5 New Ways to Use Task Cards in the Classroom

Task cards are one of those go-to tools that both teachers and students actually enjoy using. Most teachers use them in centers, but they’re way more versatile than that! If you’re only using them for independent practice, you’re totally missing out. Task cards can be used in so many fun and creative ways to keep your students engaged while reinforcing important skills. Don’t worry, I’ve got 5 fresh and easy ways you can use task cards in the classroom. The best part is…you’re students are going to love them!

5 Ways to Use Task Cards in the Classroom

#1 Bell Ringer Task Cards

Task cards are a great option for a bell ringer activity in the upper elementary classroom. A bell ringer is a short task that students begin as soon as they enter the room. Using bell ringers helps to establish a smooth, consistent routine. While students get started right away, the teacher can take attendance or handle other quick tasks before jumping into the lesson.

Task cards are a great fit for a bellringer because of their flexibility. The teacher can choose to use just one or two cards for a quick warm-up or assign a few more if time allows. A simple way to use them is to project the cards on the board or smart screen. Students can respond on sticky notes, in notebooks, or even on their desks with dry-erase markers. It’s an easy, effective way to help students settle in and focus while giving the teacher a moment to get organized.

#2 Task Card Scavenger Hunt

Have some rainy-day energy to burn? When the weather isn’t great or students just need to get moving, a task card scavenger hunt is a fun and active way to keep them learning.

In order to prepare, print then cut the task cards. Next, post them around the school in places where students can easily find them. Each student, or team of students, gets an answer sheet and a clipboard before heading off on the hunt. As they walk through the halls, they search for each task card and record their answers.

Before getting started, clearly explain the rules and expectations for behavior in the hallways. If roaming the halls isn’t an option, you can utilize a large space or even your classroom. Honestly, students just love to get up and move around, adding in the task cards is an easy way to make sure students are still learning.

Personally, I love how this task card activity is completely student-centered.

#3 Task Card Class Games

Looking for a fun way to review or practice a skill? Turn it into a game! The hard part of running a game in the classroom is coming up with the questions. By using task cards as the questions, the hard part is done! Now all you have to do is decide what type of game you want to play.

Here are some fun, low-prep classroom game ideas. Emphasis on the FUN and the LOW PREP!

Football

Project an image of a football field on the board in your room. Divide the class into two teams and have them take turns answering questions. If the student can answer correctly on their own, they move ahead 10 yards. They can ask their team for help and move ahead 5 yards. However, if the team cannot answer correctly, the other team has a chance to “intercept” the ball by answering correctly. Each team continues answering questions until they score a touch down or the other team intercepts the ball. Then it becomes the other team’s turn.

All you need to add is task cards for your questions and something to represent the ball. A magnet works great if you are projecting to a magnetic whiteboard.

Jeopardy

Create your own skills-based Jeopardy game using task cards. After printing out the cards, simply display them on the board in a Jeopardy-style grid and use a sticky note (or dry-erase marker if they are laminated) to mark a number of points on the back of each card. You can also create this reusable library pocket Jeopardy Board from My Joy Filled Life. Simply slide the task cards into the pockets for an easy set-up!

To play, divide the class into teams (small groups of 2-4 works best). The first team calls out a category and point number, then you read the question or task from the task card. I encourage all teams to work on the answer because if a team is incorrect another team can answer and earn the points.

Relay Tic-Tac-Toe

This is a fun game of tic-tac-toe where teams work relay style to create tic-tac-toe. What makes this different from a normal tic-tac-toe game is that there are only 3 of each symbol (X & O). After all 3 are on the board, the game continues by moving symbols around to an empty box. {Check out this video to see how it is played. You can use the same idea without the running.}

Divide the class into two teams. Students will take turns answering, relay style. Read the first task card to the two students in the front of the line. The student that answers correctly first, gets to add or move the symbol for their team and then the next two students in line face off with the next task card. Continue asking questions until one team has completed the Tic-Tac-Toe by getting 3 in a row.

#4 Race Against the Teacher

Race the Teacher is a super fun way to fill 5 minutes or even to review for a test. The idea is simple, but the students love, love, love it! Call on a student to race the teacher. The student looks through the task card stack and chooses one. The student or the teacher reads the card aloud and then race to solve the problem or complete the activity on the task card. The rest of the class cheers on the “competitors.”

Once the task card has been completed, the rest of the class takes on the role of the judge to determine if the task card was completed correctly. This engages the entire class in completing the activity on the task card.

#5 Task Card Test Prep

Test prep season is tough. Tough on the students and tough on the teachers. There comes a point when you just can’t put another reading passage or math practice sheet in front of your students. Task Cards to the rescue!

Task Cards allow students to practice important skills without them looking like standardized test questions. For test prep review, I love using task cards for a variety of skills and concepts and mixing them up. This helps simulate the test where the skills and concepts are all mixed up.

Scoot

A game of Scoot is a fun way to review. If you are not familiar with Scoot, you lay out one task card on each desk (or post them around the room). Each student stands in front of a card and completes the card. Then, when you say Scoot, the students move to the next card and complete it. This continues until the students have made their way through all the cards.

To keep the game moving, I use a timer set to a reasonable amount of time for the task cards I am using. It might be 1 minute or 3 minutes depending on what skill we are doing. However, I always make sure that the task card can be completed within the time given so that it doesn’t cause frustration.

At the end, we review each task card together. I like to have the students to take turns being the teacher and showing how to complete each task card.

Try Scoot for FREE!

Test Prep Game Day

For more test prep fun, create an entire game day using task cards. Incorporate lots of ideas listed above and create a test prep day of review games is just the break from the normal routine that everyone needs.

Math Task Cards for the Entire Year

Here’s some great task card sets to use with any of the ideas listed in this post. Each set focuses on a specific skill or concept. This Mega Bundle covers all of the math standards for the entire year!

Here’s the skills and concepts that are included:

Grab these FREE Place Value Task Cards!

Save these ideas for Later!

Make sure to save this blog to your favorite classroom Pinterest board. You will be able to come back to it when you are ready to implement task cards into your classroom!

Classroom Management, math, Printables, Task Cards, Worksheets