Task Card Relay

I was thinking about games in the classroom the other day and had a new (to me) idea. I know I've written this before, but task cards are awesome! Students enjoy them much more than they do completing worksheets. Having one problem on a card vs. 10+ makes them seem less challenging. 

So, here’s an idea to try: 

Divide students into group of 4-6. On a large table (or on the tray under a whiteboard) set up stacks of task cards. Put enough task cards in the stack to make sure each student in a group will be able to have one. If there are 4 students per group, set up stacks of 4 task cards. Then, have students stand in rows (separated by group). Count to 3, and on the first students quickly walks up to the board, grabs the top task card, and solves it. Once they finish, they tag the next person in their group. That student grabs a task card, solves it, then tags the next person.

If the task cards are on a subject students are struggling with, have groups of students team up so that 2 students are working on each task card problem.

The first group to complete their task cards CORRECTLY wins!

*Task cards with QR Codes would work perfectly because rather than scanning an answer sheet to see if students have the correct answers, the teacher (or teacher assistant) can scan the cards and see if answers match.

The hard part of playing games like this where students need to be quick to win, is that some students are just slow. I always try to make sure each group has an even number of slower students, and I try to make sure those students are the first in their group(s) to go, so that they aren't left at the end, embarrassed and sad that their team didn't win.

What do you think of a “task card relay”? Do you play games where students race each other to complete problems in your classroom? How do they work for your students?

~In other totally unrelated news, I woke up this morning, checked out the weather via my weather app, and thought about crawling back into bed and letting my daughter skip school today when I saw the temperature was 23°*gasp* 

 I mean, it's only November. Here in AL it Jan & Feb. are out coldest months. We live down South to avoid the cold. Brrrr.....Anyone else freezing today?

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