If Charlie had been #Homeschooling full time my family would have would have been excited to find out September 12th is National Video Games Day #NationalVideoGames. When #Homeschooling you can think outside the box like my family did and use Board Games and also Video Games.
I’ve created #HomeschoolLesson plan on Video games for you to use if your studying Video Games because even though Charlie has graduated we should still learn something new everyday and this Lesson Plan will allow us to do that.
National Video Games Day Homeschool Lessons — Turning play into purpose!
September 12th is the perfect excuse to bring video games into your homeschool curriculum in a way that’s both educational and wildly engaging. Here are some creative lesson ideas inspired by EDforTech’s STEM activities and Print and Learn Explorers’ gameschooling guide:
STEM-Focused Game Development
- Coding with Scratch: Use a free lesson plan to teach kids how to build their own simple video game. It introduces programming logic, design thinking, and creativity.
- Physics in Motion: Explore how gravity, friction, and velocity work by designing character movements or game mechanics.
- Math in Game Design: Use coordinates, angles, and probability to build levels or puzzles.
Creative Expression Through Games
- Pixel Art Workshop: Let kids design characters or backgrounds using pixel art tools.
- Cosplay & Character Design: Create costumes or draw characters from favorite games—great for storytelling and visual arts.
- Sound Science: Record or remix sound effects and explore how audio enhances gameplay.
Real-Life Skills from Virtual Worlds
- Resource Management Games: Use games like Animal Crossing or Minecraft to teach budgeting, planning, and strategic thinking.
- Economics 101: Track turnip prices in Animal Crossing to introduce supply and demand.
- Modding for Learning: Modify existing games to learn coding and problem-solving.
Literacy & History Through Gaming
- Video Game History Timeline: Explore the evolution of gaming from PONG to VR.
- Game Reviews & Writing: Have students write reviews or create storyboards for their own game ideas.
- TED Talk Discussion: Watch Kris Alexander’s TED Talk on how video games can level up learning, then discuss or debate the ideas.
If you want to go even deeper? You could build a full week of cross-curricular lessons around game design, storytelling, and digital citizenship. Or just let the kids play—with purpose.
Would you like a printable lesson plan or a themed activity tracker to go with this Lesson Plan leave me a comment with what your looking for and I will get to work on it for you.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
