grow — and have fun while doing it?

We’ll help you narrow it down with a complete list of 30 virtual school activities for students of all ages. Whether you teach elementary school, middle school or high school, this list has your remote learning needs covered!

Try these virtual learning games & apps for online learning

Learning outside of the classroom can be easy and fun with these virtual school must-haves. Use these free virtual resources to engage students online and make your virtual classroom feel like home.

1. Prodigy Math Game

Price: Free. The optional Premium Membership provides extra in-game features for students and additional tools for parents, starting at $4.99 USD per student, per month. 

In or out of the classroom, math games are a great way to keep students excited about learning math — even when it comes down to tricky concepts. 

With Prodigy Math Game , you can keep math class fun wherever students are!

Prodigy Math Game in-game Badges

As your students create unique characters, explore virtual worlds, collect pets and enjoy all the fun in-game adventures Prodigy offers , they’ll also answer curriculum-aligned math questions . Plus, Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm is built to meet students where they are, so they’ll receive questions that match their progress level.  

Use your free teacher account to create a classroom and:

  • View in-depth data on student and class progress 
  • Create Assessments that align with your lesson plans
  • Differentiate in-game content based on individual student needs

Parents can also sign up for their own account to view and support their child’s progress and motivate them even more!

Ready to make math an adventure this year?

P.S. Check out these free resources to help you use Prodigy in your virtual classroom!

  • How to use Prodigy to fight summer learning loss
  • How to use Prodigy in your everyday virtual teaching strategies
  • How to benchmark student progress with Prodigy’s Test Prep tool

Price: Free or paid versions, with education plans for schools and classrooms. 

In the past year, Zoom has become a close friend to many of us. And it’s no wonder! 

Zoom is a reliable and accessible way to engage your class with virtual teaching. Use it to:

  • Host online classes with video and screen sharing
  • Engage your classroom with online polls, breakout rooms and virtual chats
  • Host zoom games where students can join the fun from home or at school!

P.S. Want to add some pizzazz to your next online lesson? Try one of these custom Prodigy Zoom backgrounds !

3. Flipgrid

Price: Free

Come up with discussions that really get your class talking! Flipgrid offers over 35,000 conversation starters to spark student creativity. Students can respond to each prompt with their own videos, which are displayed on the response board for the rest of the class to see.

The best part? It’s filled with fun editing resources so students can add animations, emojis and text to create fun videos they can be proud of.

TEDEd was specifically designed to celebrate student and teacher ideas. 

You’ll find free online lessons in tons of subjects — including Earth School , where students watch videos, answer quizzes and complete quests to learn more about the natural world. 

Plus, the TEDEd program lets students create their very own TED talks to share what they’re passionate about with the rest of the class!

5. Google Classroom 

Encourage virtual teamwork with your one-stop-shop for lessons, assignments and class discussions. 

Google Classroom provides access to:

  • Google Meet — Host video lessons and presentations online. 
  • Google Forms — Host surveys and quizzes for your class to fill out.
  • Google Calendar — Keep track of lessons and give students insight into the structure of their day. 
  • Google Slides — Present lessons in a presentation format and include visuals to keep your class engaged.

Price: Free for the basic plan, with optional paid teacher or school plans starting at $10 USD per month. 

Start meaningful conversations and encourage student engagement with the online platform that “creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families.” 

With Seesaw, students have a digital space to share their thoughts and give you insight on how they’re learning. Plus, you can keep families in the loop with an exclusive space for home-to-school connections. 

7. YouTube Kids 

Price : Free

The good old days of TV stands on wheels are long behind us. Now, students can watch fun, educational videos no matter where they are!

Image of tablet with YouTube Kids videos on the screen

YouTube Kids was built with kids in mind. This means the video content you choose to share with your class will always be safe and appropriate for their age group. 

Have students download the app or watch directly on their browsers, then assign them videos on art, science and everything in between!

Price : Free for the basic plan, with optional subscription plans starting at $8 USD per member, per month. 

See new ideas spark and virtual collaboration happen right in front of your eyes — and add a pop of color to make the day a little brighter.

Miro is an online whiteboard that lets your class collaborate through tables, flowcharts, sticky notes and more. Perfect for brainstorms or team projects ! 

Virtual learning can never be dull when you have this many fun effects and templates to choose from! 

Whether you’re using it for lessons or encouraging students to create their own, Prezi makes online presentations easy and fun with plenty of design resources and a user-friendly interface. 

Create presentation decks, videos, infographics, maps and more. Let student creativity take over and see the amazing results!

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Ready to make learning an exciting adventure?

Boost engagement in your classroom with two captivating standards-aligned learning games for math and English!

6 Traditional learning activities to bring online 

In today’s digital world, virtual learning is more prevalent than ever. But that doesn’t mean we should say goodbye to our favorite in-class activities!

Here’s how to transform classic school activities into online activities that are perfect for distance learning. 

1. Digital escape rooms

No room needed! Bring this classic team-building activity online and transform your classroom or students' homes into haunted houses, pirate ships or even the North Pole! 

Try these: 

  • Virtual Escaping rooms
  • 20+ Free digital escape rooms 
  • Build your own escape room through Google Forms

2. Two Truths and a Lie

Put a spin on this classic icebreaker game through online polls, presentation decks, or quiz platforms like Kahoot! . Compile student submissions into a quiz format. Then have them vote on each other’s options and see the submissions on-screen right away.

You can also use this game to supplement lessons. For example, add two truths and a lie questions during activities that review science concepts or historical figures. 

3. Virtual journal writing

Instead of daily journal entries on paper, encourage virtual journal submissions through an online platform like Google Docs. 

Student typing on a laptop in class

Or, take it to the next level and start a classroom blog . Students can compile their entries and reflect on each others’ submissions, then look back on their great work at the end of the year.

4. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Create a checklist to bring your scavenger hunt online. Then have your students submit pictures to check items off the list.

Your list can include:

  • Items they can find around their home ( find 3 items that have stripes )
  • Information they can find online ( when was the telephone invented?)
  • Information about one another ( find a classmate who is left handed )

Host one big scavenger hunt, or provide one daily checklist item for them to find by the end of the day.

5. Read aloud videos

Record yourself reading a book out loud, then send the video to your students and have them listen during class time. Or find author read alouds that introduce students to the authors of their favorite books, so they can hear the stories straight from the source. 

6. Virtual brain breaks

Brain breaks are an effective way to keep kids energized and ready to learn more. And there are so many options for online brain breaks! 

  • Videos that encourage activity (like an action song or yoga video ) 
  • Online games (try assigning five minutes of Prodigy time between class tasks)
  • Fun discussion topics that prompt online chats (Ex. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?)

Take one of these exciting virtual field trips

Even if they don’t happen in person, field trips can still be informative, exciting and hands-on! In fact, virtual field trips may be even better, because you can visit places that are hundreds or even thousands of miles away! 

Here’s how to encourage classroom community building and bring your students to brand new places, without ever leaving your home or classroom. 

1. Virtual zoo or aquarium

Lions and tigers and bears … and penguins and sharks and monkeys! Oh my!

A virtual zoo visit is super fun for younger students, or a great way for students of any age to learn more about animals and their habitats. 

  • Videos from the San Diego Zoo
  • Live cams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • 3D animals to turn students’ homes into their own zoo!

2. Virtual national park tours 

Your class can visit some of the most famous parks and learn more about nature without even stepping outside! Use Parks Through Your Screen to explore different parks and see them from a brand new perspective.   

3. Virtual walking trails

Let your class explore mountains, trails, forests or even the pyramids! These virtual walking tours from across the globe provide an exciting online escape along with plenty of learning opportunities.

A man on a hike facing away from the camera, with a mountain view in the background

4. Ellis Island tour

Provide students with a hands-on history lesson through this interactive online tour of the historic Ellis Island . They’ll find stories, photos and notable facts at each stop. 

4. Museums and art galleries 

Some of the most well-known galleries in the world offer amazing online exhibits anyone can enjoy. 

  • The Louvre online tours 
  • Google arts & culture collections
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art online

Outside view of The Louvre Museum in France

6 Virtual back to school activities for the first day of the school year

Back to school is the best time of year! And there are so many ways to make your first day of school activities welcoming and fun, whether they’re online or in person. 

1. Play virtual ice breaker games 

On the first day of school, it’s important for classmates to get to know one another, and for you to get to know them! 

Ask icebreaker questions through online chats, play virtual games (like two truths and a lie) or have students create quick online profiles that feature fun or important facts about them. 

Student on laptop wearing headphones and chatting to others online

2. Set expectations

Whether learning is remote, hybrid or in-person, it’s important that students know your classroom expectations and where to find everything they need. 

Make sure to: 

  • Share your digital class schedule
  • Let students know the best way to ask questions online
  • Communicate classroom rules (try using Bitmojis to keep things light and fun!)

3. Send fun virtual questionnaires

Give students fun questions that will help them find out what they have in common and build community for the rest of the school year. 

Ask questions like:

  • What’s your favorite movie?
  • What’s your favorite thing about school? 
  • What’s one thing you want to try this year?

Send them through fun online questionnaires through Google Forms, or create storyboards in Miro to display responses. Don’t forget to share your answers too!

4. Design virtual lockers 

Use a fun Bitmoji template and have students create virtual lockers to display their personal style or show off their favorite things. To take it a step further, create a whole virtual classroom where students can customize their own space.

Bitmoji template for a virtual locker from Kapwing Resources

5. Share summer stories

Encourage your class to get creative and talk about what they did during the summer in whatever way they’d like. 

This could be:

  • Digital art
  • Presentations

Or anything else they can think of!

6. Send out student learning surveys

Once you’ve shared your expectations for them, let students share theirs, too!

Send an online survey to each student asking questions like:

  • How do you learn best?
  • What’s your favorite way to learn?
  • What questions do you have for me? 
  • What do you want to learn the most this year?

We couldn’t forget these activities! Here are a few more ways to make your online classroom awesome. 

1. Encourage socialization 

Social emotional learning is critical for student success. 

And the best way to help students practice their social emotional skills? Provide them with plenty of opportunities to socialize and collaborate in fun, easy ways. 

  • Assign social emotional learning activities online
  • Have frequent breakout rooms for students to socialize in small groups
  • Create a collaborative class playlist on Spotify or listen to music as a class
  • Hold regular discussions with the whole class and allow students to use chat functions or speak out loud

2. Hold virtual morning meetings

Have a daily check-in with morning meetings where you and your students can share feelings, thoughts and ideas for the day. Then go through your schedule and make sure everyone has all the online resources they’ll need.

3. Host theme days

Have regular theme days where the class wears a certain color or accessory, or dresses as a specific character. 

For example, create a “color of the week” where every Friday, students wear as much of a specific color as they can find. Then let them show off their outfits in your online classroom! 

Get the most out of your virtual classroom

Online teaching can be a tough balance. But with such a wide range of virtual school activities to choose from, there’s no shortage of fun your class can have while they learn! 

Add a few of these activities to your online lesson plans to help students learn, play and collaborate — no matter where they are!

Looking for an online activity to supplement your math lessons?

Prodigy can help make learning math fun! 

Prodigy Education brand characters

Assign curriculum-aligned math questions that match learning progress and grade levels , easily track student data , and provide your students with a fun way to practice math online — all while they embark on new adventures and battle friends to win rewards! 

Create an Assessment for your Prodigy classroom today to keep students on track and differentiate for individual learning needs. 

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15 Fun Virtual Classroom Games And Activities

One of the challenges that teachers often face is preparing fun and engaging games and activities for their students. With more and more schools transitioning to virtual classrooms, coming up with game ideas has become much more difficult.

The traditional classroom games that teachers are used to playing in class may not be possible while teaching online in a virtual classroom. So, we have put together a list of virtual classroom games and activities to help you out.

All of these games and activities can be played while teaching students online in a virtual classroom, and any materials we mention below can be downloaded and used in your virtual classrooms for free.

Related: Social Distancing Classroom Games

Virtual Classroom Games

1. quiz games.

Virtual Classroom Quiz Game

Quiz games are a perfect activity for virtual classrooms. All students need is a pen and paper to write down their answers. There are many types of quizzes, but one quiz game that kids and teenagers really enjoy is the ‘top five’ quiz. In a ‘Top 5’ quiz, each question has multiple possible answers. For example, ‘Name a zoo animal.’. Then, students must write down one answer. Next, ask the students to show their answers using their webcam to the other students in the virtual classroom.

Once everyone has shown their answer, the teacher can reveal the ‘Top Five’ answers. If a student’s answer is the same as one of the ‘top five’ answers, then they get points. If they have an answer which is not in the top five, then they don’t get any points. Students really enjoy this game, especially when they get the number 1 answer. You can download an example quiz, and an editable quiz template to add your own questions, here .

You can also find many fun quizzes on our online quizzes page . These quizzes include interactive general knowledge quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, grammar quizzes, and more.

2. Liar Game

This next virtual classroom game is great as an ice breaker and/or for getting to know your students. To play, first, choose a question to ask all the students. For example, if you’re meeting the students after the long summer break, you might ask them “ What did you do during the summer vacation? “

Next, instruct the students that when they answer they can choose to tell something true or they can lie and make up a story. Give the students some time, say 5 minutes, to come up with their story. When the students are ready, have each student tell their story. After each story, ask each student in the virtual classroom whether they think it is true or a lie.

This activity is a lot of fun and can lead to some hilarious stories. Students especially enjoy it when they are able to make their classmates believe their crazy stories.

3. Word Association Games

Word association games can be easily played in a virtual classroom and they require little to no preparation. If you’re not familiar with word association games, they are simple games in which the teacher would choose a word and then ask students to say the first related word that comes to mind.

A great way to play this in a virtual classroom is to give students a particular topic, for example, ‘animals’, and then ask students one by one to name something from that topic. The first student who can’t think of a word, or says a word that was mentioned previously, must do a forfeit. The forfeit could be that the student has to pull a silly face, do a silly dance, or just lose a point. For some other word association game ideas, check out our other post, Five Fun Word Association Games .

4. Describe And Draw

For this next virtual classroom game, each student needs a pencil and paper to draw on. This activity is a great way to practice listening skills.

First, the teacher should find something they want the students to draw and place it off-screen where students cannot see it. Next, the teacher should start describing the object and the students should listen and draw what they think the object looks like.

Once the teacher has finished describing the object and the students have finished drawing, ask the students to show their drawings to the other members of the virtual classroom. Next, show the students the object that you were describing and see whose drawing resembles it the most. After playing one time you can also let a student be the one who chooses an object and describes it. This game is a lot of fun, and kids especially find it funny when they see all the different drawings from their classmates.

5. Online Activity Videos

In your virtual classroom, if you are able to share your screen, then our collection of activity videos can be used when you want a fun, no-prep, ready-to-use game. On our activity videos page , we have over 70 ready-to-use games on many different topics. All are free and be shown in your virtual classroom from this website or from our YouTube channel.

6. Scavenger Hunt

This activity is a fantastic game to play while teaching online, especially with kids. And the best thing about it is it needs no preparation. To play, simply think of a kind of object that students likely have in their house/room. Then, students should run off and find that object and then return and share what they found with the class. For example, you might ask students to find something blue, or a toy, or find something that is a certain shape, etc. The things students come up with can be really surprising and funny making this activity great for teaching kids online.

7. Guess Who It Is

This next game is a great warm-up or ice-breaker activity. To play, choose one student and ask that student to close their eyes or look away from the computer screen. Next, choose one student to be a ‘secret witch’. That student should then say something like “I am a scary witch! Be very afraid! Wahahaha!”. And then, the student who closed their eyes should then open their eyes and try to guess which student’s voice they heard. This activity is super fun and works perfectly when teaching in a virtual classroom.

8. Would You Rather

Asking ‘Would you rather questions’ is a fun activity to play online with students and a great way to learn more about your students’ personalities. You can ask students to simply answer the question directly, or ask them to type what they would rather do in the chat window. If you need some ideas for these kinds of questions, check out our list of 30 Fun Would You Rather Questions For Kids .

9. Mystery Box Game

Mystery Box Game PowerPoint

This next activity is a fun PowerPoint game that you can easily play online with students. For this game, you’ll need our Mystery Box PowerPoint Game Template . Simply add your own questions and/or pictures to the template before the lesson. To play this game, divide the students into two teams. The teams will take turns answering a question. After answering the question, students can then choose to keep the box or give the box to the other team. Inside the box is good points (e.g +1000) or bad points (-1000). Although this game takes a little preparation, it is worth it as students really love this activity.

10. Simon Says

The classic classroom game ‘ Simon Says ‘ can be easily adapted to play online. Ask students to stand up and stand back from the camera. Next, the teacher should say an action preceded by “ Simon Says.. “. For example, “S imon says touch your head “. If the teacher says “ Simon says… ” first, then students should do that action. If the teacher doesn’t say it first, then the students should not follow the instruction. Students that do, are out.

11. The Chain Game

This game needs no preparation and is great for when you have extra time in your online class. To play, one student should say a word, and then the next student should say a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word. To make it more difficult, you can introduce a category of words (e.g. animals) that students must focus on.

12. The Telepathy Game

ESL PowerPoint Game

To play this game, you’ll need to download our Telepathy Game PowerPoint Template or make your own. The idea of the game is simple. You ask students a question and give them two possible answers. Only one of them is the answer that the teacher chose. So, students must use ‘telepathy’ to read the teacher’s mind and guess the answer. If they guess correctly, they get a point. Students basically have a 50/50 chance to guess the answer. Although this game is so simple, kids really love it and love pretending that they have the power to read minds.

13. Make A Story Game

This activity is very simple but often students will come up with some really hilarious stories. To play, start the story but don’t finish the sentence. For example, “ Once upon a time, there was a .. .”. Then, ask a student to finish the sentence, and start the next sentence of the story. Again that student should not finish the sentence, the next student should. To play this game online, you can ask students to type in their sentences into the chat window and then the teacher can read the story allowed at the end.

14. Word Detective

If you are teaching a particular text or story, this activity is great to play to practice students’ reading and scanning skills. Display the text on-screen, or if students have their own copy of the text at home they can use that. Next, choose a word from the text and ask students to be ‘word detectives’ and find how many of that word there is. To make it more difficult, you can ask students to find a particular type of word, such as nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc.

15. Blooket

Blooket is a fantastic platform for online learning that allows teachers to create and host quizzes and games. After creating a quiz, teachers can share the game with students so they can complete it online on their own devices. Check out this helpful guide on How To Use Blooket for more details.

16. Let’s Dance Game

PPT Game

This last activity can easily be played online by sharing your screen and using our Let’s Dance PowerPoint Game Template . The template has 30 boxes, each with space for one word or number. Simply type in 30 words into the boxes that you want students to practice. Then, the game can begin. Students will take turns reading the words in the boxes. Each time, students can choose to say 1 word, 2 words, or a maximum of 3 words. The student who says the last word must do a silly dance.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found this list of virtual classroom games and activities useful.

NEW! Guidance on handling classroom disruptions

Resources to help instructors handle disruptions to instructional activities in the classroom.

Engaging Online Activities

Main navigation.

Varying activities can be an effective way to mitigate fatigue and make learning more engaging for students online. Consider these activity ideas to build interactivity into lectures, invigorate discussion sections, and create dynamic learning experiences.

Breakout sessions

Live Zoom sessions do not always have to be one-to-many interactions with one speaker talking while the class listens. With breakout rooms, students can be placed into small groups so that interactions among students can happen more easily and comfortably. Specific prompts for what students should accomplish during their time in breakout sessions can help make the dialogue even more lively and engaged.

Collaborative writing

A task where students write together, whether it is a study list on a particular topic or a response to a case study, can be a dynamic way to encourage students to create something together. Writing can be a way for students to work through a concept actively, regardless of which discipline you're teaching in. Asking students to write on a document or assignment together can spark creativity and can be implemented synchronously or asynchronously. Google Documents and other Google Suite tools are commonly used for collaborative writing.

Guest speakers

Bringing in outside perspectives and voices can be a great way to get students thinking about how other voices beyond the instructors are part of critical disciplinary conversations. Speakers could join for a live Zoom class session or they could pre-record a video that could be included in your course Canvas site.

Audience polling

Quick feedback on how your students are understanding course content is useful for informing your teaching and for prompting students to reflect on their own learning.

A synchronous poll using a Zoom poll or a  Poll Everywhere  activity can help you see how students are understanding core concepts. If you make the poll results accessible to students too, they also get a sense of how their peers are understanding core concepts. Polls can also be a great way for students to share anonymous short answer responses so that students can see their peers' perspectives in response to a particular question. Poll Everywhere can also support asynchronous polls or surveys.

Peer review

A peer review task is a concrete activity where students can get feedback on work from their peers. Creating a heuristic or rubric for students to use to review and give comments on each other's projects, writing assignments, or even problem sets can be a good way to get students talking to each other about core course concepts. Peer review activities can be facilitated synchronously through Zoom breakout rooms or could be facilitated asynchronously in a Canvas Discussion or through a Canvas Assignment . Either way, students have the opportunity to get input from another person beyond the instructor.

Small group activities

These small group activities are suitable for a breakout session in Zoom. These activities can be adapted for use with any learning objective or course format.

Sticky notes

In a face-to-face classroom, using paper sticky notes can be a great way to get students to brainstorm quickly. Online sticky notes can similarly encourage students to engage in valuable brainstorming or a process of organizing disparate ideas. Think of each "sticky note" as a place where students can write down words or phrases and then quickly organize those words or phrases into an organized grid. Activities involving sticky notes could be done in small groups or with individuals synchronously or asynchronously using the Jamboard tool, which is part of the Google Suite of tools offered by UIT.

Real-time conversations don't just have to happen with audio and video over Zoom. There are various versions of text chat tools available in Zoom, Canvas, and Slack that can help facilitate dialogue among students. Text chat could be used for synchronous dialogue, but could also be used to have quick Q&A sessions asynchronously.

  • Successful Breakout Rooms in Zoom , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Text Chat , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Digital Sticky Notes , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Small Group Activities , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Peer Review , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Live Audience Polling , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Guest Speakers , Teaching Commons (2020).
  • Collaborative Writing , Teaching Commons (2020).

