Tag: games

How to Play Shark Bite! A Library Centers Game

Tech Fun In The Library

Are your library centers starting to get a bit stagnant? Looking for new ideas on how to make centers fun and educational? Well, don’t worry, I have you covered. Time to add another fun game to your bag of tricks with Shark Bite! This is a perfect way for students to practice library skills in centers while having fun.

Shark Bite! is a fun card game that is perfect for elementary library centers. The game is similar to Kaboom! but with some more intense action cards to add to the fun. The goal is to get as many cards as possible by naming the book genre of each but some of the cards work for or against the students. If they pull an Octopus card they have to put a card back, an Angler Fish card they switch hands with another player, and a SHARK BITE card means they have to put all of their cards back in the bucket/pile. The library breaks out is excitement when they pull these ocean animal cards and have to give up their cards or switch hands.

How to Play Shark Bite

  • Print out the cards ( I like to use card stock and laminate to make them last) and put them into a bucket or pile.
  • Player draws a card, reads the card, and then chooses which genre that book or story would be placed. 
  • If player gets it right they keep their card. If they get it wrong the card is placed back in the bucket or pile.
  • If a player draws a card with one of the ocean animals they have to follow the instructions for that animal.
  • The game continues until all of the cards are gone.
  • The student with the most cards at the end is the winner.

I have one student act as “Expert” to hold the answer key and make sure everyone is getting the correct book genre.

As you can see, this game can be done with any concept, just switch book genre with one of the other library related Shark Bite! cards.

Secret fact about the game…IT NEVER ENDS. Eventually, somebody gets a Shark Bite! card which means they have to put their cards back in the bucket thus adding to the cards in the bucket over and over again. For library teachers this means students are engaged and learning the full 10 to 15 minutes of the library centers rotation.

Shop for your copy of Shark Bite! here.

Go Fish! Library Centers Game

Tech Fun In The Library

Keeping the library fun and educational can be a challenge. One way to do this is to have a good selection of center activities for students. One of my favorites to give students the opportunity to practice book genres is Go Fish! Book Genre Game. Most of the students already know how to play the classic game of Go Fish! so it is a familiar game that is easy to learn.

Go Fish! Book Genre Game is a great way for students to practice book genres in a fun way. Students get to see and say book genres over and over and as we know repeatedly exposing students to information or skills helps them retain it long term.

How to Play Go Fish!

  • Each player gets 7 cards. 
  • First player will ask one other player if they have a book genre card to match one of theirs. (Do you have Nonfiction with a snake?)
  • If the player has it they give it to them. This is a match and they lay the matched cards in front of them. The player gets to go again. 
  • If the player does not have it they say, “Go Fish” and the first person draws from the pile. If they do not get the card they asked for it is then the second players turn. 
  • The game continues until someone is out of cards. The person with the most matches wins the game.

Shop for your copy of Go Fish! here.

How to Play Kaboom! a Library Centers Game

Tech Fun In The Library

When it comes to teaching elementary library classes I try to keep it fun and educational. One of the ways I do this is by offering library centers activities for students to use after a lesson or on specific days. Students want the fun aspect of library centers and my admin wants me to make sure that it is educational…the solution to both is using games like Kaboom!.

Kaboom! is one of my student’s favorite library centers activities. It can be used to practice book genres, shelf order, and the Dewey Decimal System. When it comes to reviewing or practicing these skills Kaboom! is the answer!

How to Play Kaboom!

Extra perk…Kaboom! is a very simple library centers activity. To set up, all you need is a set of Kaboom! cards and a bucket or some type of vessel to put the cards in so students can’t see them when drawing a card.

 Let’s use Book Genre Kaboom! for the sake of instruction.

  • Students find their place at the table.
  • One at a time, students pull a card out of the bucket. 
  • The student drawing will read the book genre card and then tell the group what genre it is describing.
  • If the student gets the correct answer, they keep the card. If not, they put the card back in the bucket. 
  • The game continues as students take turns playing.
  • If a student gets a Kaboom card, that student puts ALL of their cards back into the bucket. 
  • The student with the most cards at the end of time is the winner.
  • I have one “expert” at the table who has the answer key and can judge whether the students have given the correct answer. The “expert” can rotate in and then someone else will become the “expert”.

As you can see, this game can be done with any concept, just switch book genre with one of the other library related Kaboom cards.

Secret fact about the game…IT NEVER ENDS. Eventually, somebody gets a Kaboom! card which means they have to put their cards back in the bucket thus adding to the cards in the bucket over and over again. For library teachers this means students are engaged and learning the full 10 to 15 minutes of the library centers rotation.

Shop for your copy of Kaboom! here.