30 Awesome Games to Play on Zoom with Students 2024

As an online teacher, it is part of your job to make online learning fun, exciting, and interactive for students to make them feel like they are in the classroom. You don’t have to rack your brain on what to do just choose one of these games to play on Zoom with students and you will create an interactive learning session with your students.

With a vast number of awesome features and a friendly user interface, the Zoom video chat app rose to popularity really quickly. It started with connecting family and friends to business people making use of it but the video chat function also allows teachers and students to transition from traditional classroom learning to remote learning from home.

Remote or online learning can be as fun and interactive as classroom learning, the remote style of teaching was never designed to be boring in the first place and also to disrupt the traditional learning style. Doesn’t matter where you are in the world, with a computer or tablet and a stable Wi-Fi connection you can learn whatever you want from any institution in the world.

At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic when business places were shut down and schools too had to follow, remote learning came to the aid of every learner and teacher. With video chat tools such as Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet, students and teachers were still able to interact, pass knowledge, and skills, and have fun.

Others were able to complete and earn their degree through online learning and today we have fully online universities where you can enroll from anywhere in the world to study for degree programs like business, law, nursing, mass communication, etc. There are even free online university courses that students can enroll in and receive certificates of completion.

As the traditional mode of teaching has completely gone online teachers and educators have to keep up with the current trend which also involves making their online teaching fun, exciting, and engaging for students. One of the ways to achieve this is to play games on Zoom with students. In this article, I have curated a list of the best awesome games to play on Zoom with students for teachers and students to have a good time while learning.

ATTENTION: While you have fun playing these games online, we’ve made a list of online colleges that pay you to join their classes.

How do you make Zoom meetings fun for students?

Zoom’s online video chatting platform has served a number of purposes including using it as a remote learning tool for students to learn as if they were in a classroom. However, it is very easy for students to lose focus during remote teaching they can get bored, tired, or not find the class as engaging and interactive as classroom learning.

To make Zoom meetings fun for students, teachers can play a number of the games or other activities listed here with their students to create engaging learning thereby enhancing their learning process.

Why you should consider playing games with your students?

There are many reasons why you may want to consider playing games with your students whether via remote learning or in the classroom:

It boosts students’ motivation and makes them pay more attention
It relieves them of their stress
Boosts class cooperation
Provides students and teachers with new knowledge they also get to learn something new about themselves
Enhances students’ memory
Develops students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills
It helps in controlling competitiveness among students
Learning becomes fun, exciting, interactive, and engaging

As unrealistic as it may seem, virtual learning is our reality now, and with tools like Zoom, teachers can efficiently reach students without physical contact and provide them with quality instruction. To keep your students engaged, give them a short break after working hard, or reward them for reaching a class goal, there are varieties of games you can play with your students via Zoom.

In this article, we have compiled the top awesome games to play on Zoom with students along with instructions on how to play these games with your students, that is, if you don’t already know how the game works. These games will make online learning fun and engaging making your students look forward to a new class.

Games to Play on Zoom with Students

Scavenger Hunt
Follow the Leader
Freeze Dance
First Letter, Last Letter
Memory
Mystery Sound
5 Second Rule
I Spy
Show and Tell
Talent Show
Quick Draw
Guess the Sound
Crossword Puzzles
Category Is…
Charades
Two Truths and a Lie
Drawing on Your Head
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Story Chain
Simon Says
Red Light, Green Light
Muscle Mix
Classic Game of Cribbage
Card Game of Hearts
Zoom In
Fun With Flags
Mafia
Hit It in Five
Logo Quiz
Whose Weekend

1. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt is one of the games to play on Zoom with students and it is designed to help students move around and stretch their bodies after a long time of sitting in front of the screen. To play this game, the teacher tells the student to look for a common household item in the house like a spoon or TV remote, and bring it to the computer screen to show the teacher.

To make the game much more exciting and competitive, set a time frame of 60 seconds then award 5 points to the first student to find and bring the item and award 3 points to the second and third student.

2. Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is another interesting warm-up game to play on Zoom with students. To play, choose one of the students to be the leader and have the leader do their favorite warm-up activities while the other students follow. The other students will copy the chosen leader until it gets to the next leader’s turn.

3. Freeze Dance

Freeze dance is one of the exciting games to play on Zoom with students, it is a “groovy” game and it involves playing fun songs for kids to show off their dance moves. When the music stops, everyone freezes, and anyone still dancing is out and sits down to watch the others.

4. First Letter, Last Letter

This fun game is among the many games to play on Zoom with students and is designed to enhance students’ spelling and vocabulary skills. To play First Letter, Last Letter, the teacher will choose a category, for example, animals. The first player will name an animal like a goat the next player must name an animal that starts with the last letter in goat like a toad. The next player will name an animal that starts with the last letter of a toad and so on.

5. Memory

This fun game can boost your students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills plus it is suitable for all ages. To play the game, prepare a board with random items such as a pencil, ruler, scissors, crayons, plastic bottle, etc. Instruct your students, telling them they have 30 seconds (or an amount of time you think is appropriate) to memorize the items they see and they must not write down a list of the items nor take a screenshot, they must only memorize it by sight.

