ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH Game Challenge

Dre' Helms
October 14, 2025

Choosing Your Own Path Through Play and Design

Student choice remains a hot topic in education and for good reason – students who have a say in how they learn become more invested in the process and take greater pride in their work. However, as educators who are already juggling a lot, it can be challenging to figure out what that could actually look like in your classroom.

That’s why this month’s Activity of the Month, Game Challenge, is a great way to bring student choice to life in any grade level classroom—easy to facilitate, fun for students, and packed with real learning. In this project, students take the lead in designing their own educational game—choosing the format, identifying their audience, and deciding how best to bring their ideas to life. Along the way, they apply real-world skills like design thinking, empathy, and problem-solving, while discovering that learning can be creative, fun, and completely in their hands.

What the Activity Looks Like

Students begin by researching their audience—asking themselves, Who is this game for? What do they need? What would keep them engaged? From there, they design and build a prototype. Some may create board games with dice and cards, while others design digital experiences or even physical games that use sports equipment.

The project doesn’t stop at prototype creation. Students pitch their games in ways that best suit their strengths—through a live class presentation, a gallery walk, a video pitch, or even a test run with real players. Each step reinforces that their choices matter, and their voices have value.

Why It Matters

Game Challenge brings Empowered’s Foundational Principles into play:

INTEGRITY Designing games with honesty, fairness, and respect for the players
WIN-WIN FOCUS Creating games that are fun while also helping players learn
FREEDOM Choosing the type of game, format, and audience that excites them
KNOWLEDGE Applying content they’ve studied in a way that requires mastery and creativity

Most importantly, this activity highlights student voice and choice. When students choose their path in our Activity of the Month Game Challenge, they see firsthand how their decisions shape outcomes—an essential skill both in the classroom and beyond.

Educator Spotlight: Amanda Hutchison, Kentucky

For Kentucky educator Dr. Amanda Hutchison, Ed.D., Game Challenge is a favorite because of the way it sparks ownership, joy, and choice in her students.

“I have modified this lesson for two different classes,” Amanda explained. “In Sports Marketing, students had a sponsor and had to create a game around that sponsor. We all had a blast playing the games outside—it’s one of my all-time favorite lessons because of the leadership, communication, and pure joy of learning it created. What I loved most is that my Sports Marketing students, who always need to be active, were able to move and learn at the same time.”

She also adapted the activity for her Intro to Business and Entrepreneurship class during final exam review week, when students grew tired of playing the same common review games in other classes.

“Each group designed a review game and then presented it to another group. They basically played each other’s games as a way to study,” Amanda said.

Amanda has even seen students carry the activity across classes, asking to repeat it in new ways. “When students own their learning, it’s sticky,” she shared. “Activities like the Game Challenge give opportunities for ownership, and I embrace every chance to give them that.”

Tips for Implementation

Provide examples of different games (board, digital, physical) to spark inspiration.
Give students freedom in how they pitch their ideas—presentations, videos, or gallery walks.
Consider inviting in a “test market” (younger students, peers, or community members) to play and give feedback.
Use the activity as an alternative assessment, letting students show mastery in a creative, student-driven way.

Choosing Their Own Path

At its heart, Game Challenge is about letting students step into the driver’s seat. They choose their path, own their ideas, and discover just how powerful their creativity can be. This month, give your students the chance to learn not only through play—but by using their voice and choice to design meaningful tools that spark learning for themselves and others. When students chart their own path, the learning truly sticks.