18 Virtual Classroom Games and Activities

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Here is our list of fun virtual classroom games and activities .

Virtual classroom games are fun online activities or events teachers can organize for their students. Examples include Simon Says, Scavenger Hunts, and Hangman. The aim of these activities is to promote student interaction and make online lectures interesting.

Classroom games and activities are similar to virtual games for big groups , Zoom party games , and virtual minute to win it games .

This list includes:

  • games to play during online classes
  • virtual classroom activities
  • interactive online games for students
  • online activities for students on Zoom
  • online teaching games

Here we go!

List of virtual classroom games & activities

From Charades to Find the Differences to Draw a Monster, here is a list of fun activities for virtual classrooms.

1. The Survival Game

The Survival Game is a thrilling game that promotes critical thinking and helps students build problem-solving skills.

To organize this activity:

  • Create a scenario where students must brainstorm solutions to survive. For example, ask students to explain how they would survive in the desert with one stick, a stone, and half a glass of water.
  • Each player must give realistic responses to the scenario.
  • The player with the best survival solution wins the game.

This exercise is one of the best games to play during online classes because it encourages students to brainstorm and think critically.

2. Name, Animal, Place, and Thing

Name, Animal, Place, and Thing is a fun word game where players come up with words in different categories.

  • Meet over a video call.
  • Choose an order in which to play.
  • The first player will choose a random letter from A to Z.
  • Set a timer for 20 seconds.
  • All the participants must write words starting with the chosen letter in each listed category. For example, if a player selects the letter B, then all the players must write a name, animal, place, and things starting with B.
  • The first player to complete all the categories before the timer runs out wins the round.
  • Repeat steps three through six until all the players have a turn picking a letter.

This game is a simple way to create a fun learning environment for students. The players may also get to learn exciting new words.

3. Draw a Monster

Draw a Monster is a simple drawing game that students can engage in during online classes.

  • Meet using video conferencing software, like Google Meet or Zoom.
  • Use the in-app collaborative whiteboard feature.
  • Invite the students to take turns drawing monsters following a set of prompts. The teacher may tell the students to draw the monster using specific numbers and shapes. For example, the teacher might ask the students to draw the monster using only circles and the number four.
  • The best drawing wins!

This game is a fun way to test scholars’ creativity and teach them to follow instructions. Participants can also play this game in teams to promote healthy competition. To play in groups, split the players into small teams, and players will take turns adding to the drawing until it is complete.

4. First Letter, Last Letter

First Letter, Last Letter is one of the best interactive online games for students. In this game, participants must think fast to remain in the game.

  • Meet on a video call.
  • The teacher will choose a random letter.
  • The first player must find a word that starts with the given letter.
  • The next player must then find a word that starts with the last letter of the previous player’s word. For example, if the first player chooses Cat, then the next player must find a word that starts with the letter T.
  • Players must respond quickly. Any player who stalls or does not respond immediately is out of the game.

This fast-paced game is a simple way to promote laughter among students and create a fun learning environment where players must think on their feet.

5. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunts are fun activities where students race against time to find different objects. In this game, the teacher will give the players a list of items to find within sixty seconds and set a timer.

Participants must rush off to find these items and place them in front of the screen before the time runs out. Examples of objects to find include toothbrushes, red socks, and pink crayons. The first player to find all the given items wins the game. This exercise is an excellent way to keep students active and engaged.

Hangman is a simple word game where players must guess the letters of a word to escape the hangman’s noose.

  • Meet using a video conferencing tool.
  • Split the players into groups of four or five.
  • Each group will nominate a player to think of a word.
  • The player will draw blank spaces for each letter in the word using the whiteboard feature.
  • Other members of the team must guess what the word is.
  • The player will write down every correct letter.
  • For every incorrect guess, the player will draw a stick figure body part from a noose.
  • If the player completes the drawing of the hanged man, then the team loses that round.
  • Each team gets a point for every correct guess.
  • The team with the highest points wins the game!

This activity is a great way to encourage teamwork and promote interaction between students online.

7. Find the Differences

Find the Differences is a fun and simple game that teaches students to pay attention to detail.

  • Players will take a look at each participant’s space or environment.
  • Set a timer for 60 seconds.
  • Each player must turn off their cameras.
  • Participants will use this opportunity to remove, readjust, or add items to their space.
  • When the timer runs out, the players will turn on their cameras.
  • The students will take turns noting the differences in their classmates’ environments.
  • The players get a point for each correct guess.
  • The player with the highest point wins.

This exciting activity is an excellent way to help students develop good observation skills. To make this game even more challenging, players can change clothing, open windows, or remove their glasses to see which of their classmates will notice.

8. Charades

Charades is one of the best virtual classroom activities for students. This game promotes collaboration and teamwork.

  • Split the players into two opposing groups.
  • Each team will nominate a player to lead the game.
  • Team A will send a word to Team B’s designated player via the chat box.
  • Set a timer for 30 seconds.
  • The player will act out the given word while their team members try to guess it.
  • The team members must guess the word before the time runs out.
  • The team wins a point if they guess the word correctly.
  • The actor will then choose a word for Team A.
  • The game will continue in this fashion until each team gets several turns.

This activity is a great way to improve interaction among students online and encourage players to become friends.

9. Virtual Trivia

Virtual Trivia is a great game for students. This activity allows players to learn new facts on a wide range of topics.

  • Create trivia questions on topics such as science, history, geography, and literature.
  • Meet via video call.
  • Split players into teams of three or four.
  • Ask students questions and give each team 30 seconds to answer correctly.
  • Each team gets one point for every correct answer.
  • The team with the highest points wins.

This activity is a great opportunity for teachers to quiz students on previously taught topics or assignments. Trivia questions also help improve cognitive skills and brain performance.

10. Simon Says

Simon Says is an engaging game that tests how well students listen to instructions.

  • Meet using video conferencing software.
  • The teacher will assume the role of Simon.
  • The teacher will say “Simon Says,” followed by any prompt. For example, Simon says close your eyes.
  • Each participant must close their eyes.
  • Players who do not do as Simon says immediately are out of the game.
  • If the teacher says a prompt without the words “Simon Says,” then any player who follows the prompt is out of the game.
  • The game will continue this way until only one player remains.
  • The last player standing wins.

This simple and interactive game can be the perfect icebreaker activity for online classes. Students can play this game at the start of their online lectures to lighten the mood.

11. Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a fun science game where students guess the name of doctors and scientists in different fields. For example, the teacher may ask, “What do you call a doctor who takes care of children?” The answer is a pediatrician.

This game is one of the best online teaching games because it helps children recognize several scientific fields and appreciate doctors who handle different health-related issues. To make this activity even more engaging, you can give bonus points to students who can spell these words correctly.

12. The Lottery

The Lottery is an interesting game that speaks to players’ characters. In this game, the teacher will inform students that they have won the biggest lottery ever.

The players will get three options, including:

  • give half of the money to charity
  • buy the best cars and houses in the world
  • build hospitals to save lives

The players can only choose one answer and cannot change their options after choosing. You may give players different options to test their wits, character, and courage. You may also create imaginary emergencies to test if players are willing to part with their newfound wealth to help those around them.

13. Virtual Show and Tell

Virtual Show and Tell is a fun activity where students share items with great sentimental value. For this activity, participants will meet on any video conferencing platform. The students will then take turns showing off items, gifts, pets, or stories that mean a lot to them and why. Students can also share their favorite books, poems, songs, or movies and tell classmates why they like them.

This activity is a great opportunity for students to get to know each other better, share interests, and build good relationships.

14. Virtual Mannequin Challenge

Virtual Mannequin Challenge is a fun game where players have to freeze mid-action when a particular song plays. This game is an imitation of the viral mannequin challenge.

  • Create a playlist of trendy songs.
  • Students will pick a specific song as their “freeze song.” Whenever their freeze song plays, the participants must pause mid-action.
  • Play the songs in the playlist in no particular order.
  • Have students move around and dance.
  • Play the freeze song randomly.
  • Any student who does not freeze is out of the game.
  • Students who move or shake while the freeze song plays are also out.
  • Players can move freely and dance when other songs in the playlist come on.
  • Switch to the freeze song at random times when other songs play.

This game will test students’ endurance and patience. This activity is also a great chance for students to listen to and enjoy their favorite music.

15. Funny Days

Funny Days is a hilarious activity where students attend online classes dressed in funny costumes to match a chosen theme.

  • Set a theme for different days of the week. For example, funny beard day or weird shirt day.
  • Meet on Zoom.
  • Students will attend class dressed to match the day’s theme.
  • Classmates will then vote for the funniest outfit.

This activity is one of the easiest online activities for students on Zoom.

16. Online Talent Show

Online Talent Shows are fun activities where students can show their best creative performances. For example, participants can paint, dance, or sing.

  • Choose an order in which to perform.
  • The students will take turns showing off their best talents.
  • The best performance wins!

Talent Shows are great ways to nurture students’ creativity and encourage scholars to pursue what they enjoy.

17. Complete the Lyrics

Complete the Lyrics is a fun musical game where players must finish the lyrics of a song.

  • Curate a playlist of trendy songs.
  • Meet using any video conferencing tool.
  • Play a song and pause it at random.
  • The player must complete the lyrics from where the music stopped.
  • If the player fails, then the next participant must complete the lyrics.

Complete the Lyrics is an easy way to check how well students know their favorite songs and boost engagement between scholars.

18. Countries, Capitals, and One Word

Countries, Capitals, and One Word is a fun and educational game for students to learn about different parts of the world and their cultures.

  • Create a list of countries.
  • Meet using any video conferencing software.
  • The teacher will name different countries, an students will take turns sharing the capital of these countries. For example, Ethiopia’s capital is Addis Ababa.
  • The student must then share one word or a few words that best describe the Ethiopian people, culture, or land.
  • Students who identify with these countries may share stories about their culture, tradition, and foods.

The students may name local dishes or the colors of the country’s flag. This activity teaches students about diversity and is a great way for attendees to embrace other cultures.

Virtual Classroom games and activities are fun activities that promote learning, boost student interaction, and improve communication between students in online classes. These games keep students entertained and help create a fun learning environment.

Teachers can use these activities as a chance to get to know their students better and also give students a chance to build good relationships.

For more fun ideas for the classroom, check out our lists of virtual group tours and online field trip ideas .

FAQ: Virtual classroom games & activities

Here is our list of frequently asked questions about virtual classroom games and activities.

What are virtual classroom games?

Virtual classroom games are entertaining, educational activities that make online classes fun and engaging.

What are the best games for online classrooms?

The best games for online classrooms include Virtual Trivia, Doctor Who, and Simon Says.

What are some good activities for virtual classrooms?

Some good activities for virtual classrooms include Virtual Show and Tell, Complete the Lyrics, and Virtual Mannequin Challenge.

How do fun activities help online students?

Fun activities help online students engage and interact with classmates, reduce boredom, and ease anxiety. These activities create a fun environment where students can enjoy learning.

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online activities for students ideas

21 Online Classroom Games and Activities Your Students will Love

21 Online Classroom Games and Activities Your Students will Love

In the age of pandemic, more and more schools are turning to online platforms to keep classes connected. This can be a great way to keep students engaged and learning, but it can also be tricky to come up with new ideas for activities.

So, as a new school year starts, we've put together this list of 21 online classroom games and activities your students will love! From word games and puzzles to math challenges, we've got something for everyone.

Get ready to connect with your students in a whole new way!

Digital Scavenger Hunt

While there are many ways to do a virtual scavenger hunt , our favorite is our photo hunt! Using 5 easy-to-customize prompts, you can have your students send in pictures they already have on their phones.

online activities for students ideas

Or, take the challenge up a notch, set a timer, and give the photo prompt and send your students off to find the item and send in the picture.

No matter which method you use, your students are sure to get a kick out of sharing a little bit of their lives through this online game.

Dungeons and Dragons Virtual Game

online activities for students ideas

For all the budding adventurers out there, this one's for you!

With the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons growing again, you can now take your whole class on a journey, right from their computers! Our Dungeons and Dragons slide deck walks teams through specific tasks and trivia in order to defeat the bad guys and save the day!

No dice needed!

Word Blurt!

This is a great game for building vocabulary and getting students thinking on their feet. One student starts by saying a word, any word. The next student then has to say a word in response that's related to the first word. This can go on for as long as you like, and you can keep score to see who comes up with the most creative connections!

online activities for students ideas

Or use our Word Blurt slide deck and give word or photo prompts to the group, to keep everyone engaged.

Photo Sharing Game

A photo sharing game is great for building community and getting students to share a little bit about themselves. Have students choose a photo that represents something important to them, then have them share it with the class along with a short explanation. You can even create a class collage of all the photos to hang up in your virtual classroom!

Not sure where to start?

online activities for students ideas

Use our Photo Sharing game slide deck, customize it to fit your students, and let the prompts do their work.

Math Scavenger Hunt

online activities for students ideas

A unique twist on a virtual scavenger hunt, a math scavenger hunt is a great way to review math concepts and get students moving around. And there are so many great ways to lead out in a math scavenger hunt. Some of our favorites include:

Have students solve problems for specific measurements and take pictures of items matching that measurement.

Ask students to bring coins to virtual class and have them show coins in the amounts you ask for.

Have your students take pictures of things in nature matching the numbers they've solved for in their math problems (e.g. the number of petals on a flower).

Virtual Talent Show

This is a great way to build community and have some fun!

Encourage your students to showcase their talents, whether it's singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or telling jokes.

You can have student volunteers sign up ahead of time or do it as a surprise. Students can perform live on camera or share a video of them showcasing their talent.

2 Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is a classic icebreaker game great for getting to know your students. Have each student share two true things and one lie about themselves, then let the rest of the class try to guess which is which.

You can even make it a competition to see who can stump the most people!

Draw What I Say

online activities for students ideas

This is a great game for younger students or to review vocabulary words. One student starts by describing an object, person, or animal without using specific words. The next student then draws what they hear. This can go on for as many rounds as you like, and you can keep score to see who guesses the most correctly.

Another fun iteration of this game is for you to describe a drawing or picture to the entire class and see what different results you get!

Virtual Charades

Why not take a classic classroom game and adjust it to a virtual environment?

One of our favorite examples of this is virtual charades. Send a student something to act out in the group chat - Like an animal or emotion. Then have the classroom guess what the student is trying to act out.

Split the class into teams if you want to add a layer of competitiveness to the game.

Virtual Pictionary

There are 2 ways you can play Pictionary virtually with your class. The first is the traditional way. Divide your class into teams and send a word to a member of 1 team. That student then turns their webcam to their drawing and draws until their team guesses the word or they run out of time.

For a simpler option, you can use a virtual whiteboard and have the student drawing share their screen for their team to guess.

Whichever team has the most correct guesses at the end, wins!

online activities for students ideas

We're big fans of games that get students burning off a little extra energy, which is why Freeze is such a great option.

Play a song while students dance around their rooms (within sight of the camera). Then, at random times, stop the music and yell Freeze!

Students then have to get back in their chairs as fast as possible, with the last one being 'out'. Keep playing until all but 1 student is still standing.

Show and Tell

This is a great way to get students comfortable with sharing in front of the class, and it's also a fun way for you to learn more about your students.

Have each student choose an object from home to bring to virtual show and tell. It could be something as simple as a toy or family photo.

Then, have students take turns sharing their object with the class and telling a little bit about it.

Picture Zoom

Picture Zoom is a favorite!

To start, get a high-quality picture and zoom in really close. Share the picture with your students and let them guess the image. Keep zooming out until a student guesses right!

We love the idea of Picture Zoom for introducing a new chapter or topic of discussion.

We used to play a version of this online (not for school) and it always ended with the group in stitches.

In a sort of reverse Jeopardy, give your students a vocabulary word and ask everyone to give they're idea of the definition. After a designated amount of time, show all the answers and have the group vote on the one they think is right.

Whoever is closest to the right definition and those who guessed the right definition get a point!

We strongly suggest using Word Clouds for the voting portion of this game!

Virtual Bingo

online activities for students ideas

This is such a fun way to spice up a lesson or review for a test!

You can easily create a bingo board in Google Drawings or there are tons of online generators, like My Free Bingo Cards or Bingo Maker ).

Then, instead of reading out numbers, read out the questions, answers, or topics you want students to find on their boards.

The first person to get bingo, wins!

Story Chain - What Would You Do?

Get everyone in your class involved with a combination story chain + what would you do.

Start a story with a made up scenario (even better if it's from your lesson). Start the story, then pick a student and ask "what would you do?”

Taking their answer, continue the story.

You can also boost class involvement by having everyone type in an answer and vote for their favorite choice on what to do.

Virtual Scattergories

Give your class a category, a letter, and a set amount of time. See how many answers each student can come up with for that specific letter. The student with the most unique answers (no other student gave that word) wins the game!

How Well Do You Know Your Classmates?

Give your class a questionnaire with the same number of questions as there are students in the class. Then, have your class fill out the questions.

Assign 1 answer to each student and present the question, plus the answer to the entire class. Then, let the class guess who gave the answer!

Of course, you don't want these to be too personal, so get creative in keeping these light and fun.

Cultural Share and Tell

online activities for students ideas

Let your students create a small presentation on a cultural aspect of their family. This can be as simple as showing on a map where their family originated or describing their favorite food. You can make this a photo show and tell or have student volunteers share a story about their culture.

A riff on the popular British TV show, Pointless makes the perfect game to play virtually with students.

To start, give your students a category (Name the Most Famous Bob). Then have students give their answers (e.g Sponge Bob, Bob Marley, or Bob the Builder). The winner is the person who gave the most obscure, but correct answer! (Hint: Bob Marley is always the most famous Bob)

Virtual Mad Libs

This classic game is a great way to review parts of speech!

Write a short paragraph with blanks for different parts of speech (i.e noun, verb, adjective) and have students fill in the blanks.

Once everyone has had a chance to fill in the blanks, read the story aloud and enjoy the hilarity that ensues.

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53 Virtual Activity Ideas to Keep College Students Engaged During COVID-19

online activities for students ideas

Most student affairs professionals pursued this field because we adore connecting with students.

We imagine hours spent chatting on campus and planning programs together. But for many folx, that’s simply not possible right now. (I’m glaring angrily at you, COVID-19.)

Yet, given our patented tenacious #SApro spirits, we won’t let little things like campus closures and the complete disruption of our daily lives spoil all of our activities.

ad with a link for 'take your campus virtual with Presence'

Instead, we adapt. SA pros nationwide are looking for activities that can be run virtually. Although our students cannot physically enter a set campus space together, we want them to log on, plug in, and engage with one another remotely. 

So, to get you started, my coworkers and I put our brains together and came up with 53 suggestions of activities that can be run and enjoyed through the magic of technology. Enjoy!

(Ah, but first, be sure to read up on tips — like these from the University of Maine — on facilitating online discussions. Sure, you’re likely an unofficial expert at in-person facilitation, but online chats and webinars require additional skills and insights.)

Mainly for fun

1. playlists.

Get your students in tune with one another by encouraging them to contribute to a collaborative playlist . You could even have a Playlist of a Day, inviting everyone to listen to a set of songs curated by students or staff. 

Perhaps you’d like to create a playlist with song titles that cleverly allude to digital technology or dealing with change . Rita Wilson made a great “Quarantunes” playlist that I’ve been jamming out to. 

2. Dance Parties

Speaking of jamming out, you can dedicate some time each day or week to virtual dance parties. In the morning, energize students by tweeting out a video of a catchy pop tune. Or in the afternoon, help students stay awake with a quick digital dance-off to the best boy bands, show tunes, or your institution’s fight song.

Note: No ballet barres, tap shoes, or the slightest bit of dance talent required. 

3. Movie discussions

Go ahead; make students’ day. Pick a film or TV show that can be streamed for free from Vudu or Tubi . Give students a few days to watch it, then gather them online to discuss their favorite bits and the storyline’s relevance to their lives.

4. Paint classes

Get your Bob Ross on! Perhaps an art instructor or a talented student can host, guiding students through a fairly simple landscape or object to paint.

True, most students probably won’t happen to have paint supplies at home, but the video can be relaxing in and of itself. You could also make it interactive, with students making suggestions to the painter. (“Use bright blue!” “Add an owl to the tree!” “More glitter!”)

5. Youtube Video of the Day 

Pick a staff, faculty member, or student of the day to showcase their favorite YouTube video. By setting a time limit of five minutes or less per video, you can encourage folx to savor a quick laugh, a bit of inspiration, or some animal cuteness — without much of a commitment. (I’ll start off with this contribution .)

6.Video performances

You may have acting majors or theater troupe performers who had been rehearsing for weeks, only to have their shows canceled or indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus. So, reach out and see if they’d be interested in performing via video conference. 

They may not be able to pull off a full-scale production, but a comedic monologue or broadway show tune can still be highly entertaining. Perhaps a band or a capella group would like to perform, with each member doing their part from home. 

7. Improv games

Whose line is it anyway? Your students’!

Many improv games can be slightly adapted to work well virtually, including One Word Story , Convergence , and 5 Things .

8. Door decoration classes

Who says you need a residence hall to put up door decs ? 

Enlist some RAs to show off how they crafted their most masterful door decorations. Students watching the recording or livestream can follow along, making decorations to hang up in their homes.

If possible, try to focus on decorations that require only limited supplies, as students are unlikely to have a whole art supply store stored away at home.

9. Weird holiday celebrations  

Every day is a holiday. Obscure ones like National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (April 2), International Juggler’s Day (April 18), and Lost Sock Memorial Day (May 9) can inspire quirky digital celebrations or simply daily notifications that’ll make students smile.

Ah, and of course may the force be with you to celebrate May 4, aka Star Wars Day. You could organize a tournament of Star Wars games , ask students to vote on a character bracket , or host a trivia show . Disney even has a free downloadable activity sheet .

10. Hobby Webinars

Are you a pro at origami? Have a coworker with a knack for crocheting? Know a student who always manages to take the perfect mobile phone photos?

Consider passing these hobbies on to students through 101 webinars. Participants will learn something new and the experienced hobbyists will get some fun teaching experiences.

