What Games Help Kids Review Without Using Screens

Rediscovering the Power of Low-Tech Learning

It’s a rainy Wednesday afternoon. Your child just came home from school clutching a vocabulary list and a science worksheet. They’re tired, you’re tired, and the last thing anyone wants to do is sit at the kitchen table and slog through incorrect spellings and unbalanced equations. You’ve tried screen-based flashcards and educational games before, but now you're craving something else—something quieter, more personal. Maybe even something fun.

You’re not alone. Many parents of 6- to 12-year-olds are looking for screen-free ways to make studying feel less like pulling teeth and more like play. The good news? There's a whole world of simple games hiding in your closet, kitchen drawer, or imagination—perfect for reinforcing what your child is learning at school, no screens required.

Turn Lessons Into Movement with “Treasure Trails”

One afternoon, when my son struggled to remember the order of the planets, I turned our hallway into a solar system. Each room became a planet, and I hid questions or drawing tasks behind doors. He walked the "orbit" collecting challenges and shouting facts to pass through. It was silly, chaotic, and deeply memorable.

This is the power of active learning. Kids remember information better when their bodies are involved. If your child is studying spelling words, try taping letters around the house and creating word-building scavenger hunts. Reviewing geography? Turn furniture into continents and quiz them as they step from one “region” to another.

Movement isn’t just good for memory—it’s also a stress reliever. For kids wriggling with energy after school, combining review with physical play can be a game changer.

Paper Games with a Purpose

Simple paper games—yes, even the ones we loved as kids—can be incredibly effective tools for review. Remember Hangman? It’s a great way to practice spelling and vocabulary. Or try “Jeopardy” on index cards, with categories like Math, Science, or “Weird Facts from Class.” Your child can even help create the questions, reinforcing their understanding in the process.

Another favorite in our house is “Brain Bingo.” Use a standard bingo grid and fill it with facts or problems from your child’s lessons. When you call one out (“A synonym for happy!”), they have to know the answer to claim the square. Prizes can be small snacks or extra bedtime stories, whatever motivates your child.

Need ideas for how to turn a textbook into a game? We wrote about that here.

Storytelling as Study

Children are natural storytellers, and weaving learning into a narrative can be a powerful tool—especially for kids who struggle with memorization. Take a dry list of historical facts and challenge your child to turn them into a story. “Pretend you are a Roman soldier. What do you see, smell, say?” Suddenly, dates and places stick, not because they were memorized, but because they were felt.

One mom I know turns her daughter’s science notes into bedtime tales: “Tonight’s story is about a brave water molecule on a journey through the water cycle.” This kind of imaginative review supports kids with memory issues by anchoring facts to emotion and sequence. (If this is familiar, you might want to read this article on memory challenges.)

Of course, you don’t have to do all the creative work alone. Some apps now turn written lessons into personalized audio adventures—where your child is the hero and their name is spoken in the story. The Skuli app does exactly that, making custom review sessions exciting and screen-free, especially for kids who learn better by listening. (It can also turn any lesson photo into a quiz, if that's more your child's style.)

Board Games with a Twist

Dust off your Uno, your Clue, your Scrabble. Traditional board games offer excellent formats for review, especially when you personalize the content. For example, replace Scrabble tiles with vocabulary words or use Clue rooms to represent units of study. With just a little tweaking, even classics can become sneaky study sessions.

If you want to go old school, create a trivia game together. Let your child design the board (maybe shaped like a snake or rocketship) and add questions from math, science, or language class. Homemade games give kids ownership, which leads to motivation—and that’s half the battle when it comes to reviewing.

Understanding What Actually Helps Your Child Learn

If review time often ends in tears or tantrums, it could be you’re unknowingly working against your child’s learning type. Some kids memorize through repetition, others need pictures, and some need to talk it out in order to understand. Identifying whether your child is a visual or auditory learner can transform your review game approach. We explore how to do that in this guide.

And yes, game-based review isn’t just about fun—it’s about helping kids build autonomy. Giving them tools they can use without always relying on you is a long-term win—for everyone. We explore that process in this piece.

The Game Is Just the Bridge

Their real learning? It happens in those belly laughs when the answer is off, in the pride after they solve a tough question, and in the connection between you. You’re not just helping your child review; you’re showing them that learning can be part of life, not a punishment for it.

If you need more ideas to brighten up your review time at home, check out our full list here.

So tonight, instead of the tablet or another online worksheet, pull out a deck of cards. Let review become a memory—not a task. You’ve got this.