Adding STEM and STEAM Games to the Classroom
Written by: Liza Gresko, Mom and PR Specialist at Moss Tucker Group
In today’s classrooms, educators are tasked with equipping students not just with facts and figures, but with the tools to think critically, collaborate creatively, and adapt to an ever-changing world. That’s where STEM and STEAM education comes into play, and at SimplyFun, we believe games are one of the most effective (and fun!) ways to bring these concepts to life.
Whether you’re an educator in the classroom or at home, incorporating STEM and STEAM games into your lesson planning can help your students make meaningful connections while having fun.
What’s the Difference between STEM and STEAM?
This “trendy” term has some real weight behind it! The U.S. Department of Education defines STEM as an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This approach emphasizes student-centered learning, encourages curiosity, and focuses on developing skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. The Department of Education also highlights the importance of STEM education for preparing students for the 21st-century workforce.
STEAM, on the other hand, adds an important element: Art. The “A” in STEAM represents creativity, design, and imaginative thinking: key ingredients in innovation and problem-solving. With the inclusion of the arts, STEAM encourages students not only to understand how things function, but also how they can express their ideas, visualize solutions, and create something new.
In short:
• STEM is about analytical and technical thinking.
• STEAM blends logic with creativity to solve complex problems in innovative ways.
Why Games Work in STEM and STEAM Education
Learning through play has long been considered one of the most effective, if not the most effective, form of education in young children. A recent article in Forbes covered a research study by experts at Cambridge University in which they concluded that children learn more through ‘guided play’ than from teacher-led instruction.
“A play-focused approach to learning, where children are allowed to explore at their own pace, was found to be just as effective as traditional teacher-led methods in teaching literacy, numeracy and thinking skill.”
And when it came to some math skills, guided play was actually more effective than other approaches, at least up to the age of eight.
Games offer a hands-on, experiential way to engage students in STEM and STEAM concepts. When students play, they naturally explore, test, experiment, and reflect. Concepts may become easier to understand if you are actually using them in an imaginary game or playful context.
By using games in the classroom, you can:
- Foster collaboration and teamwork
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Reinforce key academic standards
- Support diverse learning styles
- Create a positive, low-pressure learning environment
To support these efforts, we are spotlighting some of our favorite STEM and STEAM games for children to learn through play in the classroom or homeschool.
Top STEAM Game That Boosts Creativity
Asymbol
3-6 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Is it a bird? Is it a penguin? Get creative! Use 47 wooden shapes to build 3D forms based on cards showing things, beings, places, or events. Others guess what you're creating to score points. Craft well to help others make a correct guess!
Asymbol is good for developing creativity skills as each player imagines ways to use the various shaped pieces to create the chosen subject from their card with the goal of getting the other players to guess it correctly. It’s also a super fun way to help students with Spatial Reasoning Skills.
Classroom Tips:
-When starting the game, determine how many rounds to play before the game ends. A round ends when each player has had the chance to be the assembler.
-The first player to name a shape starts as the first assembler.
-Make sure the assembler can reach the pieces and has enough space in front of them.
Best STEM Game for Teaching Kids Coding Concepts
Team Digger
2-4 players • 30 min • 6 & up
This cooperative game lets players learn early coding skills while trying to dig up all the bones before the other hidden items. Using five cards at a time, players choose dig sites they want to move to, and plan how best to navigate their puppy pawn there. Players work together sharing their cards to make the ideal sequence.
This game is a super fun way to introduce coding skills at a young age through sequencing. Team Digger also helps develop Spatial Reasoning Skills as players examine the board to figure out the best path for their dog pawns to reach their selected dig sites. This best-seller is also a 2023 Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award Winner and was featured in their 45 Best Board Games for Kids in 2024.
Classroom Tips:
-The object of Team Digger is to play together cooperatively, with each player creating a five-card sequence. Players form step-by-step instructions to guide their dog from one dig site to another, digging up what is buried there. Players win as a team when they find all four bones before they dig up five of the unwanted object.
-If you are playing with younger kids who need some help or wish to elect a team leader, make sure that you take turns, letting others take the lead so they can learn and understand too.
Best STEM Game for Solving Real Problems
SavannaScapes
2-5 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Explore the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem and its incredible wildlife! This strategic game has players create ecosystems by matching animal tiles with their habitats. SavannaScapes is good for developing knowledge of ecosystems as players learn about the different habitats of the Serengeti-Mara region and how the animals, plants and environmental events interact with each other.
This immersive game also helps players work together to solve real problems that are going on in the world. Strengthening their strategy skills as they move around the play area choosing animal, plant, or event tiles to score points and build their ecosystems. Players learn about the importance of a balanced ecosystem and how to improve their strategic and critical thinking skills.
Classroom Tips:
-Once placed, you can’t move or rotate the event tile, so place them carefully!
-Use the tracker and pawn to keep track of the number of rounds you’re playing.
-The number of players determines the number of rounds you’ll play.
-Give your students ample space on the table (preferably round) to make their decisions and place their pieces.
Best STEM Game for Developing Spatial Reasoning
ByPass
2-4 players • 25 min • 8 & up
This epic road trip relies on your spatial reasoning and planning skills to build bypasses and find the smoothest routes. Swerve through twists and turns, leveraging traffic cones to elevate your adventure! Players will be tasked with keeping track of multiple route options across many tiles as the game progresses. They’ll also need to be able to reassess those routes as bypasses are played.
ByPass also helps develop Planning skills. Players will have to plan a route over many turns, trying not to make their goal clear to the other players. At the same time, they’ll need to predict what their opponents will do and protect their own routes accordingly.
Classroom Tips:
- Assemble the game board and place it in the center of the table.
- The most common action in the game is placing a tile. Simply choose any one of your four roadway tiles and place it on any open green square of the game board.
-There are start and end zones in four different colors around the board. Each player should choose a different color and sit near a zone of that color.
Tips for Adding STEM and STEAM Games to Your Classroom
1. Use Them as Learning Centers
As STEM and STEAM play such a vital role in today’s curriculum, a designated corner of your classroom for STEM/STEAM exploration would showcase its importance. Rotate games when you can to keep things fresh and interesting. We offer School and Business Purchasing!
2. Incorporate Games Into Lessons
Any of the games we recommended above can easily be paired with existing math or science curriculum. Start a lesson and then connect the concepts with a round of a game to tie it all in.
3. Encourage Discussion
After you play a game or two, have students write or draw what they learned. For example, “What strategies helped you score the most points while building your ecosystems?” or “What surprised you about creating routes for driving in Bypass?”
4. Inspire Teamwork
Many of SimplyFun’s games are collaborative, which is ideal for building communication and teamwork skills. Assign roles like “timekeeper,” “recorder,” or “narrator” during group play to give everyone a part.
5. Link to Real-World Concepts
Relate game content to real-life careers and applications that they, too, could be interested in when they’re adults. Discuss some professional roles that use STEM and/or STEAM skills as part of their daily responsibilities and tasks.
By incorporating STEM and STEAM games into your traditional lessons, you’re not taking a break from academy lessons, you’re actually helping to further reinforce the concepts you’re teaching and achieving the goal of learning through effective (and fun!) gameplay.
Playing with games is an extremely powerful tool to relay various concepts and to achieve practice in teamwork.
Remember, when you hand your student a game to play, you’re further helping to build the next generation of thinkers, makers, and innovators.
More on the Blog:
Cool Math Games That Encourage Less Screen Time
Aspirational Play Can Help Kids Explore STEM