Alternatively, you can search YouTube for tutorials to watch together. Embrace how bad you’ll be at it initially; it can be relatable and hilarious.

Now excuse me while I learn how to make towel animals .

11. MTV Cribs

Remember MTV Cribs , through which celebrities showed off their homes? Well, your students likely don’t have pure gold staircases, exotic pets, or eight-car garages, but they still may love showing off the decor in their homes. 

Be sure to emphasize the creativity of their home stylings and the fun of the videos, rather than the wealth put into their homes. 

12. Word searches and crosswords

Word puzzles are a great mix of rewarding and challenging. You can find numerous premade ones online, or better yet, create your own word search or crossword puzzle . Consider incorporating words related to your institution, classes, or, for a smaller group of students whom you know well, inside jokes.

Friendly Competition

13. pet photo competitions.

Who wouldn’t smile at a dog in a tutu? A hamster with a bowtie? A cat in a hat? Ask students to post their photos on social media with a hashtag like #PresenceUniversityPets or #PetsOfPresenceU. 

You could even have daily contest themes, such as moods or characters for pets to convey. Add in a capture contest for some extra engagement!

14. Charades

With a video platform, charades can be fun, energizing, and challenging. You can generate charade prompts here or use the free Charades! app . 

15. Live game shows

Use a tool like Kahoot or Quizziz to challenge students to a fun round (or two or 50) of trivia. You could get creative with themes that are either serious (such as national news, politics, and institutional history) or wacky (like types of pasta, famous Instagram cats, and memes.) Each day’s top scorer can earn the privilege of creating the next day’s questions. 

16. E-Sports tournaments

E-Sports are one of the few activities that COVID-19 can’t put a damper on. Many institutions already have varsity e-Sports programs. But for the less e-athletically inclined, consider creating intramural teams . Enlist some veterans to teach newbies how to play.

17. TikTok competitions

This could be like a film festival, minus the red carpet. Even if you are far from proficient in the art of TikTok-ing, many of your Gen-Z students are likely experts and can take the helm on creating and managing a competition.

18. Internet scavenger hunts

Scavenger hunts always involve, well, scavenging. But it doesn’t have to be conducted through a physical realm; you can go digital. Think of your institution’s various webpages and social media accounts as the locations that participants have to search through. Incorporate cryptic clues, graphics with double-meanings, and embedded games or videos to lead students on a wild internet chase.

Here are some scavenger hunt ideas . To digitize it, simply instruct students to take screenshots or find clues within web pages, rather than taking photos or collecting physical items.

19. Board game tournaments

Get board, not bored. Students can join multiplayer board games through Pogo , Tabletopia , or Poki . Score!

20. Bad joke contests

“I like elephants. Everything else is irrephalant.”

I also like bad jokes like that one… and I bet many of your students do, too. So, ask your students to submit and/or perform their best so-bad-they’re-good jokes live via video conference.

Students who are parents can also have their kids join in on the fun!

Both laughs and groans are guaranteed. 

online activities for students ideas

21. Karaoke or lip-sync 

Use an online karaoke catalog like Karafun , SingSnag , or Smule for an off-the-charts competition. Or, you can simply search for karaoke versions of popular songs on YouTube. 

22. Make-Your-Own Holiday competitions

Remember those eccentric holidays I mentioned in idea #9? It seems like just about anyone can dream a holiday into existence, so why not your students? 

Have them propose an original holiday, complete with traditions, mythology, and associated foods. The entire student body or select judges vote on the winner, which your entire campus community can celebrate together a few days or weeks later.

Co-curricular learning

23. recordings of previous guest speakers.

Don’t let the words of wisdom that were previously brought to your campus from guest speakers disappear into the abyss. 

If you recorded video or audio or transcribed their speech, share it again. You could follow it up with a group discussion. Perhaps the speaker will even be available and willing to video conference in for a Q&A session or follow-up speech.

24. Short story, poem, quote, or TED Talk of the day

Share a piece of art or learning each day, perhaps nominated by a different student, professional, or faculty member each time.

The person who nominated it can explain, via a short video they record or a letter they write, what their selection means to them.

25. Hot Drinks and Hot Topics

Dive into discussions around hot news topics or longstanding issues, while students sip coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or another drink of their choice. You could also title it “Hot Cookies and Hot Topics” or “Hot Wings and Hot Topics,” though I’m betting that students are less likely to have fresh baked cookies or hot wings sitting around their homes.

Not sure what to discuss? The University of Michigan-Flint has dozens of ideas . 

26. Breakfasts in Bed, Lunches and Learn, or Discussions Over Dinner

These programs can be similar to the Hot Topics idea but with a lighter touch. You could discuss strange Wikipedia articles , laugh over memes, or simply encourage students to enjoy unstructured time catching up with each other. 

Oh, and since this is college, I have to suggest a program involving pizza. So, I propose to you: Pizza and Prose.

27. Podcasts

Move over, Serial and This American Life ; it’s time for your own podcast to shine. Podcasts are great ways to mix up engagement, as listeners can enjoy it while cooking, doing laundry, or really any passive tasks.

Here are some content ideas for your ‘cast:

  • Interviews with the institution’s president, SGA members, beloved faculty, or underappreciated staff members who do amazing work (such as chefs, librarians, cleaning staff, or grounds crew).
  • Advice for online learning
  • Short lessons from faculty on fascinating topics
  • Recordings of live institutional game shows (see tip #15)
  • Short stories (fiction or non-fiction) submitted and read by students

You can also encourage students to listen to any of these podcasts produced by institutions nationwide. Perhaps you’d like to schedule a massive listening party, wherein students can type in their reactions live.

Oh, and be sure to read these recording tips so you’ll sound great.

28. Alumni career connections

Your alumni may be sympathizing with the difficult situation your students currently find themselves in and wondering how they can help. 

One way they could do so is through career networking. Consider asking alumni to discuss their careers with students via video chat, conduct video tours of their home offices, or give students a glimpse into their work via screen share.

29. Videoconferencing and webinar hosting tutorials

Many of the ideas here involve students taking the lead by hosting videoconferences or webinars. But they might have no idea how to do so and would appreciate a lesson or two.

So, consider conducting a videoconference on… videoconferencing! You can share some of the tips for engaging webinars here and facilitating awesome videoconferences here . 

30. Online learning tutorials

Relatedly, you can help students learn how to, well, learn. Consider hosting a webinar that incorporates some of the tips found here or here . 

31. Adulting 101 workshops

We offered 105 ideas here . Oh, the joys of adulthood!

32. Cooking demonstrations

With so much time being spent at home, now may be the perfect time for students to learn how to cook. I recommend sticking with fairly simple recipes, with ingredients that students are likely to already. 

You could get inspired by these microwaveable creations , livestream yourself cooking of a favorite meal that’s even loved by picky kids, or ask your dining hall chefs to reveal how a beloved campus staple is made. Bon appétit!

33. Online saving workshops

It’s more than just Groupon ; amazing sales abound on the world wide web.

Here are just some saving sites and tools, which you can help students get acquainted with (and, of course, enjoy yourself):

  • Camelcamelcamel
  • Target Circle
  • Coupon Sherpa

34. “Morality and The Coronavirus” chats

Speaking of online shopping, is that ethical right now, given the work required of distribution centers and delivery people?! Perhaps it’s safer than going to a physical store? 

I don’t have a simple answer. But your students might be wondering about these sorts of quandaries. Consider facilitating a discussion around it, perhaps with a philosophy professor. You could also discuss this article or pose some of the questions within it.

The Good Place (available on Netflix) is also an excellent show to inspire conversations about ethical decision-making.

35. Personality tests

Students don’t need to leave their homes to find out their Myers-Briggs Type indicator , CliftonStrengths , or True Color .  

Or, for pure laughs, have students share their results from any of these 50 personality quizzes on Buzzfeed . (Knowing what your taste in frozen yogurt flavors “says about you” is clearly as important as knowing if you’re an introvert or an extrovert.)

36. Volunteering

Your students can still put some good out into the world from their couches. Multilingual students can serve as webpage translators , empathetic listeners can volunteer with 7 Cups , and sighted students can download Be My Eyes to lend a hand — er, eye — to blind and visually-impaired folx. 

You can find more opportunities here and here .

Plus, the local non-profit groups that your campus usually partners with and the philanthropies that student orgs support may also appreciate virtual help. Reach out to see how you and your students can continue supporting their work.

37. Digital Student Org Management Courses

Just as you’re having to learn how to engage students digitally, your student leaders are having to figure out how to maintain their co-curricular organizations from afar. Help them out. Host webinars to assist them in running board elections online, facilitating video conference meetings, recruiting new members through social media, and more.

38. Pride Celebrations

Although Pride Month festivities in June will likely be disrupted due to COVID-19, they don’t need to fade from existence completely.

Consider facilitating discussions on books related to LGBTQIA+ topics or written by queer-identified authors , inviting speakers to address students virtually, creating a Pride-themed virtual scavenger hunt, sharing this guide on Coming Out as a Supporter , retweeting LGBTQIA+ activists from your office’s account Twitter account, or hosting a virtual Pride parade .

Connect with your institution’s LGBTQIA+ support center or student groups to see what other ideas they have.

39. Museum Tours

You don’t have to literally step foot inside a museum to enjoy a museum. Check out these virtual tours offered by some of the world’s most famous museums. Encourage students to take these tours at the same time or at their own convenience, then host a discussion.

Health & Wellness

40. journaling.

Journaling can be deeply therapeutic . You can support students in their journaling habits by suggesting daily prompts or hosting group journaling sessions during which you livestream relaxing music.

41. Gardening videos

Help students experience the joy of gardening… by osmosis. A student or staff member could film a cute video of themselves watering their houseplants or you could show off some gardening documentaries . 

Better yet, if your campus has a garden or greenhouse, you can help students still enjoy the beauty of it via livestream or a watering demonstration.

42. Meditation

Help students relax and focus via online meditation sessions. You or a student can lead the sessions yourself, using the tips here , or you can encourage students to check out these guided meditation recordings from UCLA . Namaste.

43. Workout videos

Channel your inner Richard Simmons! Record or livestream your yoga poses, weightlifting practice, or cardio routine.

These desk-friendly exercises can inspire students to get their heart rates’ up and stretch their tired limbs, even if they don’t have a desk.

Students can also make their own videos, showing off the creative workouts they’ve come up with. Who knows; maybe they’ll engineer the next fitness craze.

44. Connect with incoming students

Your next crop of first-year students are surely anxious and filled with uncertainty now, too. So, encourage your current students to connect with them — through writing letters filled with jokes, encouragement, or insight into your institution. 

Perhaps you can set up email pen pals, host group video sessions, or arrange for current students to lead virtual tours for accepted students who are deciding whether or not to enroll.

45. Puppy cam

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then live video footage should be even more valuable. If a staff member has many pets (perhaps through fostering), ask them to set up a video stream through Facebook Live or your institution’s website. 

Alternatively, you could partner with your local animal shelter to show off the adorable antics of their animals that are up for adoption. Maybe this will even inspire some students and families to adopt!

Or you can turn to Explore for live cams of not just puppies and kittens, but loads of wild and exotic creatures, too. ( Lions , tigers , and bears — oh my!)

Digitize campus services

For other campus opportunities and services, you don’t need to completely reinvent the wheel; just rearrange it. (Is that the proper metaphor for wheels? Clearly I’m not a mechanic.)

Here are just some of the offerings that you can work with your colleagues to digitize:

  • Study groups taught by TAs
  • Resume and cover letter reviews with career counselors
  • Writing appointments with the writing center
  • Tutoring sessions with peer tutors
  •  Academic advising, especially for fall course registration
  • End-of-year award ceremonies
  • Support groups facilitated by the counseling center
  • Religious services lead by chaplains and student groups

What other program ideas do you have? We’d love to hear them. Connect with us @themoderncampus . 

Jodi Tandet

About the author: Jodi Tandet (she/her) is Modern Campus's Content Marketing Strategist. She's a proud graduate of Emory University, where she majored in Creative Writing, and of Nova Southeastern University, where she earned her master's degree in College Student Affairs. She previously worked for Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where she engaged students in co-curricular programming at Cornell University and The University of Pittsburgh. Learn how we can help get your students involved .

online activities for students ideas

12 Online Games for Classrooms: Activities for Higher Ed Students

online activities for students ideas

What if learning could be as engaging as playing your favorite video game? The concept of gamification in education has gained immense popularity and for good reason. It transforms traditional lectures into interactive, immersive experiences. (Remember what it was like playing The Oregon Trail back in the day?)

For instructors, the quest to captivate the minds of students can become even more of a challenge if they’re leading a hybrid or virtual class. Luckily, there are multiple digital engagement tools like Poll Everywhere with the potential to transform your classroom into a gameshow, head-to-head trivia competition, or another interactive activity. We’ll share 12 dynamic online game ideas for your classroom that are playable online and offline. Ready, set, go!

12 engaging online games for classrooms

1. icebreakers.

PE-icebreakers

Source: Poll Everywhere

Works for: Online, in-person, and hybrid classes

The start of a semester can be awkward for both instructors and students. Thankfully, icebreakers can transform a room full of strangers into a vibrant community of engaged, collaborative learners. Using a handy tool like Poll Everywhere ensures all students can participate with their cell phones—even in a hybrid class, everyone can chime in.

Here are five icebreaker questions to get you started:

  • What's your ultimate career goal, and why does it inspire you? Encourage students to share their long-term aspirations. Meanwhile, their answers help you tailor your teaching where possible.
  • If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be, and what would you ask them? Dive into the realm of history while learning about your students’ interests.
  • Share the title of a book or movie that left a lasting impact on you and explain why. This question reveals personal tastes, sparking discussions on literature, cinema, and the emotional connection to art.
  • What's one skill or hobby you've always wanted to learn, and why? This question helps students build connections with each other based on shared interests and aspirations.
  • Share a fun or unusual fact about your hometown or the place where you grew up. Promote connection and a sense of diversity within your classroom.

Need more icebreaker ideas? Try these fun trivia ideas for the start of the new semester.

2. Minecraft

minecraft

Source: Minecraft Education

Works for: Online classrooms (possibly hybrid and in-person if students bring their personal computers)

Most everyone who plays games on a computer knows about Minecraft, but did you know this popular game also offers educational opportunities?

For example, Dr. Valentina DeNardis, director of classical studies at Villanova, worked on a project with her students to create an immersive Minecraft map featuring ancient landmarks . The students built everything from the Parthenon to the Temple of Portunus.

Additionally, Minecraft also allows computer science students to learn and apply their coding skills in a responsive environment. The Minecraft Education site features multiple tutorials for using the building game to engage students in science, math, history, art, and multiple other classes.

3. Pictionary

Pictionary is rooted in the age-old joy of drawing and guessing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play it in a virtual or hybrid classroom. Using a whiteboard app like Canva , you can break the monotony of lectures and foster a lively and interactive learning environment.

Online Pictionary encourages students to get creative and use deductive thinking to compete with one another. For smaller classrooms, students could go head to head, while larger classes can be split into teams.

Feel free to theme your Pictionary prompts to coincide with your course materials to promote additional discussion.

4. Model UN

Cultivating well-rounded and globally aware students is a necessity in today’s classrooms, and you can use classroom games to help students improve their diplomacy, critical thinking, and negotiation skills. A model United Nations (UN) simulation can be a fun and highly engaging exercise where students can step into the shoes of international diplomats.

Using a random country generator , you can assign each student a country they must represent in the given scenario. Along with current events, you can choose from historical event scenarios—the United Nations Association of Greater Boston offers free ideas for Model UN scenarios if you’re out of ideas.

5. Pointless

Based on a popular British TV game show, Pointless is like a backward Family Feud. Contestants aim to submit answers that no one else has chosen (whereas in Family Feud contestants try to choose answers that more people have chosen to earn more points).

To start, give students a topic from a recent lesson. Then ask them to submit the first answer they can think of using Poll Everywhere’s word cloud feature. (It may help to set a timer.) Start by disqualifying any incorrect answers, then determine the answer that shows up the least—this is the winner.

Try this: Challenge your class to a round of trivia with pre-built Poll Everywhere games.

6. Can you spot the mistake?

Put a spin on your next lecture by challenging students to spot your mistake. This game works for multiple areas of study, and here are some ideas to help you brainstorm more:

  • Math: Solve a problem on the board but include a miscalculation when showing your work and see if students spot it.
  • History, literature, and art: Change the name of a famous figure or work of art. Years, battles, and countries are also good candidates for a quick switch.
  • Biology and physics: Use the wrong theorem to solve a problem or label a diagram incorrectly.

This game works well for online and hybrid classes if you’re able to project your lecture notes or record them. Alternatively, you could use a whiteboard or simply rely on videoconferencing.

Presenting your course content in different ways can capture students' attention and also make the information more accessible . A challenge like this one can help shy students come out of their shells or encourage more extroverted students to lead their group to victory.

7. Scratch coding projects

glide-around

Source: Scratch

If you teach a computer science class, Scratch may offer a break from your usual lines of code. Using a friendly visual coding approach, Scratch helps new coders learn the basics of coding projects that make letters dance, move objects around the screen, and more.

Scratch also offers multiple tutorials, guides, and support groups for educators to share ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another.

8. Google Earth scavenger hunt

If you and your students are feeling particularly adventurous, a Google Earth scavenger hunt is a great way to let them explore the natural wonders of the world.

Challenge students to find and screenshot the seven wonders of the world or locations mentioned in literature and history, such as the Royal Shakespeare Theatre or Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. More ideas for locations students can check off their scavenger lists include the following:

  • The Great Wall of China
  • Niagara Falls
  • La Sagrada Familia
  • Machu Picchu
  • The Great Barrier Reef
  • Cafe des 2 Moulins
  • Atacama Large Millimeter Array

9. “What would you do?” ethical dilemmas

Promote critical thinking and thoughtful discussion by presenting students with a moral or ethical dilemma and asking what they would do to solve the problem.

You can tailor the dilemmas to your course material, choose problems based on current events, or go back in history to investigate issues from the past. Some ideas to help you get students talking include the following:

  • Should employers monitor employees at work?
  • Is it okay for one person in a relationship to ghost the other?
  • Should home sellers be responsible for costs if they don’t disclose existing issues?
  • When is it okay for a business to compromise on product quality?
  • Is it ever okay for healthcare professionals to lie to patients?
  • Should AI be able to harvest online data without user consent?

10. “What if…” scenarios

Get students invested in classroom discussion by posing a broad question or “What if…?” scenario that could have multiple correct answers. Have students write down their answers in a discussion thread, on a collaborative whiteboard, a Poll Everywhere open-ended question , or share them verbally.

The main goal is to encourage students to express their thoughts and opinions. No matter their answer, students must use critical thinking to communicate their answer successfully and why they believe it’s correct. This type of intellectual exchange allows students to learn from you as well as each other.

Some example questions include the following:

  • What if all forms of currency suddenly became obsolete?
  • What would happen if humans could communicate with animals?
  • What if the internet disappeared overnight?
  • What would be different if the global pandemic never happened?
  • How would the world be different if there were no national borders or countries?
  • What would the world be like if humans could communicate even if they speak different languages?

11. Improv games

Improv isn’t just for actors. These types of scenarios encourage students to think on their feet and use their communication skills in innovative ways.

Role-playing and storytelling can inject a dose of fun and interactivity into your classroom. While improv games are traditionally tailored to in-person groups, you can include online attendees by focusing on more verbal-oriented improv situations.

Some ideas for improv games that can boost student collaboration and communication include the following:

  • Students must count to 20 as a group, but no one is assigned a number and no one can talk at the same time.
  • Two to three students act out a scene on camera. When the instructor rings a bell, one of the participants must grab a nearby item and use it in the scene.
  • Challenge a student or group of students to lead a discussion about a subject that another student suggests. If you want to take this one a step further, you could also provide PowerPoint slides that the improv actors must use in their discussion.

12. Jeopardy!

Most everyone knows and loves Jeopardy!, so why not use it to reinforce learning in your classroom? You can put together your own game board or start with a template for Google Slides . Select five different topics and five questions for each topic. Don’t forget to add a Daily Double to the board as well, which awards participants double points if they get the answer right. Additionally, you’ll want to create a question for Final Jeopardy.

8 benefits of online games for higher ed classrooms

Online games are an effective teaching tool even in higher education. Here are some of the classroom benefits of replacing your lecture with a game :

  • Improve engagement: There’s no better way to make learning fun and interactive, and online games motivate students to participate.
  • Promote active learning: Games encourage students to apply their knowledge and problem-solving skills in a practical context.
  • Enhance critical thinking: While games may seem simple at first, many require students to use critical thinking and decision-making skills.
  • Encourage collaboration: Pairing students up or even having them compete with each other helps them develop essential interpersonal skills.
  • Adapt to your classroom: Online games are often customizable, so you can ensure they meet the needs of all your students and promote an inclusive learning experience.
  • Provide instant feedback: Students don’t need to wait for you to grade their exam or homework to get feedback, allowing them to improve and learn from their mistakes right away.
  • Teach real-world skills: Games encourage students to develop skills they can use in the real world, like problem-solving, time management, negotiation, and more.
  • Foster creativity: Students have a chance to be creative to excel at games, including developing innovative solutions or approaches to challenges.

Learn more: Discover additional ways you can gamify classroom activities with achievement badges, quests, and opportunities for students to level up.

Build online games into your lesson plans with Poll Everywhere

Capturing students’ attention may feel like an immense hurdle, but online games for classrooms in higher ed are almost like a cheat code for student engagement.

In a 2010 TED Talk, game designer Jane McGonigal said, “Playing a game together actually builds up bonds and trust and cooperation. And we actually build stronger social relationships as a result.”

Instructors can help build those social relationships in classrooms with many of the online games we shared above. And you don’t even need a game design degree to do it. Tools like Poll Everywhere help you capture your students’ attention and engage them with exciting in-class games without needing to spend hours, days, or weeks on setup.

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20 Fun Zoom Games for Kids

Perfect for the online classroom!