After 30 seconds, take the board out of sight and remove one item or object away then show it again to your students on the computer screen. Ask your students to name the missing item, the fastest student gets a point. Memory is one of the games to play on Zoom with students to create an interactive, fun remote learning environment.

6. Mystery Sound

Mystery Sound is one of the games to play on Zoom with students to make online learning almost as fun and engaging as face-to-face learning.

The game is a fun activity that tests students’ power of perception and here is how teachers and students can play the game. Move your hand out of sight from your camera and make a sound with something like crumpling a piece of paper or snap your finger and have your students take turns guessing what they heard.

7. 5 Second Rule

In this game, students have just 5 seconds to name 3 things that fit into a particular category, such as “Name 3 writers” or “Name 3 colors”.

Seeking a way to make online learning fun? Or don’t know any games to play on Zoom with students? Try the 5 Second Rule game with your students.

8. I Spy

Don’t know how to make your class interactive and relieve stress off your students? You may want to try I Spy, it is one of the games to play on Zoom with students and make remote learning exciting and vibrant.

I Spy is an interactive game that tests and develops students’ observation skills and here is how it is played. The teacher says “I spy something green” or “I spy something soft” which is in the student’s background, students now have to look around and take turns guessing what their teacher described in their surroundings.

9. Show and Tell

As a teacher, keeping your class fun, whether offline or online, is your responsibility, and from here on games to play on Zoom with students will help you do just that. Fun, interactive classes help students learn better and faster, developing their skills in different areas.

The Show and Tell game is designed to develop and improve students’ speaking and social skills. In this game, you will pick a student and have them share something from home while the other listens you can do it weekly. Add this among the games to play on Zoom with students.

10. Talent Show

Talent Show is one of the games to play on Zoom with students and it is played just as the name says – a talent show presented by each student to their teacher and fellow students. Doing a talent show at the end of a lesson can unlock your students’ potential and talent. Encourage your students to showcase their talent, it could be dancing, singing, drawing, telling stories, showcasing a book they wrote, and so on.

11. Quick Draw

Quick Draw is a game better played by older students, it is an online game that challenges students to draw an item or something else matching the prompt but they have to do it very quickly, often in less than 10 seconds.

Older students get bored and tired easily, adding this among the games to play on Zoom with students and actually practicing it with them would help in reducing their stress.

12. Guess the Sound

Younger students will enjoy this game more but it is suitable for all students ages. In this game, you will ask each student to find an object in their house that makes a sound and have them bring it to their computer but keep it hidden from the camera.

Call on the students one after the other to make their object make its sound and have the other students guess the object they are hiding. This is one of the games to play on Zoom with students to make online learning interesting.

13. Crossword Puzzles

Crossword Puzzles are one of the games to play on Zoom with students and build students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills also suitable for younger and older students. To play this game with your students, share your screen and pull up a crossword puzzle, set a timer and each student can write on a notepad the words that stand out to them. When the time is over, the teacher can call on different students to solve.

14. Category Is…

This is a simple fun game whereby the teacher chooses a leader, that is, one of the students, and has this leader choose a category. Category ideas could be animals, sports activities, song genres, or household items. After the leader chooses a category, each student will now list an item that fits into that category.

You can set a time frame for students to list an item, say 5 seconds, and it has to keep going around. Any student who fails to name an item within the category or wastes too much time mentioning an item is out of the game and will have to sit out and watch other students play the game. The game comes to an end when only one student remains.

The game is suitable for students of all ages.

15. Charades

Charades are usually played offline but they can also be played virtually in a Zoom class by students and teachers. If you have no idea how it works virtually, here’s how…

To start, select a student and give him/her a topic idea, the selected student will then make movements or gestures related to the topic idea the teacher has given them. The gestures or movements made by the student have to meet that topic idea.

While the selected student makes these movements and gestures, the other students will take turns guessing the correct action, the student that gets it right gets to act out the next, and so on. The game improves students’ critical thinking abilities and it is suitable for all ages.

Charades is also one of the games to play on Zoom with students to make learning fun, interactive, and engaging.

16. Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is one of the games to play on Zoom with students, designed to learn more about others and it works even better at strengthening student/teacher relationships, even students get to learn more about one another. It is also a game that strengthens students’ social abilities.

How does this game work?

Each student will list three facts which include two true facts about themselves and a lie, but they don’t say which is a lie or true that is the job of the other students. The other students will take turns guessing which fact is the lie until everyone has a chance.

You may want to encourage students to write down these facts ahead of time so they don’t stumble while stating the facts and make the lie obvious.

17. Drawing on Your Head

This has to be the most exciting game on this list and will have both teacher and students giggling in a few minutes. The game involves naming a common object which you are sure your students are familiar with, students will then proceed to put their whiteboard on top of their head and draw the named item. When they are done with the drawing, they take it off their head and present it to the group.

