Getting high school students excited about test preparation can be challenging, but science review games offer a fun and effective solution! By turning test prep into interactive activities, you can help students reinforce key concepts while fostering collaboration and friendly competition.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best teacher-approved science review games that make review day something to celebrate.
Small Group Science Review with Printable Board Games
Board games are a great way to make science content more accessible and enjoyable. With these science review games, students work together in small groups to answer questions, move game pieces, and compete to win.
DNA AND DNA REPLICATION BOARD GAME
This board game challenges students to review key concepts of DNA structure, function, and replication. Players take turns answering questions and encountering DNA-themed action squares, such as “skip a turn” or “move to another square.” It integrates fun facts, visuals, and interactive gameplay to keep students engaged.
All you need is one die (or use a digital die) and something to use as game pieces – I use rocks, crumpled up paper, or whatever I have laying around the classroom.
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DNA Review Game
$7.79
PLATE TECTONICS BOARD GAME
This board game focuses on continental drift and plate tectonics, offering students an engaging way to review how Earth’s plates interact and shape geological features. With action squares and interesting facts, students won’t even realize they’re reviewing for a test!
Just like the last one, all you need is one die (or use a digital die) and something to use as game pieces – I use rocks, crumpled up paper, or whatever I have laying around the classroom.
Both board games require minimal setup and can be completed in 25-35 minutes, making them ideal science review games for quick and effective test prep sessions.
Free DIY Board Game Template and Game Cards
The Free DIY Board Game Template and Game Cards is an excellent test review game, allowing teachers to customize questions and gameplay to target specific topics students need to master. Its interactive, collaborative format encourages students to actively engage with the material while working together to solve problems and answer questions.
- Customizable for Any Subject: Perfect for biology, Earth science, chemistry, or any other science topic.
- Interactive Learning: Boosts student engagement and promotes collaboration through fun, game-based review.
- Low Prep: Simply fill in the editable fields, print, and you’re ready to play!
- Student-Friendly: Encourage students to help create questions for deeper understanding and ownership of learning.
Codon Bingo Game for Protein Synthesis
Bingo games are classic classroom favorites for a reason—they combine learning, competition, and excitement in a format that students naturally enjoy. This particular version, designed to help students review protein synthesis and codon translation, is both fun and effective for test preparation.
After a brief, structured lesson using the included PowerPoint presentation, students dive into the interactive gameplay, translating mRNA codons into amino acids to fill their bingo cards. The process keeps them actively engaged as they apply their knowledge in real time.
What’s Included:
- Teacher guide and lesson plan
- PowerPoint presentation on how to read a codon chart
- Interactive and pre-filled student notes
- Bingo cards and calling cards
- Multiple codon chart options
This low-prep activity is perfect for keeping students engaged and making test prep more interactive. It’s one of the most versatile science review games for biology classrooms.
Modeling the Carbon Cycle Game: A Hands-On Exploration
Turn test prep into an adventure with this interactive Carbon Cycle Game, one of the most engaging science review games for Earth science! Students take on the role of a carbon atom, simulating its movement through seven carbon reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms. They roll a die at each station to see where they travel next, record their path, and make key observations.
As students cycle through the reservoirs, they fill out a data recording sheet, analyze their journey, and answer conclusion questions. This immersive activity helps them visualize the complexity of the carbon cycle and its impact on ecosystems.
What’s Included:
- 7 Carbon Reservoir Station Cards: Visually engaging and easy to set up around the room.
- Student Data Recording Sheet: Students document their journey and observations as a carbon atom.
- Graphing, Analysis, and Conclusion Handout: Students graph their data, diagram the carbon cycle, and answer critical reflection questions.
- 5-Question Formative Assessment: Useful for homework, bell-ringers, or quick in-class assessments.
- Teacher Lesson Plan: Complete with standards, pacing, teaching directions, answer key, and supplemental video links.
This game combines movement, collaboration, and hands-on learning, making it one of the most effective science review games for understanding the carbon cycle. The built-in assessments and graphing activity reinforce key concepts, and with minimal prep required, you can easily set it up and get students engaged!