Teenage girl with headphones and laptop having online school class at home

If anything is certain when it comes to teaching lately, it’s uncertainty. Will we be in-person for the rest of this month, or are we heading for another quarantine? Will snow days be days off, or will we be expected to provide online instruction? Trying to prepare for every possible scenario can be exhausting, which is why it’s always helpful to have a toolbox full of online activities ready to go just in case. Here are 20 fun Zoom games for kids that you can use whenever you find yourself planning for virtual instruction.

And, if you find yourself in need of even more great virtual teaching resources, check out the WeAreTeachers Guide to a Happy and Healthy Virtual Classroom !

(Note: WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Would You Rather (Kid Version)

Given two equally preposterous choices, kids must choose between the options . Hilarious and revealing, your students will love a quick round of this game.

2. Freeze Dance

online activities for students ideas

This is more of a fun activity than a game, but it gets kids up and moving (and grooving!). It’s perfect for after an instruction block. Put on some fun music and encourage kids to show off their best dance moves. When the music stops, everyone freezes. Anyone still dancing is out and sits down to watch their classmates.

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3. First Letter, Last Letter

This is a fun word game that helps reinforce spelling and vocabulary skills. Choose a category—for instance, animals. The first player will name an animal. For example, dog. The next player must name an animal that starts with the last letter of dog—like giraffe. The next player must name an animal that begins with the last letter of giraffe and so on.

4. Mad Libs

Mad Libs are not only a fun way to tell wacky stories; they’re a great way to practice parts of speech. Have students fill in one of these online versions  and then share with the class!

Test your students’ observation skills with a quick round of I Spy. Choose an object from your onscreen background. For instance, “I spy something green.” Students take turns guessing what the object is. You can also choose something from someone else’s background. For example, “I spy something in Taylor’s background that looks soft.”

6. Person, Place, or Thing

This fun alphabet game gives students practice recognizing and naming nouns. Player one starts with the letter A and must name a person, place, or thing that begins with the letter A (note: ‘person’ can be expanded to include any living thing, if you wish). The next player must say a noun that starts with the letter B, and so on. Play continues, giving each student a turn until you reach Z.

7. Detective

This fun guessing game gives kids a chance to get some of their wiggles out. Choose one student to be “Detective” and ask them to mute their microphone, close their eyes, and count to thirty. Pick another student to be “It.” The player who is “It” begins an action, such as patting themself on the head. All the other students follow suit and pat their heads. When the Detective is done counting, they open their eyes and observe the group. When “It” thinks the Detective is looking at someone else, they change the action, such as clapping their hands together. All the other students also change their actions. The Detective gets three guesses to catch the player that is “It.”

zoom games for kids

Prepare a board with random items such as a brush, a pencil, a spool of thread, etc. Tell your students you are going to give them 20 (or however many you think is appropriate) seconds to memorize the items they see. Students cannot write down a list of the items or take a screenshot; they must memorize by sight only. Move the board out of sight and take one item away. Show the board on screen again and see who can name the missing item fastest.

9. Drawing on Your Head

This silly activity takes just a couple of minutes and is sure to get your group giggling. Name an object, for example, a tree or a lion. Each student must put their whiteboard (or a piece of paper on top of a book) on top of their head and draw the named object. When they think they are done, they take their drawings off their head and show them to the group.

10. Rock, Paper, Scissors

Another quick challenge. The object of this version of the familiar game is not to win, but to see how many rounds you can stay in the game vs. the teacher. Play begins with one, two, three, shoot. Everyone makes their choice and makes sure that others can see their choice on screen. If the teacher’s choice beats yours, you’re out. If not, you keep playing.

Meeting online has put a damper on spontaneous conversations with and among your students. Spice up the conversation with your students by asking new and interesting questions. Come up with a few of your own, or try this fun card pack from Let’s Mingle . Great for building students’ social-emotional skills and as a team-building activity.

12. Mystery Person

A lot of teachers start the school year by having their students fill an interest inventory. Here’s one example . Email the inventory to each student and have them fill it out and return it to you (ask them to put a star next to anything they would rather you not share). After you receive all the inventories, you can play the game. Share three answers from one student’s inventory and give students a chance to guess who you’re talking about. If no one can, give one more clue. Continue until someone guesses or the person reveals themself to the group.

13. Story Chain

Start a story with an engaging hook. For instance, “One day I was walking through a shady forest. I thought I was alone, but all of a sudden…” Have students raise their hands if they want to tell the next portion of the story. Choose a student to continue the story (just a line or two) and let them choose the next storyteller in the same way. Continue until everyone who wishes has had one chance to contribute. Feel free to jump back and bring the story to a close if it is floundering.

14. Mystery Sound

This is a fun activity that tests students’ power of perception. With your hands out of sight from the camera, make a sound with something. For instance, crumple up a piece of paper, strike a spoon on the rim of a glass, or snap your fingers. Let students take turns guessing what they hear.

15. 20 Questions

This classic road trip game is perfect for online learning. Choose any topic that would be of interest to your students—an animal, an event, something you’re studying. Each student can ask only one question and take one guess per turn. Don’t let students blurt out the answer—they must wait until it’s their turn. To help you keep track, ask one student to keep track of how many questions have been asked.

16. Simon Says

online activities for students ideas

Even though the game Simon Says has been around forever, kids still love it! Have everyone stand in front of their computer and begin the game by calling out actions. As students get out, have them sit down until only one student is left standing.

17. 5-Second Rule

This fun game gives students 5 seconds to name 3 things that fit into a particular category, such as “Name 3 fiction books” or “Name 3 insects.” Sounds easy, but five seconds isn’t much time! Buy the Five Second Rule Jr. board game or get flashcards from Quizlet online for free.

18. Last Word

This game works best with a small group of students. Before playing, establish who is going first, second, etc. Type the order into the chat box so students can keep track. Choose a subject and a letter of the alphabet. For example, snack foods that begin with the letter P. Set a timer and, in order, have each student list an item. Keep going until the timer goes off. The last person to name something before the buzzer goes off wins the round. Make up your own Last Word game cards or buy the board game .

19. Categories

This game is a more advanced version of the game above and is just like the board game Scattergories . But instead of each student naming one thing in a round-robin manner, each person fills in the blank of a number of categories that begin with a particular letter. Try this online version which generates rounds automatically, for free.

This game really challenges a person’s communication skills. For the game, you will use Clue Cards, which have the Clue Word on the top of the card and the Taboo Words listed below. The object of the game is for one player to prompt a teammate to guess as many Clue Words as possible in sixty seconds, without saying any of the Taboo Words listed underneath. This version of the board game includes kid-friendly cards as well as more challenging ones. Or try this free online version that automatically generates cards.

Plus, a couple of tools to help:

Word generators.

These two websites automatically generate words and phrases for games like Pictionary, Charades, Catchphrase, and more: The Game Gal  and RandomWordGenerator .

Name Generator

Most teachers have a favorite method for randomly choosing names so that every student has a chance to participate.  Wheel of Names is a fun online tool that spins a wheel (ala Wheel of Fortune) to choose who’s up next. Simply entire students’ names and give it a whirl.

What are your favorite fun Zoom games to play with kids? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. 

Also, download our free printable scavenger hunts for kids . .

20 Fun Zoom Games for Kids

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12 student engagement activities for online learning

Create beautiful charts & infographics get started, 04.08.2021 by infogram.

Student engagement has always been a focus for educators. How can you hold the attention of your class when their ability to focus is waning? And more importantly, what student engagement strategies foster a greater desire to learn?

With remote learning, the discussion of online student engagement has risen dramatically. Many teachers are wondering how they can bring a spark to a student’s eyes when they’re teaching remotely.

Read on to learn how to tackle student engagement online, and get the answers to common questions, like:

What is student engagement?

  • What are the different types of student engagement?
  • Why is online student engagement important?
  • And discover 12 proven activities to increase student engagement during online learning.

student is sitting at the laptop and doing homework

Student engagement is “the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion” students express during the class. In other words, it’s their will and ability to get involved in the learning process.

With online student engagement comes additional concerns.

  • Will they turn on the camera during the lecture? If not, are they present?
  • Are they watching the presentation or scrolling their social media feeds?
  • Do they ask questions and get involved in discussions?
  • Do they get their homework done by themselves and in time?
  • How to develop networking and communication skills for children in the digital era?

Types of student engagement

There are two forms of student engagement : Ongoing engagement and reaction to challenge.

Ongoing engagement refers to student behavior, emotions, and thought processes during learning. Think about it in three parts:

  • Behavioral engagement is about the effort and time students spend learning and focusing, the ability to stay on task, and how they show initiative when given the opportunity.
  • Emotional components refer to positive attitudes that students exhibit during learning activities, such as enthusiasm, curiosity, and interest.
  • Cognitive engagement is about students’ understanding of why they are doing what they’re doing and why it’s essential.

Reaction to challenge refers to students’ coping strategies for dealing with challenges in school like failures, bad grades, and withdrawals. They tend to use effort, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and experiments to deal with those challenges.

But why is online student engagement important?

teacher sitting at the computer during online class with students

When students are engaged, their academic performance improves . It results in higher grades and greater motivation to learn new things, develop skills, and deal with challenges.

Face-to-face learning is effective in bringing in positive behavioral changes along with improvement in students’ academic achievements. In contrast, online education gives greater autonomy to students.

They can study at their own pace, or use the abundance of multimedia and on-demand content to study faster than they would in a traditional setup.

12 online student engagement activities

Use the following ideas in your online classes to boost student engagement.

1. Use stories in the online learning process

teacher sitting at the computer during online lesson and using a whiteboard

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to convey an important message to another person. It provides deeper meaning, and context, and brings knowledge and truth to life.

Students remember stories much longer than statistics or facts. I still remember learning about the story of the Trojan Horse in my world history class. Would I remember anything if my teacher had just talked about the time of the Trojan War? I don’t think so.

You can literally tell anything like a story, not just historical events or biography.

Combining storytelling and data visualization can make a difference by triggering your students’ visual perception. Empower your students with visual learning by using creative infographics , charts, presentations, and other data visualization formats. That can add massive value to every story you tell, as 65% of all of us are visual learners .

2. Go beyond traditional online lessons with Prezi Video

Instead of sharing your screen, use Prezi Video to connect to any video conferencing platform and show your content right alongside you as you present.

Why should you try it?

  • Prezi Video will surprise your classroom and keep them focused.
  • You will no longer be a small rectangle in the corner of students’ Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other video meeting. With your slides appearing next to you on screen, you can grab students’ attention and boost online student engagement.
  • Prezi will inspire you to try new formats in storytelling, presenting, and creating assignments. Also, students will develop their creative and presentation skills with every homework assignment.
  • You can use Prezi Video to present in online lessons (regardless of the video conferencing app you’re using), and easily record videos for students to watch and rewatch anytime.
  • Students love Prezi. See what educators say about their experience with Prezi Video.

3. Encourage accountability in the classroom

A culture of accountability plays a vital role in society. In the classroom, it means that every student knows their role and accepts responsibility for fulfilling it, whether it’s a group project or individual work.

Engage your students in group projects to teach them all the necessary skills of teamwork , such as dealing with responsibilities, showing initiative, staying accountable for assigned tasks, learning time and quality management, communicating with different people, and so on.

Not everyone feels comfortable when working in groups, but it’s crucial to practice accountability now in order to be a better team member later in life.

4. Update and improve online lessons

While the facts and history may not have changed, the approach on how to express them has. There’s nothing unusual about sharing the same .pdf files or presentations with students year after year, but a little format experimentation never hurt anybody.

Here are some ideas:

  • Record a video to explain complex ideas like math formulas or Newton’s laws. By that, you will help students understand the material thoroughly and have a video they can rewatch whenever they forget something.
  • Create an infographic to tell a story in an engaging and easy-to-understand format about a specific event, person, or process. You can include texts, charts, timelines, maps, images, videos, and even GIFs and stickers to catch students’ attention.
  • Express geographic information with customized maps . Students will learn the geography of countries and cities and understand the data better because they can visualize it.
  • Build zooming and engaging presentations that emphasize the story in-depth, not just move from one slide to another.
  • Use dashboards and reports to build comprehensive material with plenty of data, numbers, and charts, like regional financial development reports or election results.
  • Create posters to draw attention to important messages like equality in society, cybersecurity, or fun events.

Take a look at this in-depth, interactive solar system infographic made with Infogram.

Pretty cool, huh? If you’d like to view it in more detail, open this link and click the button in the top right corner to view it on full screen.

5. Try different feedback methods to engage students

Feedback is something that tends to be underrated among students. Giving and receiving constructive feedback is actually a kind of “art for better social living,” so it’s a great idea to include it into your online lessons.

You can emphasize the importance of feedback in three ways:

  • Ask students to evaluate your work. Let them rate the lesson material and their feelings during the lesson. Their answers will help you improve the material or your approach, and bring new ideas to your online classes.
  • Ask students to give feedback to each other using the traffic light approach or any other feedback method. They can highlight good things about classmates, areas of improvement, and learn to express criticism in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone.
  • Give feedback to your students. This one is critical – an individual approach will engage students and make them feel important and appreciated. Feedback will build trust between you and students and motivate them to work on their weaknesses.

Collect quantitative feedback and create a dashboard with results at the end of the semester. You’ll see what’s changed and how you’ve developed.

The sooner students start to develop the skill of giving feedback, the easier it will be to become team leads, communicate with others, express their opinions, and deal with criticism.

6. Engage students during online lessons with live reactions

Interactivity can be a headache for every virtual presenter. Many video platforms allow you to add reactions during a virtual call like applause or a thumbs up or down, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Take student engagement to the next level, allowing them to instantly show a picture, video, GIF reaction, or sticker right next to their face with Prezi Video .

Here’s an idea: Ask students to share a GIF expressing how they feel when the lecture starts. That’s a great way to break the ice, lift the level of energy, and choose an approach based on how they feel today.

7. Mood boards for online student engagement

a person creating a moodboard in the computer

A mood board is a well-known type of collage with text, images, objects, and compositions. It is often used in interior design, event planning, and fashion to visualize a particular style or concept.

It’s also a fun idea to use in education. When you make mood boards, periodically ask your students to visualize what they’ve learned, what emotions they experienced, or whatever is on their minds right now.

How? Encourage students to sign up in visualization tool like Infogram and create a mood board with images, icons, fun GIFs, videos, and text. In this way, they can express themselves in endless ways, showing their creativity, wit, and knowledge, and you’ll have valuable feedback about your work.

8. Mini TED talk contest

happy girl presenting presentation on the computer

Presenting is a set of skills, ranging from time management and information analysis to visual content creation and public speaking. Everyone should begin to develop presentation skills during their school time.

Inspire your students by offering a collection of the most remarkable TED talks about topics they might find interesting, such as science, nature, relationships, technology, and design. Let them see what a great TED talk looks like, discuss the components of a successful presentation , and encourage them to create one by themselves.

Make a list of topics (plus a free choice), set the deadline and speech requirements, and give them tools to create an outstanding virtual presentation like Infogram’s slide templates or Prezi’s student software .

And what’s most important – make the day of virtual presentations a celebration! Presenting in front of an audience is not easy. It’s a huge step your students will make towards their growth. Celebrate these wins together!

9. Debate: The highest level of student engagement

two person debating

Organizing debate virtually could be a challenging task, but it’s totally worth it. Debate stimulates student engagement, critical thinking, and helps develop speaking skills.

Create small groups of 4-5 people, assign debate topics , and raffle a position for each group. To provide insight into the case, you can create a comparison infographic with some ideas, resources, or data.

Every debate comes together with a gamification and competition element that urges students to learn the topic, stick together, prepare bold arguments, make a great speech, and win. Enjoy the battle!

10. Flipped classroom for deeper discussions

In the flipped classroom model, traditional ideas about classroom activities and homework are reversed. Students interact with the lesson materials individually at home as text, pre-recorded video, or data visualization projects. Online classroom time is reserved for discussions and interactive projects.

The goal of a flipped classroom is to make a virtual class an active learning environment. Students are able to learn at their own pace, and the educator has more time for one-on-one time with each student.

11. Student collaboration for increased engagement

Encourage students to collaborate and work together with each other. It’s especially crucial in online learning.

Offer a wide range of group activities: Fun sessions to get to know each other, breakout rooms for discussions, group projects, “study buddy” programs, and more.

All these group activities provide students the socializing experiences they miss out on because of remote learning and give them the chance to improve communication and problem-solving skills and learn from each other.

student at the computer joining a virtual team meeting

12. Assign interactive homework

Homework is an integral part of the learning process. Do students like it? Not always. But there are ways to offer practical projects that can engage students. Here are some examples:

  • Encourage students to create a synopsis about the topic in any form they like.  For example, comprehensive infographics , blog posts, animated or recorded video , presentation , web page, essays.
  • Assign group projects that encourage students to express their creativity to its fullest and acknowledge when they make extra effort. If it’s a research project about cultural diversity, inspire them to wear suitable clothes and makeup, try out an accent, learn some rituals. Help their creativity thrive!
  • Involve social media by letting them discover and explain how the TikTok algorithm, Twitter hashtags, or Instagram feeds actually work. Social media is where most students spend their time every day, so you can use their natural interests for educational benefit.
  • Develop students’ ability to analyze information, find the central message, and create dashboards, charts, and reports even without design skills.
  • Use different education tools for digital engagement and deeper learning like Brilliant and ixl .
  • Prepare for class before the class.  Bring the knowledge to students before the online course starts with pre-class quizzes to evaluate their knowledge, add gaming elements, and create a hook for further learning.
  • Make students’ concerns and questions part of your lecture plan. Create a form where they describe a situation that you’ll later solve during the class, for example, some confusion about personal finance or pet care.

So, what’s next?

Online learning is here to stay – and you’re doing great!

Reading this article means that you’re ready to work on your teaching techniques and improve online student engagement.

You’re not alone. We at Infogram offer a wide range of templates designed to help educators and students create data visualization projects quickly and effortlessly.

Sign up and start for free!

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The power of infographics in presenting college statistics, infographic examples for students: enhance learning with infographics, how to use infographics in the classroom: 10 infographics examples for students.

online activities for students ideas

Powerful Online Teaching Activities and Templates You Can Use Today

Updated on: 21 October 2022

Even experienced teachers sometimes find it difficult to overcome the hurdles presented by online teaching. Lack of in-person interaction, dwindling student motivation, and technical difficulties are just a few reasons. Then there’s an entirely different set of challenges posed by finding effective instructional strategies, or online teaching activities that are impactful in engaging students online. 

The good news is that there are a lot of pluses for online teaching too. If you incorporate the correct approaches, and tools that are proven to be effective and adopt them in your personal teaching methods, online teaching can be even more effective than teaching in-person. 

Here are 10 online teaching activities to enrich your students’ learning experience. 

The templates provided in this post can be edited online on Creately. If you want to give each student their own template to edit, simply duplicate it and share the link of the duplicated document with them. You can also add students as collaborators to one document and work on editing it together in real-time.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a great way to get students thinking and making connections between new knowledge and what they are already aware of. You can usually carry out this activity to introduce a new topic, evaluate student understanding of a lesson, and help expand their existing knowledge by collaborating with others. 

  • Pose a problem or question or introduce a new topic to begin the session. 
  • Based on the learning outcome, you can group students or let them perform the brainstorming activity by themselves. Or you can perform it as a class where you gather and record answers on a shared canvas or document as students present their ideas or solutions. 
  • Give students time to present their thoughts and answers. You can call out each student’s name as you go around the virtual classroom.  
  • Use a method like mind mapping to collect ideas in a more structured manner. 

Mind map template for online teaching activities

  • At the end of the session, you can analyze the answers provided by the students or their mind maps and discuss them in detail.

Q&A Sessions 

Even in the physical classroom, Q&A sessions are done frequently. They provide the platform for students to clarify areas in the lessons they are uncertain about and find solutions to any other problem they may have from the teacher or from peers. One question may lead to another, allowing learners to discover great new insights. 

Online it can be carried out synchronously as well as asynchronously. 

  • Use video conferencing and live chatting to do this in real-time 
  • Use social media groups, online discussion boards, and chatting for asynchronous Q&A sessions

Storyboarding  

Storyboards combine texts with pictures to give a rich synthesis of the information to both entertain and inform.  They are useful in helping learners understand and keep track of narratives, develop timelines, revise information, and brainstorm . Educators can use it to evaluate the reading comprehension of their students.

  • Create a storyboard template or use the one below. Share it with students. You can ask them to take printouts or edit it online using images, illustrations, and clipart they can find online. To make it easier, you can already have the images placed on the side of the template on the canvas, letting students drag and drop them onto the correct box. 

Storyboard-Template-for-Online-Teaching-Activities

  • Ask the students to draw the main ideas of the story while you are reading it aloud or while they are reading it by themselves. Each drawing should contain a caption explaining the illustration. 
  • Get students to share their storyboards with peers and discuss them. You can join in on the conversation and help them analyze which ideas are more important.  

Virtual Field Trips 

Virtual field trips are a great way to take students to amazing places allowing them to learn about history, discover science, visit museums or zoos, see world-class art, etc. from the very comfort of their own homes. With the current travel restrictions in place, it’s a great way to expose students to exciting new places while entertaining and educating them at the same time. 

Here’s a list of virtual field trips you can explore with your students from your online classroom.

Concept Mapping 

Concept maps provide a great way to understand a new concept in detail. Learners can use concept maps to discover connections between what they already know with the new insight they’ve gained.  

In your online classroom, concept mapping can be used for brainstorming , organizing information, and evaluating student knowledge. As an in-class activity, you can request students to draw a concept map (with a blank template provided by you or drawn by the students themselves) during or at the end of the lesson synthesizing the information discussed. 

Concept Map Template for Online Teaching Activities

Collaborative Worksheets

Using Google Docs you can create worksheets (containing multiple-choice questions, fill in the blank , explain a term, true or false, compare and contrast , etc.) for students to complete in real-time. As students type their answers you can leave your feedback with in-line comments or as suggestions.  Similarly, you can also create quizzes using Google Forms .

Building Activities 

Building activities are always fun to do and are a great way to help develop students’ skills. Plus they don’t require fancy or expensive supplies. 