This game is fun and would cause lots of giggles among students and teachers can add them to their list of games to play on Zoom with students.

18. Rock, Paper, Scissors

Everyone knows rock, paper, scissors, it is a popular game played by adults, teenagers, and kids. Only this time it is done virtually between teacher and students, designed to be challenging. The objective of the game is not to win but to see how long students can stay in the game vs. the teacher.

19. Story Chain

Story Chain is one of the games to play on Zoom with students, it is another engaging game that builds students’ critical thinking skills, and here is how teachers can play it with their students.

Start a story with an engaging hook, such as, “One cold morning, I went to the mall to…” Engage students to continue the story from where you left off. Any student that wants to continue should signify by raising their hands up, and pick a student to tell the next portion of the story, which could be a line or two.

Let it continue until every student has contributed to the story, you can jump back and bring the story to a close if it is floundering.

20. Simon Says

Yes! You can play Simon Says with your students virtually, it is really popular among kids and one of the games to play on Zoom with students. Students will stand facing their computers or tablets and begin the game by calling out actions. Students who fail should sit until the last man standing.

21. Red Light, Green Light

This is one of the games to play on Zoom with students and involves choosing an action for students to copy while using the phrases green, red, and yellow to command the actions. When you say “green”, students repeat the action, “yellow” to slow down the action, and “red” stops the action. Mix up the colors to make the game fun.

22. Muscle Mix

Muscle Mix is also one of the games to play on Zoom with students and is designed to relieve stress. The teacher selects a leader who calls out body parts to touch together. For instance, elbow to knee or hand to foot.

These are the awesome games to play on Zoom with students, you can set a personal schedule or timetable on when to play these games with your students. It could be once a week, twice a month, or however, you feel is appropriate.

Go through the instructions properly with students so they understand the game fully well before starting, so they don’t fall out because they don’t understand it properly. This will, no doubt, make learning fun, engaging, and interactive among students and look forward to your teaching every day.

23. Classic Game of Cribbage

Cribbage Online is an educational and enjoyable card game that is easily transferred to a Zoom setting. While its fast-paced style gives students a challenge, it also promotes critical thinking, math skills, and strategic planning as players strategically discard and play cards to maximize their points while minimizing the points held in their hands.

By playing Cribbage, students can enhance their mental math abilities, develop strategic thinking, and practice decision-making, all while having fun in a competitive and engaging environment.

24. Card Game of Hearts

Card Game of Hearts is a popular game that revolves around strategy and a bit of luck. It encourages planning and decision-making skills as players aim to avoid collecting hearts and the dreaded Queen of Spades. By playing Hearts, students can enhance their strategic thinking abilities, develop logical reasoning, practice risk assessment, and improve their ability to anticipate their opponent’s moves, all while enjoying an engaging and challenging card game. The game has a multiplayer setting, making it a perfect selection for games over Zoom.

25. Zoom In

Zoom In is a cool game that tests your students’ attention during an online class. To play the game, select some pictures that are related to the topic that you are teaching, now zoom in and crop the pictures then display them one by one on the screen for your students to guess what they are. The student who guesses correctly wins.

26. Fun With Flags

This game, Fun With Flags, is common offline but it can be played on Zoom and it is a fun way to teach your students about the flags of different countries. To play the game, divide your class into teams then display the flags of different countries and ask each team to name them. The team with the most correct answers wins.

At the end of the game, everyone is a winner because they have become familiar with the flags of different countries.

27. Mafia

Mafia is an interesting game that can be played on Zoom and gives students a chance to act like their favorite TV detective. In this game, the teacher will choose one student to be the detective then mute everyone’s mics except for the detective and tell them to close their eyes.

The teacher picks two other students to be the mafia and the detective gets three guesses to find the students that are the mafia.

28. Hit It in Five

Hit It in Five is one of the interesting games to play on Zoom. To play, the teacher will choose a category of words and then ask the students to name 3 things that belong to the category under five seconds. The categories can range from insects and animals to fruits and foods.

This is also a great way to keep your students engaged as they learn new things.

29. Logo Quiz

Logo Quiz is a trivia game based on the logos of different companies and it is best played with older students. Show your students a logo and have them take turns guessing which company has the logo. You can encourage them to use their phones to search for logos they are unfamiliar with.

30. Whose Weekend

Whose Weekend is a Zoom game that is best played on Monday morning. To play the game, teachers will ask their students to write down what they did on the weekend and send it as a private message to the teacher.
The teacher will then read the messages out one by one and the class takes turns guessing who did what on the weekend. The student with the most points wins.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of games you can play with students over Zoom. Games are a fun and engaging way to connect with students over Zoom, whether you’re teaching remotely or just looking for a way to keep your students engaged. These games are not only fun, but they can also help students learn and develop important skills.

Furthermore, these games can help students feel more connected to their peers and their teachers, and they can also be a fun way to break up the day. So, when you’re looking for a way to make your virtual classroom more engaging, be sure to try out some of these games. Your students will thank you for it. Have fun and play on!