Guess the Password: A Cell Transport Science Review Game
The Cell Transport Guess the Password Game is an exciting group activity that turns test prep into a fun and interactive experience. In small groups, one student guesses a science term (password) based on clues given by their teammates. When they guess correctly, their team scores a point!
No printing is required—just display the slides on your classroom monitor, and students are ready to play. Each slide includes a built-in timer and sound effects to keep the energy high and students engaged.
What’s Included:
- Teacher Guide for simple setup and facilitation
- Student Directions explaining game rules and play
- 38 Pre-Made Password Slides to get you started
- Editable Password Slide Template for customization
This low-prep activity is perfect for reinforcing key concepts in cell transport and can be customized using editable slides to create your own passwords. It’s one of the most flexible and engaging science review games you can easily implement in any biology classroom.
With its fast-paced nature and minimal setup, this game is a great way to inject fun into your next test review session while helping students retain essential vocabulary.
Interactive Boom Cards®
Boom Cards® offer an interactive and self-paced way for students to review science concepts independently. These digital task cards provide instant feedback, allowing students to correct mistakes and learn as they go—perfect for test prep or reinforcing challenging topics.
One of the key benefits of using Boom Cards® as science review games is that they require no grading or manual intervention. Once assigned, students can complete them on their own, making them ideal for homework, in-class review, or even virtual learning. The cards are accessible from any device, giving students the flexibility to review anywhere, anytime.
With interactive question types like multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and drag-and-drop, Boom Cards® keep students engaged while covering a variety of science topics. The self-correcting nature of these cards ensures that students receive immediate reinforcement, making review sessions more efficient and effective.
Teachers can also track student progress through the platform’s built-in reporting, making it easy to identify areas where additional instruction may be needed. Whether you’re reviewing vocabulary, processes, or complex concepts, Boom Cards® are a powerful tool for making independent study both productive and enjoyable.
You can find my comprehensive collection of Boom Cards® for secondary science here. I also offer a very popular and ready-to-go 100-card deck of engaging Biology Review Boom Cards.
While on the subject of biology test review, I have a whole blog dedicated to getting your kids ready for the EOC.
Online Science Review Games
Online science review games are a great way to engage students through interactive, self-paced learning while preparing for tests. These games provide instant feedback, helping students reinforce key concepts independently or in groups.
Popular websites offering science review games include:
Kahoot!
Engage students with quiz-based games where they compete to answer multiple-choice questions in real time. Kahoot! works great for whole-class reviews, with students answering via their devices as points are awarded for accuracy and speed. Teachers can create custom quizzes or access a library of pre-made ones.
Wayground
Perfect for self-paced learning, Wayground allows students to complete quizzes individually or compete in team mode. Instant feedback and detailed reports help students track their progress. Teachers can create their own quizzes or use ready-made ones from the platform’s library.
Gimkit
This gamified learning platform blends quiz-style questions with a strategy-based game, where students earn virtual currency as they answer questions. Gimkit players can use their currency to buy power-ups, making it both engaging and educational.
Blooket
Blooket offers various game modes, from tower defense to timed competitions, where students answer questions to earn rewards or progress through the game. Teachers can easily host live games or assign them as homework for independent practice.
Plickers
Ideal for classrooms without individual devices, Plickers allows teachers to display questions on a screen while students respond using printable cards. The teacher scans the room with a mobile device to collect and display responses, making it a great low-tech review option.
Wrapping Up: Why Science Review Games Work
Science review games aren’t just fun—they’re powerful tools for enhancing learning and retention. By incorporating interactive and engaging games into your test preparation, you give students the opportunity to collaborate, communicate, and connect with the material in new ways.
These games appeal to different learning styles, combining visual, auditory, and hands-on elements that help students make meaningful connections. Whether students are working in small groups to solve problems or independently reviewing key concepts, science games promote deeper understanding and long-term retention. Try incorporating these science review games into your classroom, and watch your students’ confidence and success grow!
You can find more review games in my shop or on TPT. Do you have any favorite science review games? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