Provide the list of items or ingredients needed for the activity the day before,  to give students the time to find them. During the class, you can guide the students with live demonstrations, or with shared video tutorials or infographics explaining the steps, students should take. This can be done with video on, which will give you a live preview of what each student is doing, hence allowing you to lead them as necessary.

Online Debates and Presentations

Debates are a great way to enhance online classroom engagement and stimulate students’ critical thinking skills. They also contribute to developing students’ interpersonal and teamwork skills. 

Online team debates can take place synchronously over video conferencing or they can be conducted over a discussion board where responses can be provided under affirmative and negative discussion threads.    

Likewise, you can involve students in creating their own presentations and presenting them online, either individually or in groups. These can help improve their understanding of a topic deeper as they would be involved in a lot of self-learning in the process of creating the presentation.

Timelines 

Timelines are a great visual tool for studying a brief period of time (i.e. a historical event, an individual’s life, a process, etc.) and are an effective alternative to the written narrative. They help actively engage the student in learning the sequence of events, helping them make connections between events and identify patterns.

  • Provide a blank timeline template to students. 

Martin-Luther-King-Timeline-for-Kids

  • On one side of it, you can write the events (not necessarily in order) in boxes allowing students to drag and drop each in order onto the template. 
  • If you want students to do the research themselves and complete the timeline, provide links to resources they can read and collect information from.  
  • Or you can request students to type in important events as you read to the class online. 
  • You can also add images to make the timeline more impactful.

Biography Graphic Organizers 

Biography graphic organizers are a great way to help students learn about significant characters from the books they are reading, movies they are watching, or historic figures. They help organize the information around a character and remember them better. 

Here also you can provide a blank template to the students prior to the lesson, allowing them to fill it out as you present. Students can also fill it out after the presentation is done. 

Biography Graphic Organizer

There are many other types of graphic organizers that you can use in various different ways to teach and engage students during the class. Find them in our Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students .

More Resources and Templates 

Here is a list of more teaching activities and templates you can use during your online lessons. 

  • Word webs for learning new words or topics
  • 5 W’s charts for noting down key information during lessons   
  • Lotus diagram to brainstorm around new topics
  • Star diagram to organizing characteristics of a topic
  • Story maps to identify different elements of a story or book  
  • Persuasion map to facilitate the persuasive writing process
  • Hierarchy charts for understanding the hierarchical structure of elements in a concept 
  • Genograms for understanding family relationships

What Are Your Favorite Online Teaching Activities?

In an online environment, it’s more important to create more engaging course material to ensure that the learning materials stick with the students. The methods and templates discussed in this post are a few of the many ways educators can use to simplify the online learning process and stimulate the students’ minds and keep them interested. 

Tell us about your experience with online teaching. What online teaching activities do you use in your classroom to engage your students?

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49 Ideas for Online Learning Activities

Online Teaching Activity Index

Online learning does not have to be limited to video lectures, quizzes, and written assignments. With a little out-of-the box thinking, professors can construct activities that stimulate students’ minds and keep them interested.

For a resource of ideas for online educational activities, check out the Online Teaching Activity Index from the Illinois Online Network.

The website suggests 49 activities that can be used in either online or hybrid courses, including some creative activities such as Internet Scavenger Hunt , Concept Mapping , Fishbowl , and Socratic Dialogue .

Each activity includes a description, examples, appropriate content categories, goals & objectives, prerequisites, materials and resources, lesson procedures, and more.

Tell us about your experiences with online teaching: What activities do you use in your online courses?

*The Online Teaching Activity Index logo is the sole and exclusive property of the Illinois Online Network.

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20 Interactive Classroom Activities for College Students [Plus: Free List of 45+ Activities]

Planning to use interactive classroom activities intentionally can really transform the learning dynamic. Here are 20 activities to get you started.

online activities for students ideas

Top Hat Staff

20 Interactive Classroom Activities for College Students [Plus: Free List of 45+ Activities]

How interactive are your classroom activities? Do you have less energy for class than you used to? Do you find student grades declining? And are the teaching methods you’ve always relied on not working as well as they once did? We spoke to two college instructors, Chris Merlo and Monika Semma. Their strategies for interactive classroom activities will energize your class and get the discussion moving again.

Table of contents

  • Why are interactive activities important in college?

6 community-building activities

5 communication activities for college students, 3 motivational activities for college students.

  • 6 team-building activities for college students

Interactive classroom activities, in short

Why are interactive classroom activities important.

Merlo, a computer science teacher, says that interactive classroom activities are not new to students, and one main reason why teachers have trouble connecting is that they fail to adapt to their students’ perspectives.

“My six-year-old son doesn’t find iPads amazing; to him, they’ve always just existed. Similarly, to a lot of students today, experiences like team exercises and flipped classrooms, while foreign to many instructors are not new.

“If we care about reaching today’s students, who seem to have a different idea of student responsibilities than we had, perhaps we have to reach them on their terms.

“In my thirties, I could still find a lot of similarities with my twenty-something students. But now, in my forties? Not so much. What I’ve started to realize is that it isn’t just the little things, like whether they’ve seen Ghostbusters. (They haven’t.) It’s the big things, like how they learn.”

Semma, a humanities TA, found that the chalk-and-talk approach failed on her first day in front of a class. “It was a lot like parallel parking in front of 20 people,” she said. “I looked more like a classmate. I dropped the eraser on my face whilst trying to write my name on the board. One of my students called me ‘mom.’”

“I chalked it up to first day jitters, but that same quietness crept its way back into my classroom for the next tutorial, and the next tutorial and the next. While nearly silent in class, my students were rather vocal in the endless stream of emails that flooded my inbox. That way I knew they wanted to learn. I also knew that I had to find a way to make tutorials more engaging.”

From these experiences, Merlo and Semma now share some interactive classroom activities for students and for teachers that can turn a quiet classroom full of people unwilling to speak up to a hive of debate, making the student learning experience more collaborative for everyone.

Energize your college classroom and get discussions flowing. Download The Best Classroom Activities for College Courses to engage and motivate students.

1. Open-ended questions

Chris Merlo: Open-ended questions don’t take any planning. All they take is a class with at least one student who isn’t too shy. I remember a class a few semesters ago that started with nine students. Due to a couple of medical conditions and a job opportunity, three of the students had to drop the semester. The problem was that these three students were the ones I counted on to ask questions and keep the class lively! Once I was left with six introverted people, conversations during class seemed to stop.

By luck, I stumbled on something that got the students talking again. I said, “What has been the most difficult thing about [the project that was due soon]?” This opened the floodgates—students love to complain, especially about us and our demands. This one simple question led to twenty minutes of discussion involving all six students. I wasn’t even sure what a couple of these students’ voices sounded like, but once I gave them an open-ended opportunity to complain about an assignment, they were off to the races. A truly successful classroom activity.

2. What’s wrong with this example?

Chris Merlo: Students also love to find a professor’s mistakes—like me, I’m sure you’ve found this out the hard way. When I teach computer science, I will make up a program that, for instance, performs the wrong arithmetic, and have students find the bug. In a particularly quiet or disengaged class, you can incentivize students with five points on the next exam, or something similar.

If you teach history, you might use flawed examples that change a key person’s name, such as “King Henry VIII (instead of King John) signed the Magna Carta in 1215,” or match a person to an incorrect event: “Gavrilo Princip is considered to have fired the first shot in the Spanish Civil War (instead of World War I).” Beam these examples on the whiteboard, and let the students’ competitiveness drive them to get the right answer before their classmates.

3. Let students critique each other

Chris Merlo: This can go badly if you don’t set some ground rules for civility, but done well, classroom activities like this really help open up collaborative learning. One of my colleagues devised a great exercise: First, give students about half of their class time to write instructions that an imaginary robot can understand to draw a recognizable picture, like a corporate logo, without telling students what will happen later. Then assign each student’s instructions to a randomly chosen classmate, and have the classmate pretend to be the robot, attempting to follow the instructions and draw the same logo.

After a few minutes, introduce a specific student who can share their results with the class, then ask their partner to share the initial instructions. This method gives students a chance to communicate with each other (“That’s not what I meant!”) and laugh and bond, while learning an important lesson.

This exercise teaches computer science students the difficulty and importance of writing clear instructions. I have seen this exercise not only teach pairs of such students meaningful lessons but encourage friendships that extended beyond my classroom.

Get students participating with these 45 classroom activities

4. Pass the “mic”

Monika Semma: As an instructor, it’s amazing how much information you can gather from a student-centered review session. Specifically, if you leave the review in the hands of your students, you can get an easy and thorough assessment of what is being absorbed, and what is being left by the wayside. The more you encourage participation, the more you’ll see where your class is struggling and the more comfortable students will become with course material. Here’s how to transform a standard review into one of your more popular classroom activities:

  • A week before the review, ask students to email you two to five key terms or theories that they feel they need to brush up on. Take all that data and compress it until you have a solid working list of what students want to review most.
  • In class, provide students with visual access to the list (I found writing all the terms on a chalkboard to be most effective). Instruct the class to have their notes out in front of them, with a pad of paper or blank Word document at their fingertips, and encourage them to take notes as the review is in progress.
  • A trinket of sorts (I highly recommend a plush ball), used as a “microphone,” helps to give students equal opportunity to direct the review without putting individuals on the spot too aggressively. The rules are simple: she or he who holds the “mic” can pick one term from the list and using their notes, can offer up what they already know about the term or concept, what they are unsure of, or what they need more elaboration on.
  • Actively listen to the speaker and give them some positive cues if they seem unsure; it’s okay to help them along the way, but important to step back and let this review remain student-centered. Once the speaker has said their piece, open the floor to the rest of the class for questions or additional comments. If you find that the discussion has taken a departure from the right direction, re-center the class and provide further elaboration if need be.
  • Erase each term discussed from the list as you go, and have the speaker pass (or throw) on the “mic” to a fellow classmate, and keep tossing the ball around after each concept/term is discussed.

Students will have a tendency to pick the terms that they are most comfortable speaking about and those left consistently untouched will give you a clear assessment of the subjects in which your class is struggling, and where comprehension is lacking. Once your class has narrowed down the list to just a few terms, you can switch gears into a more classic review session. Bringing a bit of interaction and fun into a review can help loosen things up during exam time, when students and teachers alike are really starting to feel the pressure.

5. Use YouTube for classroom activities

Monika Semma: Do you remember the pure and utter joy you felt upon seeing your professor wheel in the giant VHS machine into class? Technology has certainly changed—but the awesome powers of visual media have not. Making your students smile can be a difficult task, but by channeling your inner Bill Nye the Science Guy you can make university learning fun again.

A large part of meaningful learning is finding interactive classroom activities that are relevant to daily life—and I can think of no technology more relevant to current students than YouTube.

A crafty YouTube search can yield a video relevant to almost anything in your curriculum and paired with an essay or academic journal, a slightly silly video can go a long way in helping your students contextualize what they are learning.

Even if your comedic attempts plunge into failure, at the very least, a short clip will get the class discussion ball rolling. Watch the video as a class and then break up into smaller groups to discuss it. Get your students thinking about how the clip they are shown pairs with the primary sources they’ve already read.

6. Close reading

Monika Semma: In the humanities, we all know the benefits of close reading activities—they get classroom discussion rolling and students engaging with the material and open up the floor for social and combination learners to shine. “Close reading” is a learning technique in which students are asked to conduct a detailed analysis or interpretation of a small piece of text. It is particularly effective in getting students to move away from the general and engage more with specific details or ideas.

If you’re introducing new and complex material to your class, or if you feel as though your students are struggling with an equation, theory, or concept; giving them the opportunity to break it down into smaller and more concrete parts for further evaluation will help to enhance their understanding of the material as a whole.

And while this technique is often employed in the humanities, classroom activities like this can be easily transferred to any discipline. A physics student will benefit from having an opportunity to break down a complicated equation in the same way that a biology student can better understand a cell by looking at it through a microscope.

In any case, evaluating what kinds of textbooks, lesson plans and pedagogy we are asking our students to connect with is always a good idea.

Brainwriting

Group size: 10 students (minimum)

Course type: Online (synchronous), in-person

This activity helps build rapport and respect in your classroom. After you tackle a complex lecture topic, give students time to individually reflect on their learnings. This can be accomplished through guided prompts or left as an open-ended exercise. Once students have gathered their thoughts, encourage them to share their views either through an online discussion thread or a conversation with peers during class time.

Concept mapping

Collaborative concept mapping is the process of visually organizing concepts and ideas and understanding how they relate to each other. This exercise is a great way for students to look outside of their individual experiences and perspectives. Groups can use this tactic to review previous work or to help them map ideas for projects and assignments. For in-person classes, you can ask students to cover classroom walls with sticky notes and chart paper. For online classes, there are many online tools that make it simple to map out connections between ideas, like Google Docs or the digital whiteboard feature in Zoom.

Group size: Groups of 5–10 students 

Propose a topic or issue to your class. Group students together (or in breakout rooms if you’re teaching remotely) according to the position they take on the specific issue. Ask the groups of students to come up with a few arguments or examples to support their position. Write each group’s statements on the virtual whiteboard and use these as a starting point for discussion. A natural next step is to debate the strengths and weaknesses of each argument, to help students improve their critical thinking and analysis skills. 

Make learning active with these 45 interactive classroom activities

Compare and contrast

Group size: Groups of 5–10 students

Ask your students to focus on a specific chapter in your textbook. Then, place them in groups and ask them to make connections and identify differences between ideas that can be found in course readings and other articles and videos they may find. This way, they can compare their ideas in small groups and learn from one another’s perspectives. In online real-time classes, instructors can use Zoom breakout rooms to put students in small groups.

Assess/diagnose/act

This activity will improve students’ problem-solving skills and can help engage them in more dynamic discussions. Start by proposing a topic or controversial statement. Then follow these steps to get conversations going. In online classes, students can either raise their hands virtually or use an online discussion forum to engage with their peers. 

  • Assessment: What is the issue or problem at hand?
  • Diagnosis: What is the root cause of this issue or problem?
  • Action: How can we solve the issue?

Moral dilemmas

Group size: Groups of 3–7 students 

Provide students with a moral or ethical dilemma, using a hypothetical situation or a real-world situation. Then ask them to explore potential solutions as a group. This activity encourages students to think outside the box to develop creative solutions to the problem. In online learning environments, students can use discussion threads or Zoom breakout rooms.

Conversation stations

Group size: Groups of 4–6 students 

Course type: In-person

This activity exposes students’ ideas in a controlled way, prompting discussions that flow naturally. To start, share a list of discussion questions pertaining to a course reading, video or case study. Put students into groups and give them five-to-ten minutes to discuss, then have two students rotate to another group. The students who have just joined a group have an opportunity to share findings from their last discussion, before answering the second question with their new group. After another five-to-ten minutes, the students who haven’t rotated yet will join a new group.

This or that

Course type: Online (synchronous or asynchronous), in-person

This activity allows students to see where their peers stand on a variety of different topics and issues. Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. Then, they can ask students to indicate whether they agree, disagree or are neutral on the topic in advance, using an online discussion thread or Google Doc. In class, use another discussion thread or live chat to have students of differing opinions share their views. After a few minutes, encourage one or two members in each group to defend their position amongst a new group of students. Ask students to repeat this process for several rounds to help familiarize themselves with a variety of standpoints.

6 team-building classroom activities for college students

Snowball discussions  .

Group size: 2–4 students per group

Assign students a case study or worksheet to discuss with a partner, then have them share their thoughts with the larger group. Use breakout rooms in Zoom and randomly assign students in pairs with a discussion question. After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. After another five minutes, combine groups of four to become a larger group of eight—and so on until the whole class is back together again.

Make it personal

Group size: Groups of 2–8 students

After you’ve covered a topic or concept in your lecture, divide students into small discussion groups (or breakout rooms online). Ask the groups questions like “How did this impact your prior knowledge of the topic?” or “What was your initial reaction to this source/article/fact?” to encourage students to reflect on their personal connections to the course concepts they are learning.

Philosophical chairs

Group size: 20–25 students (maximum)

A statement that has two possible responses—agree or disagree—is read out loud. Depending on whether they agree or disagree with this statement, students move to one side of the room or the other. After everyone has chosen a side, ask one or two students on each side to take turns defending their positions. This allows students to visualize where their peers’ opinions come from, relative to their own.

Get more interactive classroom activities here

Affinity mapping

Group size: Groups of 3–8 students 

Course type: Online (synchronous)

Place students in small groups (or virtual breakout rooms) and pose a broad question or problem to them that is likely to result in lots of different ideas, such as “What was the greatest innovation of the 21st century?” or “How would society be different if  _____ never occurred?” Ask students to generate responses by writing ideas on pieces of paper (one idea per page) or in a discussion thread (if you’re teaching online). Once lots of ideas have been generated, have students begin grouping their ideas into similar categories, then label the categories and discuss why the ideas fit within them, how the categories relate to one another and so on. This allows students to engage in higher-level thinking by analyzing ideas and organizing them in relation to one another. 

Socratic seminar

Group size: 20 students (minimum)

Ask students to prepare for a discussion by reviewing a course reading or group of texts and coming up with a few higher-order discussion questions about the text. In class, pose an introductory, open-ended question. From there, students continue the conversation, prompting one another to support their claims with evidence from previous course concepts or texts. There doesn’t need to be a particular order to how students speak, but they are encouraged to respectfully share the floor with their peers.

Concentric circles

Group size: 20 students (maximum)

Students form two circles: an inner circle and an outer circle. Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside; they face each other. Pose a question to the whole group and have pairs discuss their responses with each other. After three-to-five minutes, have students on the outside circle move one space to the right so they are standing in front of a new person. Pose a new question, and the process is repeated, exposing students to the different perspectives of their peers.

Making your classes more interactive should help your students want to come to class and take part in it. Giving them a more active role will give them a sense of ownership, and this can lead to students taking more pride in their work and responsibility for their grades.

Use these 45 classroom activities in your course to keep students engaged

A more interactive class can also make things easier for you—the more work students do in class, the less you have to do. Even two minutes of not talking can re-energize you for the rest of the class.

Plus, these six methods outlined above don’t require any large-scale changes to your class prep. Set up a couple of activities in advance here and there, to support what you’ve been doing, and plan which portion of your class will feature them.

The reality remains that sometimes, students do have to be taught subject matter that is anything but exciting. That doesn’t mean that we can’t make it more enjoyable to teach or learn. It may not be possible to incorporate classroom activities into every lecture, but finding some room for these approaches can go a long way in facilitating a positive learning environment.

And let’s not forget, sometimes even an educator needs a brief departure from the everyday-ordinary-sit-and-listen-to-me-lecture regimen.

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60 Awesome University Virtual Online Event Ideas For College Students

60 Awesome University Virtual Online Event Ideas For College Students

60 university online event ideas for college students: everything you need to make every day awesome.

Audience Engagement

Gui Boechat

Gui Boechat

June 30, 2022

The days of sitting in a boring classroom are over, thanks to the rise of remote learning. Universities and colleges need to innovate to keep students engaged. These 60 university virtual events ideas will give you plenty of inspiration. Also, read this insightful How Stanford, University of Pennsylvania & Caltech Students Run Virtual Events article recently published by Arena.

Keep reading to discover ideas and examples from creative students and universities across the country. Whether you’re looking for a way to learn life skills like cooking, network with alumni or spend an afternoon creating music with friends, you’ll find something for you in this guide to online event ideas for college students.

Download the free ebook: Online event ideas for colleges & universities that work

Once you see an event idea you like, explore Arena’s solutions for education for the following steps on how to bring your event to life with technology.

60 Awesome University Virtual Events Ideas For College Students

1. attend virtual classes  .

As a student, it can be tough to keep up with an ever-changing schedule. Attending virtual classes - especially recorded lectures - makes staying on top of your studies easier.

You can still learn from other institutions if your college doesn’t offer virtual classes. MIT offers free lectures and other learning resources. Check out MIT’s introductory programming courses - all available in digital education format.

2. TED Talks School Edition

Discovering new ideas through a TED talk is one of the most accessible ways to learn new perspectives. You don’t have to wait for an invitation to get invited to speak at TED, either. Many colleges and universities have organized TEDx events.

To inspire you, check out these examples and resources to create your own TEDx event:

  • TEDxStanford
  • TEDxNWTC (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
  • How to start a TED University event

3. Spill the Tea

This phrase is commonly used by young students today when they want to share information or connect with others interested in a specific topic. 

You don’t have to drink tea either - some people prefer coffee, cocoa, or anything else. The activity is as simple as picking one hot or pressing topic and allowing everyone to discuss their opinions. 

The University of Arizona , for example, has run Spill the Tea events for its LGBTQ+ community. The University of Arizona offers its events in a hybrid format. You can run your events in a virtual or hybrid format. 

4. Lunch and Learn

This activity is somewhat similar to “Spill the Tea” but on a different setup. Instead of hot drinks, students can talk about interesting topics while having lunch and learn from each other.

5. Start A Podcast 

Listening to podcasts is a popular activity - over 50% of American consumers listen to podcasts, according to Statista . 

The Ohio State University has a podcast club for students. It’s an organization that brings together students interested in developing the speaking and technical skills required to run podcasts. 

6. Alumni Networking Activity

The people you meet in college and university can open doors to exciting career opportunities! Organize mixers for students and alumni to get together. Alumni benefit from the energy and new ideas students bring to the table. Students benefit from learning what it takes to succeed in the real world.

Want to see what this kind of event looks like in practice? In 2021, Stony Brook University organized a two-hour virtual students and alumni networking mixer. Keeping the event short and focused is one way to make the event more accessible.

7. Workshop on Hosting Webinars

In college, it’s wise to learn both how to learn and teach. That’s why webinar skills matter. When you learn how to deliver a practical learning experience to your peers, you will be much more effective in the workplace.

In this event, students give a presentation on topics that interest them. Focus the event on learning popular webinar platforms like Zoom, WebinarJam, and GoToWebinar. After their presentation, invite the other attendees to provide constructive feedback on their presentation content and communication skills. 

8. DIY Tutorials 

An entire college-length course isn’t the best way to learn every skill. Sometimes a short tutorial is the best way to go. 

As a starting point, look at the topics that the University of South Florida (USF) teaches in its life skills for student success tutorials. USF helps students with responsible alcohol consumption, sexual assault prevention, and financial literacy.

9. What-Grown-Ups-Do lessons (“Practical Life Lessons”)

Whether you call it “adulting” or just getting ready for real life, this instruction is well suited for blending learning. For example, you might have a housing or health virtual event to gather questions and then follow up with an in-person event to demonstrate specific skills.

10. Master Chef Lessons

Few college students have good eating habits. When you’re young and active, it’s easy to get away with poor food habits…. What if you had a way to make healthy food preparation fun for students? It’s possible!

Tap into the desire many students have to share their accomplishments on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. Invite students to join a cooking class and take photos of their creations.

Take a look at the University of Minnesota, which offers students a cooking for wellness course . Some university courses are open to the public, while others are limited. This distance learning experience blends practical cooking skills and conversation.

11. Financial Literacy Workshops 

Few students are experienced and confident in managing money, spending, debt, and investments. Fortunately, virtual learning is well suited to the challenges of teaching financial literacy.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) offers multiple financial literacy workshops. The University has introductory budgeting courses, obtaining graduate school funding, and homeownership. Offering one or two distance learning courses or workshops on financial literacy could make a significant difference in students' lives!

12. Coping with Disabilities Groups

Participating in university as a disabled person is challenging, especially if you feel alone. Organizing virtual learning experiences is a powerful way to help disabled students to thrive. For example, you can introduce students to the resources and support programs available. 

In addition, these groups can provide a valuable social experience for students who want to meet others who share their experiences.

The University of Colorado at Boulder offers a variety of workshops and training focused on disability services. For example, the university has a workshop helping students to navigate the transition from high school to college and law school.

13. Philosophy Discussion Group

The concept of this group is more of a Q&A discussion among the students where they can discuss their views on ethics, how to live, and other philosophical issues.

To deepen the discussion further, consider inviting a graduate student or professor with expertise in philosophy to facilitate the discussion. Another approach would be to focus on different schools of thought (e.g., Stoicism one week and existentialism another week).

14. Psychology Experiments 

Participating in a psychology experiment is an exciting way to contribute to research and learn more about yourself. Professors sometimes have a budget to pay students for participation in these experiments.

The University of Toronto at Mississauga has a database of psychology experiments . Look at this page for inspiration on how the university manages research ethics. 

15. Language Learning Groups 

Many college students take language courses for their degrees. However, these courses sometimes lack the opportunity to practice speaking and listening skills. Supplementing your formal class with a conversation group is a powerful way to enhance your learning experience.

The Spanish Language Club at John Hopkins University shows one way to offer this type of learning experience. The club meets twice a week for two hours of virtual class time.

16. Student Volunteer Groups 

Want to make the world a better place as a university student? Consider signing up for a volunteer group. There are various options here, like project-based volunteer activities and volunteer groups that run throughout the year.

Think about your goals to make the most of your volunteer efforts. To become a teacher, look for a tutoring volunteer group. The UCLA Volunteer Center offers multiple virtual volunteer opportunities with nonprofit organizations like Schools on Wheels and Progress Point Tutoring.

17. Cause Celebrations

There are special celebrations for various causes, groups, and identities every month. Organizing a virtual celebration in honor of events like Earth Hour, Pride Month, and World Youth Day is a great way to unite students. 

18. Virtual Museum Stroll

Museums have an essential role to play in the modern learning experience. Instead of reading about dinosaurs or the Romans, a museum gives you the chance to see artifacts! Over the past few years, many museums have developed virtual tour experiences. Find a few classmates and organize a virtual visit to one of these museums:

  • The Louvre . Can’t make it to Paris? Check out the Louvre's impressive virtual collection of artwork and other fascinating objects. 
  • National Museum of Natural History . See the wonders of the natural world through a virtual visit to the Smithsonian. It’s a great way to experience the collection without flying to Washington DC.

19. Journaling Sessions

Writing in a journal is one of the best ways to manage stress and reflect on your daily life. Consider organizing a virtual journaling session with a few students and playing instrumental music to set the mood.  

20. Student Gardening / Horticulture Club Meetings

Most college students are so busy that they spend little time in nature. This virtual event idea is a way to reconnect with the natural world. 

This concept is about teaching your students the hobby of gardening in their homes. Thus, the word jungalow. In virtual meetings, you can show off your plants and share techniques for growing plants effectively (even in a dorm room). 

Some students take their interest in gardening further by setting up an organization. The Student Horticulture Association at Michigan State University was established in 1901 and meets weekly.

21. Virtual Meditation / Mindfulness 

Meditation is an ancient practice that helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and focus. While it is very beneficial, getting started in meditation can be difficult for some people.

Help students discover the benefits of meditation by inviting a meditation teacher to provide virtual guided meditations to students. The experience of learning how to meditate and calm yourself is a beautiful learning experience for students. It can help them navigate the stressful aspects of university life like exams, tests, and job interviews.

22. Home Fitness Sessions

Encourage your students to get fit even at home. Collate exercises that are easy to do in front of their screen but will make them sweat. Through this program, you are helping your students maintain their physical fitness and mental sharpness. 

Not sure how to plan a virtual fitness experience for students? Take a look at the University of Kentucky virtual group fitness program . The program offers 30-45 minute fitness sessions so students can easily fit exercise into their schedules.

23. New Student Orientation 

Navigating the transition from high school to university is one of the biggest challenges young people face. Help your students thrive at university by offering new student orientation events, including a virtual learning experience. For example, you might offer a virtual study skills program with tips on time management, using the library and other campus resources.

24. Pet-Friendly Mixers For Cat and Dog Enthusiasts 

Did you know that 70% of American households have a pet, according to the Insurance Information Institute ? Organizing events where students can meet others who love cats, dogs, and other animals is a great idea.

Give your students a break from homework and study with a virtual animal event. Destress the cuteness of every household pet and let them step in the spotlight for a change. 

25. Virtual Career Fairs

After studying for a degree, many university students are eager to start their careers. Universities can play an essential role in facilitating the transition to the working world by offering virtual career fairs.

Consider organizing multiple sessions to give everybody a chance to learn about career opportunities. For example, you might have a dedicated session related to careers in banking, government, and other industries.

26. Community Playlist

Getting together with fellow students to share music is a great way to bond. Students have different tastes in music, but a generation mostly knows similar ones. Get them in tune with music by contributing to a playlist they all love. 

27. Virtual Dance Classes

Showcase your students’ talent by organizing a virtual dance showdown when they take your dance classes. Everyone is invited, even the ones who dance on two left feet. 

28. Movie Discussion Club & Critique Sessions

Stream movies and discuss them with your new friends. There’s one rule to this virtual event idea: no spoilers are allowed!

29. Fine Arts Classes

Now, where is my beret? Let your students unleash their inner artists by holding painting classes and other fine arts classes. To keep them engaged, you can post a photo of a scenic view or a macro shot of food they will paint. Disclaimer: This can get messy!

30. Vlogger-of-the-Day Competition

Do some of your students want to become social media stars? Running a vlog virtual event is one way to introduce them. Students, staff, and faculty members can join. 

31. Virtual Theatre

Shakespeare’s theatres were closed by plague in the past: the theatre is no stranger to disruptions. Showcase your students’ creativity by holding an online drama performance or an open mic comedic monologue. When it comes to creativity and imagination, the sky’s the limit!

32. Best Room Decor Competition

All of your students probably take their virtual classes in their rooms. Let them showcase their study space by holding friendly competitions like this, where they will take their creativity to the next level. 

33. Holiday Celebrations

It is going to be a holiday every day somewhere in the world. Engage your students by asking them to research the most absurd holiday in the world that they can find and discuss them. 

34. Craft Get Together

Do your students have a hobby they can share, such as crocheting, knitting, or needlepoint? You might not know how to do these hobbies now, but you can learn! So much of the college learning experience is focused on abstract skills, so it’s a nice change of pace to make something with our hands. 

35. House Tour

Many successful YouTube stars showcase their homes to subscribers. Students may have something unique in their home to share with the group, such as a walk-in cabinet, favorite posters, or a balcony garden. 

36. Sudoku Challenge

Sudoku is an excellent game for stimulating the mind and making it more analytical. Students will benefit from this challenge while incorporating this into their lessons. Offer first, second, and third place rewards to those who solve the puzzle fastest.

37. Crosswords Challenge

Don’t like numbers? Crosswords might be a better fit for you! For an added challenge, meet together to work on the famous New York Times crossword puzzle . 

38. Pets of the University Photo Competition

Want to show off your pets and photography skills? Let your students dress or pose with their pets and post their photos on social media to capture the engagement of the netizens.

39. Online Charades

Take some time off from intense lectures and play charades with your students to break the ice. Plus, there are apps online where you can generate words to make your charades more exciting. 

40. Online Trivia Competition 

There is so much trivia around us where students can learn. Get creative by assigning themes like history, politics, and pop culture (imagine a trivia competition focused on the Marvel universe!). The winner can choose the next round’s questions and bragging rights for the next week.

41. E-Games Tournaments

E-Sports gained momentum when the pandemic arrived. Now, there are a lot of recognized E-Sports that are played internationally. Challenge your students to an E-Games Tournament and reward the Champion. 

42. Most Creative TikTok Competition

Challenges - marked by the #challenge hashtag - are one of the most common types of content in the TikTok app. Encourage your students to post their most creative TikTok content, and you will be surprised at how they manipulate the app because it is the younger generation’s forte. 

43. Digital Scavengers 

A scavenger hunt game may not always be physical, but it can also translate to the digital space. Take your students on a hunt over clues to answer your cryptic puzzles. For example, ask them to hunt for university history or famous alumni facts by searching the web and the university website.

44. Stand-Up Comedy Event 

A good joke is funny, but a lame one is funnier! Let your students tell their corniest jokes and see who gets all the laughter. Telling jokes in front of a live audience, even a virtual one, is a great way to become more confident. 

45. Lip-Sync Battle

Enjoy the music but don’t like to sing? A lip-sync music battle might be just the event for you. No inborn talent is required, just good coordination between lips and lyrics.

46. Your Holiday Your Rules Contest

We discussed the most absurd holiday competition. Building on that theme, invite your students to invent a holiday. Let the whole campus vote on it. 

For inspiration, check out one of the most famous made-up holidays: International Talk Like A Pirate Day .

47. Share Your Academic Passions

You might study history or engineering by day, but you probably have other interests. Who would have known that an Engineering student is interested in Humanities unless these programs are hosted? 

48. Career Counseling Sessions

Give your students a boost in enriching their careers through virtual career counseling sessions. This interactive learning experience usually involves guidance counselors, alumni professionals, and other experts. 

49. Resume and Cover Letter Groups

Your students’ resume is their ticket to opening doors to employment. Guide your students on the best ways to present their skills and accomplishments by encouraging peers to meet and review each other's resumes and cover letters. This type of collaboration is most effective when participants take a workshop covering the fundamentals of creating a resume or cover letter.

50. Creative Writing Virtual Write-Ins

For students who want a career in writing, it is essential to hone their skills and teach them techniques as early as now. Creative writing is both an art and a science, so they need to know the fundamental ways how to write a masterpiece. 

One option is inviting students to participate in National Novel Writing Month, held every November. The rules for the event are simple: write a 50,000-word novel in one month. Take inspiration from Arizona State University , which hosted a weekly two-hour virtual writing session to help students keep making progress. 

51. Peer Facilitators Group

This group is the student version of guidance counselors. Developing the skill to resolve conflicts respectfully is a valuable life skill. Invite students to take a virtual learning experience covering the fundamentals of conflict resolution first. 

52. Academic Advisors Guild

This group is intended to be a resource for students who need assistance with the field of study they are currently taking. For example, new students can learn the best ways to research term papers or complete lab work assignments. 

53. Student Awards Ceremony

Recognizing your top outstanding students in an awards event is a time-honored way to encourage excellence. By hosting this kind of event, you can recognize student leaders from various recognized organizations, award-winning papers, high grades, and other achievements. It will motivate your students to strive harder and inspire them to become active community members. 

Create an updated PDF version of the article, including the images as a downloadable resource (see the original call to action below):

54. Religious Services Group

In the course of their university career, students are going to face problems and new questions. One way to support students better is by offering them spiritual support. This can take different forms, like hosting a “spiritual Q&A” session with the campus clergy or other types of events. 

Be mindful that students will have various attitudes about religion - some will be interested, and some will be uninterested.

55. Virtual University Fairs

Most of the virtual events covered here are aimed at current students. What about potential students - like senior high students considering their university options? It’s essential to think about their needs as well. 

Compton College organized a virtual university fair in 2021 with more than fifty participating universities. The Compton event was aimed at potential transfer students, but you can adapt this concept to other groups of potential students.

56. Virtual Model United Nations 

There is a decades-long tradition of university students participating in Model United Nations events. For example, Dartmouth Model UN offers students a variety of diplomatic-oriented learning experiences, including a crisis committee. This event is a great way to offer a blended learning experience to political science and international relations students.

57. Live Concert 

Live concerts are coming back! However, there’s still the option to offer a virtual concert performance. Why not organize a hybrid-style concert so that your friends and family living far from campus can your students perform?

58. Online Photo Booth

Explore filters from social media apps with this online photo booth, and you will discover so much to discover there.

59. Code Breaker Games

Challenge your students’ mental capacity by solving complex questions as a group. Since there is a lot less physical requirement for this game, your students will get their brains to the test. The group that wins most rounds gets the prize.

60. Mock Trials 

Tickle your students’ imagination by making a hypothetical situation of a crime and make them collaborate to solve this mystery crime team-building activity.

The State University of New York at Albany hosted a virtual mock trial event in 2021 with many colleges and university participants. You don’t need 21 teams to get started, though. Invite a few friends interested in the law and start planning a legal case!

How To Engage Students More Deeply 

You might also want to check out some Virtual Event Strategies For Universities To Keep Students Engaged and how to Enhance the E-learning Experience with Live Chat to enhance virtual classroom experiences.

Adding Arena Live Chat and Live Blog to your virtual university events is a great way to make your event more inclusive. You’ll open your event open to more people - including students who have to commute long distances. With polls, private messages, and content moderation, it is easy to create a safe space for students to express themselves.

And, in case you haven't yet, you should check out how Pecege Institute leverages Arena Live Chat to allow students to engage in real-time with their teachers and classmates.

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75 Must-Try Virtual Event Ideas For College Students

By: Author Nicole Booz

Posted on Last updated: June 25, 2023

Categories College

These virtual event ideas for college students are engaging, educational, and fun all while helping students learn and meet professional goals.

Virtual events are a great way for college students to stay connected with each other.

Whether you want to host them over the summer months, breaks, for more people to attend, or for health reasons like social distancing, they offer a great way to provide college students and community members with resources they may not be able to get in person . They are a great alternative to in-person college events .

Virtual events also provide an easy, affordable way to keep up with friends and even make new ones.

Additionally, many virtual event ideas are interactive and provide innovative ways to bring people together in the safety and privacy of their own homes.

I’ve split these up into three main categories, use these links to easily navigate this post:

  • Professional Virtual Events
  • Fun Virtual Events
  • Educational Virtual Events

woman waving at computer

Now, let us take a deeper look at 75 virtual event ideas for college students.

25 Professional Virtual Event Ideas For College Students

1. webinars and workshops:.

Host educational sessions on various topics, bringing in industry experts as speakers. Encourage audience interaction through Q&A sessions and polls.

The topics you can do these on are virtually endless. Have professors from across subjects give different webinars on new research and interesting things in their fields.

2. Virtual Conferences:

Create an online conference with multiple sessions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities .

Include breakout rooms for smaller group discussions and interactive activities that can take place over zoom. Make it valuable for students by offering a mentorship aspect as well.

3. Virtual Trade Shows and Exhibitions:

Set up a virtual exhibition hall where participants can explore booths, interact with exhibitors through live chat or video calls, and access product demos and downloadable resources.

An  event staffing agency  can provide the necessary personnel to ensure smooth interactions and assistance for attendees. 

This can be useful especially for trade schools or students in business to get an idea for how to network and to learn about new technologies.

4. Online Panel Discussions:

Organize panel discussions on relevant topics, inviting industry professionals and thought leaders to share their insights.

Allow attendees to submit questions in advance or participate in live Q&A sessions.

5. Virtual Hackathons:

Host coding or problem-solving challenges, providing a platform for participants to collaborate remotely.

Set clear objectives, offer mentorship, and award prizes for the most innovative solutions. This is especially fun for students in computer science!

6. Virtual Networking Events:

Facilitate networking opportunities through virtual speed networking sessions, breakout rooms, or dedicated networking platforms.

Consider using icebreaker activities to foster connections.

7. Digital Fitness or Wellness Classes:

Arrange virtual fitness or wellness sessions, such as yoga , meditation , or dance classes.

Partner with experienced instructors who can guide participants through interactive live sessions.

These might be especially attractive to students who don’t have time to make it to the gym between classes but can do a yoga session in their dorm room.

8. Online Virtual Tours:

Offer virtual tours of museums, landmarks, or unique locations, providing participants with an immersive and educational experience.

Include live guides or prerecorded videos to enhance engagement.

9. Resume Critique:

Organize a resume critique session for students and recent graduates.

Invite recruiters or career experts to review resumes, provide feedback, and answer questions from participants. Research online tools to make the process easier.

10. Alumni Meet and Greet:

Create an alumni meet-and-greet event to encourage networking and camaraderie among former students.

Invite speakers to share their stories, provide career advice, and offer mentorship opportunities.

11. Meet Your Major:

Organize a virtual meet-your-major event to introduce students to different majors and minors.

Invite professors or industry professionals to discuss career paths, internships, and other opportunities related to the field.

This is a great idea for prospective students or new students too. Have a faculty member host q&a sessions to give college kids a better idea of what each major is like.

12. Alumni Q&A Session:

Host an alumni Q&A session, inviting former graduates to share their experiences and answer questions from participants.

Allow attendees to submit questions in advance or participate in live Q&A sessions. Encourage audience engagement by offering prizes for the most creative questions. ​

13. Career Day:

Organize a virtual career day to help college students with their career exploration .

Invite recruiters, industry experts, and entrepreneurs to discuss career options, job search strategies, and more.

Consider using an online platform like Zoom for panel discussions and one-on-one mentorship sessions.

woman in red on a zoom call

14. Carer Styling:

Facilitate career styling sessions for students and recent graduates.

Invite recruiters or fashion professionals to provide advice on interview attire , grooming tips, and other professional stylistic skills.

Consider offering discounts on clothing or makeup products as a token of appreciation.

15. Budgeting Workshop:

Arrange a budgeting workshop to help college students learn about financial management. Invite experienced professionals to discuss budgeting, saving, and investing strategies.

Provide tips on how to manage money better and use online tools for tracking expenses.

16. Tax Workshop:

Organize a tax workshop to help participants understand the basics of filing taxes and claiming deductions.

Invite accountants or tax professionals to answer questions and provide advice on how to save money by filing taxes correctly. Consider offering discounts for filing software as an incentive.

17. Scholarship Workshop:

Hold a scholarship workshop to help college students understand the process of applying and winning scholarships.

Invite guest speakers to discuss test scores, resumes, essays, and other requirements for various scholarship programs.

Provide resources and guidance on where to find scholarships and how to apply successfully.

18. Mock Interviews:

Organize mock interviews for college students who are seeking jobs or internships.

Invite recruiters or career experts to simulate interview scenarios and provide feedback on how to improve their communication skills.

Consider offering prizes for the best performance or most creative responses.

19. Career Fair:

Put together a virtual career fair for students and alumni seeking job opportunities.

Invite employers from various industries to participate in panel discussions and individual networking sessions.

Consider using an online platform like Zoom to facilitate the process and provide a virtual space for recruiters and job seekers to connect.

20. Networking Night:

Host a networking social night for college students to meet professionals in their field or industry of interest.

Invite speakers from various industries to discuss career paths, job search strategies, and other topics related to success and career development.

21. Idea Pitch Competition:

Arrange a virtual idea pitch competition to help college students sharpen their presentation skills.

Invite guest speakers or entrepreneurs to judge the pitches and provide feedback on how to improve their crafting and delivery.

Consider offering prizes for the best ideas or most creative concepts.

22. Resume Workshop:

Organize a resume workshop for college students who are preparing to enter the job market.

Invite experienced recruiters or HR professionals to provide advice on how to craft an effective resume and answer any questions participants may have.

23. Study Abroad Q&A:

Host a study abroad Q&A session for students interested in international learning.

Invite guest speakers from universities or organizations that specialize in global education to answer questions and provide advice on how to apply for scholarships, find internships, and select the best program for them.

Consider offering discounts on travel or educational resources as an incentive.

24. Mental Health Workshop:

Put together a mental health workshop to help college students manage their stress and anxiety.

Invite professionals from the healthcare or educational fields to discuss topics such as coping strategies, self-care techniques, and how to access resources for support.

Consider providing free online sessions with mental health experts as a token of appreciation.

25. Investing Workshop:

Organize an investing workshop to help college students learn the basics of money management and long-term planning.

Invite guest speakers from the financial industry to provide guidance on how to utilize online investment tools, identify proper asset allocation strategies, and develop a comprehensive retirement plan.

woman on zoom call

35 Fun Virtual Event Ideas For College Students

These events are designed to be fun way for current students to attend social events online!

1. Virtual DIY Craft Workshop:

Conduct a do-it-yourself (DIY) craft workshop, teaching participants how to create unique crafts or art projects.

Provide a list of required materials in advance, and guide participants step by step through the creative process.

2. Virtual 5k Run/Walk:

Organize a virtual 5k race with friends.

Track participants’ progress using an app and celebrate their achievement together. Consider offering prizes or donations to charity for extra motivation. ​

3. Meet My Pet:

Invite participants to showcase their pets in a virtual pet show. They can share stories, show off their pets’ tricks, or participate in fun pet-related challenges.

Consider awarding prizes in different categories, such as cutest pet or most talented pet.

4. Virtual game night:

Play classic board games or video games with students over Zoom, Skype, or other online platform. You can place members in teams to keep groups small.

5. Online movie party:

Watch a movie together via Netflix Party and chat about it as it plays.

6. Virtual cooking class:

Take turns hosting a cooking class to teach each other how to make something new, or recreate a favorite dish.

7. Virtual book club:

Read the same book and discuss it online as you progress.

Pick a new book each week and discuss it with friends while sharing tips and opinions on different topics.

Different student clubs can host these to increase social engagement in various clubs and majors.

8. Online karaoke night:

Sing along with friends from your own homes! Sing along to your favorite songs and challenge each other to see who can hit all the notes.

9. DIY craft night:

Host a beginner-friendly craft class with supplies you can find around the house.

10. Virtual paint and sip party:

Follow along with an online tutorial to create your own work of art while sipping on your favorite beverage.

This is a creative way for the student body to relieve some stress and have fun!

11. Virtual escape room challenge:

Work together to solve puzzles and riddles in an online escape room.

This is one of those fun virtual activities that will engage your student body a way that college kids love! Limit each session to a handful of participants.

12. Virtual trivia night:

Test your knowledge with questions from various categories and compete against each other for the highest score.

13. Online museum tour:

Take a virtual tour of famous museums, art galleries, and landmarks from all around the world. Consider it to be a virtual field trip!

14. Virtual cooking competition:

See who can make the best dish with the same ingredients.

15. Online scavenger hunt:

Create a list of items or tasks to find online and work together to complete it in the fastest time. See who can find the most items on a virtual scavenger hunt and get points for each item found.

16. Virtual board games tournament:

Play against one another to find out who’s the best player of your favorite game.

17. Social media challenge night:

Pick a challenge from TikTok or Instagram and try it out with friends.

18. Virtual music festival:

Listen to music from different genres and artists, dance along, and share favorite tunes with each other.

19. Online movie marathon:

Over the course of a few weeks, host virtual movie watching events and allow participants to contribute to a virtual chat box to discuss in real time.

20. Virtual spa night:

Set up a relaxing home spa experience with face masks, bubble baths, and candles.

21. Virtual talent show night:

Have participants showcase their talents or creative pursuits and see who can put on the best performance. Have various student organizations host these so you can do them in different majors and with different themes.

22. Online comedy club night:

Find clips of stand-up comedians online and rate them for an added challenge.

virtual event ideas for college students

23. Virtual the price is right:

Test your knowledge with a fun game of the price is right and get points for correct answers. This helps them get to know the true pricing of items in the real world, too.

24. Online fashion show:

Dress up in your favorite clothing and accessories from home, then have a virtual fashion show with friends.

25. Virtual escape room night:

Compete against one another to see who can complete the most puzzles or scavenger hunts online.

26. Online game night:

Pick a game from various gaming apps and platforms, then get points for winning.

27. College game viewing party:

Watch your favorite college teams go head-to-head on the big screen. Host a zoom where students can chat live in a chat box about the game.

28. Online gaming tournament:

Challenge each other to see who can get the highest score in a chosen game.

29. Virtual dress up night:

Choose a theme and dress up accordingly, then show off your creations to the group. This would be fun for fashion majors, especially.

30. Online celebrity gossip night:

Discuss current events, scandals, and gossip surrounding famous people.

31. Virtual dance class:

Learn new moves from an online tutorial or challenge each other to a dance battle.

32. Virtual cocktail making class:

Learn how to make different cocktails from an online tutorial and test them out together.

33. Online shopping challenge:

Shop for the same item online and see who can get the best deal.

34. Virtual concert night:

Listen to live music performances from various artists each week.

35. DIY video project night:

Work together in teams to make short videos and compete against one another for the best results.

15 Educational Virtual Events For College Students

These educational online event ideas event ideas should bring an educational component while still being fun!

1. Virtual art workshop:

Learn a new painting technique, drawing style, or other type of art and share your creations with each other.

2. Guest lecturer:

Invite a professor or guest speaker to chat about their expertise and experiences. Make this extremely valuable by bringing in someone working on exciting research or technology.

3. Online language class:

Offer an online language class that teaches the basics of a language.

4. Virtual baking class:

Teach participants a baking recipe that they can impress other wish for years to come.

5. Online cooking class:

Similar to the baking class, have a professional chef teach participants how to make a unique dish and help them learn new techniques.

6. Virtual music listening party:

Create a Spotify playlist and listen to music together with a group to discuss the history of the genre.

7. Online stand-up comedy night:

Watch clips of different stand-up comedians and discuss the funniest jokes and their meanings and implications.

8. Travel planning seminar:

Teach participants how to plan the perfect trip somewhere. Many college aged students have never done this themselves and are unaware of resources available to them to make trips more affordable.

9. Code-a-thon:

Have students work together to create a program or app and compete against each other for the best design.

10. Online art gallery:

Have art students participate in an online art gallery allowing them to display their art while receiving helpful and thoughtful feedback anonymously.

11. Poetry slam:

Have students perform their poetry in a virtual poetry slam. Offer constructive criticism to help each other get better.

12. Writing sprint:

Spend a set amount of time writing and see who can write the most during that time. Exchange your work with each other and get feedback from the group.

13. Show and tell:

Each person has to share something interesting they love and talk about why it’s special to them. This could be anything from books and music to sports memorabilia and craft projects.

14. Science Fair:

Have students in the science present their science experiments virtually to an audience of their peers. This will help them be comfortable presenting.

15. Virtual Happy Hours

Invite students to a happy hour – bringing the age appropriate drink of their choice – and discuss new things happening in certain programs or majors.

This gives students in similar majors time to connect while learning about more opportunities available to them.

woman in orange on a zoom call

5 Tips For Hosting a Virtual Event:

To make your virtual event go smoothly, try following these tips.

1. Choose the right platform:

Select an easy-to-use platform that allows attendees to access your event quickly and with no technical difficulties.

A virtual setting can come with technical difficulties, so it’s a good idea make sure you’ve tested the software ahead of time!

2. Create a schedule:

Provide a detailed agenda of the event and make sure everyone knows what to expect before it begins.

3. Promote your event:

Spread the word about your virtual event through social media and email campaigns to engage more participants.

4. Give incentives:

Offer prizes or discounts to motivate attendees and increase virtual engagement.

This could be gift cards to local businesses, a tuition credit or free food. These types of events are a great opportunity to engage your student body off of the college campus.

You can also cap the number of seats allowed to create a feeling of scarcity.

5. Follow up:

Send a follow-up email to thank everyone for attending and share any feedback you’ve received from the event.

This will help provide valuable insights for future events and show appreciation to your guests. A successful virtual event is one in which students and

By following these tips, you can ensure that your virtual event runs smoothly and is enjoyable for all involved.

With a little bit of planning, you can create an unforgettable experience for your college students in a new way! So go ahead and get creative with your next virtual event! It’s sure to be a hit.

Final Thoughts on Virtual Event Ideas For College Students

By hosting one or more of these virtual event ideas, college students can not only stay connected but also have some fun!

These activities allow for creative expression, learning new skills, and most importantly, spending quality time with friends or making new friends.

Whether it’s a virtual music festival or a game show night, there’s something for everyone! So get ready to have a blast at your next virtual event.

If you liked this post on virtual event ideas for college students, we’d love if you’d share it with your team!

About the Author

Nicole Booz

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com

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17 Best Virtual Orientation Ideas for Students in 2024

You found our list of the best virtual orientation ideas .

Virtual orientation is the first week of remote college and university years, and the goal is to provide social activities and onboarding to students. Online orientation ideas are ways to welcome first year students to campus remotely. These online activities can help students adjust to the social and academic aspects of college life online.

This event is similar to virtual spirit week , kind of the opposite of virtual graduation and may include online classroom games .

This list includes:

  • virtual college orientation ideas
  • fun orientation activities for students
  • online orientation ideas

So, here is the list!

List of virtual orientation ideas

From virtual icebreakers for college to digital university classifieds to online freshmen anthologies, here is a list of online orientation ideas to welcome new students with a bang.

1. Online icebreaker and ice cream social

Icebreakers and college orientations go hand in hand. So, one of the most obvious virtual orientation week ideas is to host icebreaker sessions on Zoom, WebEx or other online conference platforms . To sweeten the deal, you can pair this activity with another welcome week favorite: the ice cream social.

Simply invite attendees to bring a favorite frozen treat to the meeting. To encourage strong attendance, you can include sundae making kits or vouchers for popular ice cream chains in your welcome packages. Once all participants join the video call, separate the crowd into breakout groups and start conversations using icebreaker questions .

Check out our list of virtual event ideas for more inspiration, and this list of interactive games to play on Zoom .

2. Virtual orientation Bingo

orientation week bingo

Virtual orientation Bingo is a game that incoming freshmen and volunteers can play online over video conference software. The easiest way to play is to divide participants into breakout groups for easier interaction. To win, players must mark five squares in a row, but players cannot use the same name on more than one square.

You can use the above template as a guide for your game. Feel free to add other identifiers. Make sure you randomize the order of the squares, or else everyone will call Bingo at once!

You can review the rules for Online Team Building Bingo too.

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3. Online Office Games

online office games

Competition gives groups a shared sense of purpose and strategy provides strangers with talking topics. You can build bonds and crown champions during virtual frosh week with spirited rounds of Online Office Games. Despite the name, the game does not have to be played exclusively by coworkers. In fact, since college often requires so much group work, freshmen can use the games as a chance to hone skills and practice remote teamwork tactics like communication, negotiation, and time management.

Learn more about Online Office Games .

4. Buddy blind dates

College orientations are intense because you meet so many new people. Virtual orientations offer less interaction, yet the classmates who do meet online are likely to make stronger and more intimate connections because introductions are scarce.

One of the most dynamic virtual orientation week ideas is matching students for random online buddy blind dates. You can add all incoming students to a Slack channel and use an app like Donut to assign pairs. Students can then connect through video chats to get much needed face-time, or can communicate via chat. You can keep Donut active throughout the year so that students can meet new friends and make new connections anytime.

5. Digital college classifieds

One of the perks of living in dorms is that anything you need is only ever a few steps away: aspirin, a ride to the mall, a Call of Duty partner, the notes from the 8am History lecture you missed. Often, you don’t even have to knock; neighbor’s doors are usually wide open.

Unfortunately, online campuses make crowdsourcing essentials much harder. You can remedy this disconnect and foster a community of sharing by launching a digital classifieds page for your incoming class. Social media groups like Facebook pages or subreddits are great outlets for this kind of exercise, or you could dedicate a section of your school’s online forum to swaps. Students can advertise and search for items or services, from textbooks and class supplies to room decor to Greek letters or tutors. Students can even teach each other lessons like study skills or basic guitar.

6. Virtual o-week badges of honor

virtual orientation week badges

Virtual events sometimes suffer from weak attendance. Participants who feel that online events will pale in comparison to real life counterparts may flake or decline the invitation upfront. Experts suggest that you should make online orientation mandatory, but required attendance does not typically extend to entertainment. Hyping your fun events can ensure a better turnout, but you can also sweeten the deal by offering collectable badges of honor.

You can commission an onstaff graphic artist to design fun badges to disperse at every virtual event. Students can display these badges on social media or student profiles to show off which virtual frosh week events they attended. These badges can serve as fun participation incentives, conversation starters, and means of tracking down coeds who attended the same events.

You can also award badges for winners of remote team building games .

7. Upperclassmen entertainment guide

Students who will eventually relocate onto campus will want to learn more about the surrounding area. Gaining bearings will take time, but you can speed up the process by inviting upperclassmen to recommend favorite local spots.

orientation week guide

As part of your online welcome offerings you can include an entertainment guide curated by savvy connoisseurs. Students and staff can submit reviews to places like that diner with heavenly pancakes, the best late-night snack spot, the independent bookstore with a shop cat, or the hike with a secret swimming spot. Contributors can snapshot reviews directly from sites like Yelp, or can write original entries.

This activity is a fun way for upperclassmen to pass on recommendations to the freshmen and facilitates bonds between classes.

8. Social media challenges

The average American uses social media around two hours a day , and the standard for the average American college student is likely much higher. One of the most interactive free virtual o-week ideas is to engage your incoming class by posting daily social media challenges.

Virtual orientation social media challenge ideas:

  • The Twitter “My roommate” challenge: Ask students to tweet about their pet, but refer to the pet as “my roommate.” Examples: My roommate just made eye contact while knocking over my glass of water. My roommate won’t stop licking my face. I think my roommate is about to shed his skin.
  • Facebook friend search and find: Every day, challenge students to find and friend classmates that fit certain criteria. For instance: Someone that attended your rival high school; someone who has traveled to a country you want to visit; someone with the same taste in movies.
  • Instagram-a-swag: Send students stickers of the university logo and instruct them to place the stickers on random objects to share the most creative piece of college swag.

Social media challenges offer free publicity and great engagement opportunities. You can host multiple challenges throughout your virtual welcome week. Whatever prompt you post, you should outline specific rules and monitor hashtags to ensure appropriate content.

9. Hometown maps

College programs unite individuals of various unique backgrounds. One way to capture a snapshot of your incoming class’s diversity is by assembling a hometown map.

To make a hometown map:

  • Create a map using an app like uebermaps or Google maps
  • Invite all students to collaborate
  • Instruct freshmen to pin home cities
  • Feel free to add any missing locales
  • Save and share the map with students and faculty

These maps can serve as a great conversation starter. One student may reach out to another to share memories from a past trip to the hometown, or with questions about the destination. You can also use the map to highlight geographical diversity in the school’s marketing materials.

10. Welcome packages

Free T-shirts are a big deal at college orientations. I think I received at least three tees during my undergrad welcome week. Sending care packages of college swag to your incoming freshmen is one of the best ways to welcome new students remotely.

Virtual student welcome package ideas:

  • Snacks like chips, granola bars, cookies, and of course, ramen
  • Coupons to places like bookstores, electronic stores, home goods stores, and takeout restaurants
  • Samples from local businesses
  • Charging cables
  • Water bottles
  • Highlighters, sticky notes, and other school supplies

Another especially neat idea is to send students a white T-shirt with an outline of the school logo or mascot and fabric markers. You can instruct students to style the shirt and upload photos of the creations online with a hashtag. This activity is a fun way to engage with students, connect the community, and marvel at the incoming class’s creativity!

11. Virtual team trivia

team trivia

Your digital college orientation needs exciting entertainment options, and virtual team trivia ranks among the funnest online welcome week activities. This online event is a guided trivia game with customizable topics. An emcee will oversee the festivities and energize the virtual crowds. The event lasts approximately one hour and can accommodate hundreds of participants. This online activity is a great way for new students to blow off steam, connect with classmates, and maybe even find a study buddy!

Here is a guide to running virtual trivia nights .

12. Online campus tour

A big part of orientation is students being able to physically orient themselves on campus. During welcome week, students stumble around the grounds and memorize the locations of the library, academic buildings, and of course, the cafeteria. Though your freshman class may not be able to stroll through the quad during an online orientation, students can still explore campus on their laptops through a virtual campus tour.

Fun online campus tour ideas:

  • Enlist theatre students to give a dramatic performance. ( Billy On the Street style, perhaps?)
  • Hide the mascot throughout, and offer a small prize to students who catch every sighting
  • Provide a drone’s eye view of campus
  • Create a virtual scavenger hunt to add an interactive element to the tour
  • Present views of campus throughout all seasons
  • Offer downloadable tour through an app like Junket so students can explore campus independently upon arrival

Even if the school is entirely remote, then you can still recruit a high-energy guide to record a video or facilitate a real time virtual tour exploring all available digital campus resources.

Here is a list of online tours for inspiration.

13. Parent passports

Parental presence is standard during traditional frosh weeks. After all, freshmen need help transporting the futon, and mom and dad need a teary quad sendoff. Though online schooling may keep the nest filled a little longer, you should still encourage parent participation during your online orientation. You can create an online parent passport program that grants guardians access to remote events. You do not need to limit the invitations to financial aid information sessions or commencement ceremonies; parents can join events like Zoom karaoke, Virtual Team Trivia, and online movie nights too. In fact, the whole family can join the fun, including siblings, children, spouses, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and perhaps even the noisy neighbor. The more the merrier, and you can try activities from our list of virtual games for large groups .

14. Campus cafeteria cookoff

Whether your school boasts multiple campus eateries, a culinary program, or cooperative restaurant neighbors, you can incorporate fun food-related entertainment into your digital welcome week. Culinary competitions add elements of excitement into your program.

You can host contests of popular cooking show challenges such as bake-offs and cook-offs, including events where participants must use special ingredients. Students can send recipes ahead of time and contestants can choose dishes to create. For further participation, audience members can use online polls to vote on appearance and overall appeal. You can invite the school president, notable alumni, and local restaurateurs to serve as judges.

An especially fun variation on this exercise is to add a college-cuisine theme to the contest. For instance, constants must make packaged ramen gourmet, re-purpose cold pizza, or whip up the best mug cake.

15. Digital mentor programs

College is a big adjustment. Beyond the major curriculum, there is much more to learn: effective study skills, budgeting tips, the tightrope walk of class-work-social balance, the weird world of coed dating culture, and the fact that 8am classes are a bad idea about 90% of the time. Navigating all these new rules can be overwhelming, especially if your freshmen are not physically on campus. You can help bridge the knowledge gap by offering a digital mentor program.

How to start a digital college mentor program:

  • Ask upperclassmen to volunteer as mentors.
  • Offer new students the option of mentorship.
  • Then, assign your mentees and mentors.
  • Communicate the maximum time commitment and outline acceptable/unacceptable questions
  • Introduce your pairs via email or chat app and encourage the students to connect!

The time commitment should be minimal. Mentors should not spend more than a couple of hours during orientation, and the activity should not interfere with the mentor’s academic obligations. The aim of this program is to answer basic questions and introduce a friendly face. If a student has needs beyond the basic, then the mentor can always direct the mentee to the proper campus resources.

16. Online freshmen anthology

Every incoming freshman has special skills, talent, and knowledge that will enrich fellow students. You can kick off the peer knowledge exchange compiling an online freshmen anthology. To build your collection, ask incoming students to each submit one page. Contributors can send anything, from works of art or poetry, to the perfect mug cake recipe, to dance instructions or beauty tutorials, to laundry directions, to a list of shower thoughts.

Once you receive all submissions, you can collect the works into a PDF and send to the entire class. Allowing upperclassmen voluntary access and archiving the collection is also a nice touch. This activity is a great way for faculty and peers to learn more about the new batch of students and makes for an excellent talking point.

17. Faculty meet and greets

The relationship between students and professors is one of the most important bonds of the college career. Distance learning can easily turn teachers into strangers. Without a strong introduction to departmental figures, students may hesitate to reach out for help.

By planning for department-specific online events and virtual meetings with professors during your remote orientation week, you induct virtual learners into an online community and establish a strong support network. You can facilitate practical online affairs such as advisor conferences and initial office hours as well as more informal gatherings such as departmental online open mics or virtual competitions.

At these events, you can include icebreaker games to encourage more connections.

Virtual Orientation Week Tips

Assembling upperclassman volunteers, stocking up on snacks, and reserving auditoriums is second nature to college administrators planning in-person orientations, but virtual welcome weeks are brand new territory.

Here is a quick list of tips to make your online college orientation successful.

1. Seek innovative ways to interact

Opportunities for interaction can make or break any online event. The ability to participate draws attendees to attend a live event instead of watching a video tutorial. Your orientation week may be mandatory, but your students will focus better and have more fun if you build engaging interactions into your program. Examples include distributing digital badges for event attendance, posting social media challenges, and hosting online socials through video calls.

You can also play online minute to win it games , or improv games for large groups .

2. Do a test run to uncover any bugs

You want your students’ orientation experience to be amazing and, ideally, error-free. While you cannot prepare for every glitch or technological snafu, you can run-through your software and root out any initial bugs. Partnering with your campus IT team to test functionality and security is a good idea. You may also want to enlist upperclassmen as guinea pigs to demo the program and confirm that your o-week is fun and accessible.

3. Proactively accommodate your class

Orientation is a welcome to all students, but not every student will attend a virtual orientation from the exact same environment. When on campus, all students can access the same resources such as computer labs, wi-fi, and the library. You should remain sensitive to the fact that some of your students may face hiccups like unreliable internet access, lack of a quiet or private space, or firewall issues. By encouraging students to reach out with any environmental challenges pre-event and offering support and workarounds, you will ensure that no co-ed misses out on the festivities.

4. Incorporate tactile elements

What I remember most about my own undergrad orientation is the sheer amount of free T-shirts I received. Though your events may all take place online, you can send goodies like school swag, props for online games, books, and snacks to round out the experience.

Freebies are fun, but there are other tactile aspects that can enhance your event. For instance, you may issue a geocaching challenge, invite students to give a virtual hometown tour, or prompt attendees to produce physical objects during online scavenger hunts. Adding elements of touch and movement can make your event more exciting and distinguish the orientation from more routine computer-based activities.

There are many other online orientation tips that can spice up your event, but the advice in this list covers the basics for designing an inclusive and rousing web-based welcome week. For similar pointers, you can check out our post on virtual conference ideas .

Starting college is a significant occasion, regardless of whether instruction takes place in lecture halls or on laptops. With careful planning and creativity, virtual welcome weeks can be momentous.

If you have both remote and live students, then check out this list of hybrid learning activities .

For more suggestions, check out our post on virtual field trips and this one that includes virtual team building activities for students . For work, we also have a list of onboarding books and this list of internship orientation ideas .

FAQ: Virtual Orientation

Here are some of the most common questions and answers about virtual orientation.

What is a virtual student orientation?

A virtual student orientation is a new student welcome week conducted remotely. As online college courses increase, more campuses move o-week activities online.

What are the benefits of a virtual student orientation?

Student bodies are diverse. College attendees often come from many different states and countries. Virtual student orientations give students the opportunity to meet classmates without having to travel to campus. Because online student orientations are more flexible, you can host remote activities before the academic year officially begins, over the summer for instance.

What are virtual orientation week ideas?

Virtual orientation week ideas are ways to engage the incoming class and mark the transition into college. Though the student’s physical environment may not change, online welcome weeks distinguish the start of the school year as a new chapter in the learner’s life.

What are good virtual orientation activities?

Some good virtual orientation activities include scavenger hunts, social media challenges, and online campus tours.

How do you plan a virtual student orientation?

You should start planning a virtual student orientation months in advance. Though you will want to nail down the technical details early, you can continue to plan online events and entertainment in the weeks leading up to the gathering. Your online orientation should offer a mix of academic onboarding, digital university resources, and fun remote social time. When planning, you should create an agenda and determine which events will be mandatory or optional. Be sure to send the schedule to students and faculty well in advance so that all parties can prepare and plan accordingly.

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Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Best Websites for High School Students

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: February 16, 2024

Websites for High School Students

In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, high school students have an unprecedented access to a wealth of knowledge right at their fingertips. Recognizing the immense potential of digital resources to supplement traditional learning, I’ve dedicated myself to meticulously combing through the vast expanse of educational technology websites.

My goal? To curate a selection that offers substantial learning value specifically tailored for high school students. Drawing from my extensive experience in reviewing EdTech tools, I present to you a compilation that not only enhances the academic journey but also inspires a deeper engagement with the material. These websites span a broad spectrum of disciplines, ensuring that students can find reliable, enriching resources regardless of their area of interest.

Websites for High School Students

Here are some good websites for high school students:

The library of Congress

The Library of Congress, home of U.S. Copyright Office, offers a wide range of educational materials and primary source documents including books, recordings, images, manuscripts, maps, and newspapers. 

The mission of the Library is to “to develop qualitatively the Library’s universal collections, which document the history and further the creativity of the American people and which record and contribute to the advancement of civilization and knowledge throughout the world, and to acquire, organize, provide access to, maintain, secure, and preserve these collections.”

The Smithsonian Learning Lab

The Smithsonian Learning Lab offers a diverse collection of resources to help students enhance their learning. These materials include recordings, digital images, texts, art and culture, and more. 

The Lab also provides tools that students can use to upload, adapt, create, and share educational resources with colleagues, teachers, and parents. Students can use the Lab’s search service to search for resources to use in their own learning projects. 

Google Arts and Culture

Google Arts & Culture is another great website for high school students. It provides students access to a huge repository of human knowledge stored in over 2000 cultural institutions from all over the world.

Students can use Google Arts & Culture to take virtual guided tours to different museums and exhibits in the world. They can also search for museums and exhibitions in their vicinity and explore their artwork. 

Other features provided by Google Arts & Culture include games to teach students cultural literacy , museum explorer to explore world museums, today in history featuring major art and cultural events and historical figures, Street View to help you tour famous sites and landmarks, discover artists from all around the world, and many more.

Applied Digital Skills

Applied Digital Skills by Google for Education offers a wide variety of educational resources to help students develop the skills necessary for thriving in and out of school. The site embeds video-based lessons that students can access anytime anywhere for free. 

The way it works is simple: students sign in as learners, once in their dashboard they can then start searching for lessons and begin their learning journey. 

There are over 100 lessons organized into different collections. Students can search for lessons by audience (e.g., late elementary, middle school, high school, adult learners), by digital tool (e.g., Apps Script, Docs, Drawings, Drive, Forms, Gmail, Maps, Meet, AutoDraw, Photos, etc) or by topic (e.g., Art, Business, Math, Science, Social Studies, Study Skills and Organization,  Foreign Language, Financial skills, communication, etc). 

BrainPOP offers a wide variety of educational games, animated videos and activities to enhance students learning and help them develop a better understanding of the world around them. 

BrainPOP’s  materials cover different topics and content areas including science, health, reading and writing, social studies, math, arts and technology. BrainPOP also provides tools ‘that challenge students to reflect, make connections, and engage in deeper, curiosity-driven learning’.

Besides the main BrainPOP, there is also BrainPOP Jr for kids K-3 and offers learning resources that cover STEM, social studies, reading/writing, health, and arts. BrainPOP ELL is for English language learning for students of all ages. It offers educational materials on vocabulary, grammar, listening, reading, and writing.

Prodigy is a free, adaptive math game that integrates Common Core math (1st-7th grade) into a fantasy style game that students absolutely love playing. Prodigy takes game-based learning a step further and provides teachers with a powerful set of reporting and assessment tools that allow them to easily identify trouble spots, differentiate instruction, and better manage classroom time.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy provides students access to a huge library of educational resources that include videos, interactive exercises, in-depth articles covering various content areas such as Math, science, economics, history, finance, and civics. Students can browse lessons by grade and topic.

Each lesson comes with video tutorials and step by step guides. There are also ‘practice exercises, quizzes, and tests with instant feedback and step-by-step hints’. More importantly, Khan Academy uses advanced algorithms to provide relevant learning materials tailored to each learner’s individual levels and skills. 

Brainly is knowledge-sharing platform where students get help with their homework. Brainly resources are crowd-source and students. Answers to students inquiries are provided by members of the site’s community including fellow students, teachers, educators, PhDs, experts, among others. 

Topics covered include Math, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Geography, Arts, Computer Science, Business, Law, Engineering, World Languages, Health and many more. For more similar sources check out best homework websites for students .

Math Homework Tools

This is a collection of some of the best tools to help students with their homework. Students can use them to seek help with their math problems and learn from their peers and tutors. 

Using these tools and calculators, students will be able to access step by step explanations of complex math concepts related to various math topics including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, statistics, and many more. Also, these tools work both on desktop and mobile devices enabling students sync their learning experiences across different platforms.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, as we navigate the ever-evolving realm of educational technology, it’s crucial to remember the core purpose of these resources: to enrich and support the learning journey of high school students. This collection represents just a starting point, a springboard into the vast ocean of knowledge that digital education offers. Whether it’s exploring the rich archives of the Library of Congress, embarking on virtual tours with Google Arts and Culture, or tackling math challenges on Prodigy, these websites are gateways to discovery and growth. I encourage students and educators to delve into these resources, experiment with them in and out of the classroom, and continue to share insights and recommendations.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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Kahoot! stands with Ukraine

Kahoot! is committed to supporting Ukrainian educators and learners affected by the current crisis. To protect the integrity of our platform and our users, we will suspend offering Kahoot!’s services in Russia, with the exception of self-study.

online activities for students ideas

Ukrainian educators and learners need our support

We are deeply troubled and concerned by the violence and loss of life resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine and we hope for the swiftest and most peaceful possible end to the current crisis. 

Kahoot! has received a number of requests from schools and educators in Ukraine requesting the help of our services to continue teaching despite the disruption of the war. We have supported each of these and we are now offering Kahoot! EDU solutions for free for both K-12 and higher education institutions for one year to Ukrainian schools in need. In addition, we are fast-tracking translation and localization of the Kahoot! platform into Ukrainian. 

Suspending commercial services and sales in Russia

Our commercial footprint in the Russian market is very limited. We do not have offices or representation in the country, nor do we have any physical operations or data services there. The overwhelming majority of our users in Russia are teachers and students using our free service.

Kahoot! is abiding by the international sanctions regime, and does not allow sales to sanctioned individuals or entities in Russia. Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kahoot! initiated a process to suspend offering of all commercial services in Russia. This includes but is not limited to online sales, assisted sales, app store sales and prohibiting sales to Russian corporations and organizations.

Prioritizing safe and secure use of the Kahoot! platform

As part of our mission to make learning awesome, and as education remains a fundamental human right, we offer teachers, students and personal users free access to our platform. We do this in more than 200 countries and regions in a spirit similar to public commons services, such as Wikipedia. 

Similarly, inclusivity is one of Kahoot!’s overarching values. As such, our aim is to, whenever and wherever possible, offer children, schools and others the opportunity to use digital tools for impactful education and learning, irrespective of their background or location. This has been our guiding principle also for offering our service in Russia.

Among our first responses to the crisis was to swiftly expand our global moderation team’s monitoring on all Russia-related content to safeguard the integrity of the platform. 

However, as the situation continues to escalate, it is vital that we are able to ensure that our platform is used according to our own guidelines and standards. Therefore, in addition to suspending sales, we will be taking all possible and necessary steps to suspend access to Kahoot! services in Russia, with the eventual exception of self-study mode which will feature only content verified by Kahoot!.

This will enable students, school children and other individual users to continue their learning journeys both safely and responsibly. We will continue to assess ways in which our services can be offered safely and responsibly to support all learners and educators, also those based in Russia. 

Supporting our employees 

At Kahoot!, we are not just a team in name, we are a team in practice. As such, we are committed to the well-being of our employees, especially those with ties to Ukraine, or those that in other ways are particularly affected by the war. We are providing these colleagues with any support we can. 

Acknowledging the current situation, the Kahoot! Group made an emergency aid donation to Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council. This is a contribution to support life-saving assistance and protection for innocent Ukrainian children, families and refugees. 

As the situation in Ukraine continues to develop our teams across the company are actively monitoring the crisis so that we can respond in the most responsible and supportive way possible. 

Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine, their loved ones, and anyone affected by this crisis. 

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BestReviews

Spring break activities for kids to tap into their creative side

Looking for spring break ideas for kids to stimulate their creativity.

S pring break 2024 is officially here, which means that families , college students and anyone else desperately in need of respite will be flocking to the best beaches in the United States. While most are probably looking forward to a breather after a whirlwind year, some people might get that rest at home. 

Spring break for kids means that a week at home is unlikely to be restful or quiet. You might be pondering the best ways to curb boredom and ensure they have a fun spring break. So, we asked Dr. Aimee Ketchum , BestReviews baby and kid expert, how parents can provide spring break activities for kids to help build their creativity skills .

Shop this article: PicassoTiles 100-piece Set Magnet Building Tiles , Curious Baby Playtime Ideas for Baby and Me Cards and Colorations BuildMe Creative Creatures Dough Builders

The importance of creativity in child development

"Creative activities are helpful for child development because creativity can help support a child's executive functioning," Ketchum said. She then defined executive functioning as the ability to have sustained attention to an activity, have flexibility in thinking and demonstrate persistence to complete a challenging activity. "These are all important early developmental skills that will aid children in future learning and academics," she said. 

Allowing children to be creative also encourages emotional development. For example, by coloring a happy face or sad face, they learn to express their emotions before they know the words. Pretend play and imaginative play also help young children learn to play with others. 

The importance of creativity in child development goes on and on. Ketchum also said, "The ability to be creative is a skill that will help with critical thinking and the ability to solve simple problems and think through situations to find solutions. This is an important skill in teaching children to think for themselves." 

How to encourage early childhood creativity

The great news is that it's not difficult to help your child tap into their creative side. Children learn through play , so even when it looks like a fun activity, chances are your child is gaining valuable developmental skills by creating and using their imagination. The two main types of play are free play, also known as unstructured play, and guided play. Parents provide specific creative toys for kids or scenarios with guided play, such as board games , whereas adults do not dictate free play. Playing with arts and crafts supplies , for example, is free play. Both encourage creativity and are essential for child development.

Best expert-recommended creative activities for kids 

Tender Leaf Toys My Forest Floor Open-Ended Tinker Tray

Open-ended play is highly beneficial for children of all ages. This tinker tray encourages children to play at their own pace without right or wrong answers or boundaries. Both the lid and compartment trays are removable, allowing children to express creativity.

Colorations BuildMe Creative Creatures Dough Builders

Clay and playdough are excellent sensory activities and help children be creative and develop fine motor skills. With this bucket of 260 creative dough accessories, children can use their imagination to create an end product.

PicassoTiles 100-Piece Set Magnet Building Tiles

Ketchum recommends magnet tiles that fit together in various ways to help children use their creativity and imagination. It encourages engineering and construction skills that allow children to think logically, plan and use their visual and fine motor skills. 

Curious Baby Playtime Ideas for Baby and Me Cards

Ketchum recommends these creative playtime cards to encourage creativity in babies . They are created and reviewed by pediatricians. Each card promotes one of five key development areas.

Funzbo Arts and Crafts Supplies for Kids

According to Ketchum, sometimes less structure is better since it places no limit on creativity, innovation and imagination. When kids are given the fun materials in this craft supply kit, they can create whatever they want in an unstructured way.

Other top toys to stimulate creativity for kids

Obuby Kids Fort Building Kit

Kids no longer need to make a mess of pillows, lamps and blankets to create an epic fort. This kit has 120 pieces that kids can use to make any fort they imagine, from a castle to a rocket ship. Plus, the pieces are effortless to stick together or disassemble. 

National Geographic Glowing Marble Run

In addition to teaching about motion and aerodynamics, this marble run activity also lets children's imaginations run wild when creating the ultimate maze. For added fun, the marbles glow in the dark as they zigzag through the maze and are quickly recharged with the included ultraviolet light.  

Playz Five-piece Kids Playhouse Jungle Gym Ball Pit

If kids are cooped up for a week, they will have a ton of energy to release. So not only does this jungle gym   ball pit help kids be active, but they can also be creative when combining the tents and tunnels in various ways.

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Tender Leaf Toys My Forest Floor Open-Ended Tinker Tray

IMAGES

  1. 8 Fun Activities for Virtual Learning

    online activities for students ideas

  2. 8 Easy and Fun Back-to-School Online Activities (Part 2)

    online activities for students ideas

  3. 11 Fun Zoom Games & Activities for Secondary Students

    online activities for students ideas

  4. 7 Ways to Make Virtual Learning More Fun

    online activities for students ideas

  5. Zoom Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids

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  6. 10 Online Team-Building Activities and Games for Kids

    online activities for students ideas

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  1. some creative activities done by my students

  2. Game Activity

  3. Govt School Students Activities|| Students Activities|| Kids video

  4. Fun Activity for Kids

  5. Free activities with the kids!

  6. Activities at school and at home?

COMMENTS

  1. 21 Online Classroom Games, Activities & Ideas in 2024

    21 Online Classroom Games, Activities & Ideas in 2024. You found our list of online classroom games. Online classroom games are fun activities that teachers can play with their students over the internet. For example, Digital Scavenger Hunts, Virtual Pictionary and Online Bingo. The purpose of these games is to educate and entertain students ...

  2. 30 Virtual School Activities That Students & Educators Love

    Try these virtual learning games & apps for online learning. Learning outside of the classroom can be easy and fun with these virtual school must-haves. Use these free virtual resources to engage students online and make your virtual classroom feel like home. 1. Prodigy Math Game. Price: Free. The optional Premium Membership provides extra in ...

  3. 15 Fun Virtual Classroom Games And Activities

    Virtual Classroom Games. 1. Quiz Games. Quiz games are a perfect activity for virtual classrooms. All students need is a pen and paper to write down their answers. There are many types of quizzes, but one quiz game that kids and teenagers really enjoy is the 'top five' quiz.

  4. 50 Distance Learning Icebreakers & Games

    Here is a list of 50 icebreakers and games to keep students engaged and motivated during remote learning! Perfect for back to school, these activities also develop important 21st-century skills like communication, creativity, and collaboration. ... Find more ideas here. Guess the Sound: Play a sound and ask students to guess the object. Here is ...

  5. 25 Virtual Classroom Games and Activities

    Reinvent Classic Activities into Virtual Versions. Scavenger Hunt - This game is so simple, you come up with an idea for an object the students should go find and then run back to the screen to share it with everyone. For younger kids, this can work on a certain skill, such as an item of a certain color, a number, or representing a season.

  6. Engaging Online Activities

    These activities can be adapted for use with any learning objective or course format. Sticky notes. In a face-to-face classroom, using paper sticky notes can be a great way to get students to brainstorm quickly. Online sticky notes can similarly encourage students to engage in valuable brainstorming or a process of organizing disparate ideas.

  7. 18 Virtual Classroom Games and Activities

    From Charades to Find the Differences to Draw a Monster, here is a list of fun activities for virtual classrooms. 1. The Survival Game. The Survival Game is a thrilling game that promotes critical thinking and helps students build problem-solving skills. To organize this activity:

  8. 21 Online Classroom Games and Activities Your Students will Love

    This can be a great way to keep students engaged and learning, but it can also be tricky to come up with new ideas for activities. So, as a new school year starts, we've put together this list of 21 online classroom games and activities your students will love! From word games and puzzles to math challenges, we've got something for everyone.

  9. Presence

    Here are some scavenger hunt ideas. To digitize it, simply instruct students to take screenshots or find clues within web pages, rather than taking photos or collecting physical items. 19. Board game tournaments. Get board, not bored. Students can join multiplayer board games through Pogo, Tabletopia, or Poki. Score! 20. Bad joke contests

  10. 12 Engaging Online Games for Higher Ed Classrooms

    12 engaging online games for classrooms. 1. Icebreakers. Source: Poll Everywhere. Works for: Online, in-person, and hybrid classes. The start of a semester can be awkward for both instructors and students. Thankfully, icebreakers can transform a room full of strangers into a vibrant community of engaged, collaborative learners.

  11. 20 Fun Zoom Games for Kids

    17. 5-Second Rule. This fun game gives students 5 seconds to name 3 things that fit into a particular category, such as "Name 3 fiction books" or "Name 3 insects.". Sounds easy, but five seconds isn't much time! Buy the Five Second Rule Jr. board game or get flashcards from Quizlet online for free. 18.

  12. 100 remote learning activities, templates and tutorials

    Some ideas and examples to follow can help. Having some plug-and-play activities to assign students can help, too -- even if you need to adjust them to fit your students' needs. We've got you covered. In this post, you'll find 100 elearning activities, templates and tutorials. They'll help you create elearning activities that lend themselves to ...

  13. 50 Fun Virtual Activities for Elementary School Students

    25 Online Educational Activities for Classrooms. 1. Take a virtual tour of the San Diego Zoo, Easter Island, or even Mars with your class. 2. For a fun virtual science activity, use the games and quizzes at National Geographic Kids to teach your students about animals. 3.

  14. 12 student engagement activities for online learning

    Use the following ideas in your online classes to boost student engagement. 1. Use stories in the online learning process. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to convey an important message to another person. It provides deeper meaning, and context, and brings knowledge and truth to life.

  15. 10 Best Online Teaching Activities for Your Classroom with ...

    Here is a list of more teaching activities and templates you can use during your online lessons. Word webs for learning new words or topics. 5 W's charts for noting down key information during lessons. Lotus diagram to brainstorm around new topics. Star diagram to organizing characteristics of a topic.

  16. 49 Ideas for Online Learning Activities

    The website suggests 49 activities that can be used in either online or hybrid courses, including some creative activities such as Internet Scavenger Hunt, Concept Mapping, Fishbowl, and Socratic Dialogue. Each activity includes a description, examples, appropriate content categories, goals & objectives, prerequisites, materials and resources ...

  17. 25 interactive classroom activity ideas

    Question roulette. If you need to review for an upcoming test, a round of question roulette is a great (and interactive!) way to prepare your students. Have everyone write down a test-related question on a slip of paper. Put all the slips of paper in a container, shake it up, and pass it around the room.

  18. 20 Interactive Classroom Activities for College Students

    This activity exposes students' ideas in a controlled way, prompting discussions that flow naturally. To start, share a list of discussion questions pertaining to a course reading, video or case study. ... 6 team-building classroom activities for college students Snowball discussions . Group size: 2-4 students per group. Course type: Online ...

  19. 60 Virtual Event Ideas For University Students

    The rules for the event are simple: write a 50,000-word novel in one month. Take inspiration from Arizona State University, which hosted a weekly two-hour virtual writing session to help students keep making progress. 51. Peer Facilitators Group. This group is the student version of guidance counselors.

  20. 17 Fun Interactive Games For Students in 2024

    To help you engage students in the classroom, here is our list of the best interactive classroom games for students. 1. Hangman. Hangman is a fun and interactive game for students, which you can play in the classroom or online. When playing in the classroom, you will need an interactive display or a whiteboard.

  21. How to create engaging online and at-home learning activities

    Synchronous online learning occurs in real time, with both the teacher and students logged in and online at the same time. This allows the teacher to interact with the students in a shared virtual space. Methods of synchronous online learning include video conferencing, teleconferencing, live chatting, and live-streaming of lessons and lectures.

  22. 75 Must-Try Virtual Event Ideas For College Students

    25 Professional Virtual Event Ideas For College Students. 1. Webinars and Workshops: Host educational sessions on various topics, bringing in industry experts as speakers. Encourage audience interaction through Q&A sessions and polls. The topics you can do these on are virtually endless.

  23. 17 Best Virtual Orientation Ideas for Students in 2024

    3. Online Office Games. Competition gives groups a shared sense of purpose and strategy provides strangers with talking topics. You can build bonds and crown champions during virtual frosh week with spirited rounds of Online Office Games. Despite the name, the game does not have to be played exclusively by coworkers.

  24. Best Websites for High School Students

    Google Arts and Culture. Google Arts & Culture is another great website for high school students. It provides students access to a huge repository of human knowledge stored in over 2000 cultural institutions from all over the world. Students can use Google Arts & Culture to take virtual guided tours to different museums and exhibits in the world.

  25. Kahoot! Quiz games

    Kahoot! Quiz games is designed to help kids develop new skills such as literacy, numeracy, social-emotional and cognitive skills, and an opportunity to use their thinking skills in different contexts and apply what they've learned in multiple ways.. Different levels of complexity make it as accessible for beginners as for children who require multi-step thinking and complex reasoning - all ...

  26. DIY Super Mario Party with Obstacle Course

    5. Fight Bowser During Your Mario Obstacle Course. The Bowser Run- This was the grand finale, and well worth the price of admission! I made my husband, Danny, a Bowser shell to wear, and the boys were given 4 fireballs as weapons to use against Bowser to get past him and make it to the flag finish line.

  27. Spring break activities for kids to tap into their creative side

    Parents provide specific creative toys for kids or scenarios with guided play, such as board games, whereas adults do not dictate free play. Playing with arts and crafts supplies , for example, is ...

  28. Activities

    Students will identify and critique population-based approaches to address health disparities and bring about social justice in health. Students will learn through lectures, small group exercises, written assignments, and an independent project that examines a contemporary population health issue. Student outputs