Games, Quizzes, and Emoji Challenges: Free Ideas for Online Lessons

I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase engagement without breaking the bank… well, actually, I only want free tools, haha! Online lessons can sometimes feel a little… flat, especially when students are shy or distracted. But the truth is, participation doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. With the right activities and tools, students can stay focused, feel motivated, and even have fun while learning.

Students are more willing to join in when participation feels safe, low-pressure, and enjoyable. Combining interactive tools with short, meaningful activities helps learners stay confident throughout the lesson. The trick is to make each activity feel like a mini challenge or game, not another boring task. When students feel like they want to participate, the learning sticks better—and they come back for more!

💡 Tools and Strategies to Try

🎮 Blooket for Interactive Games

Blooket is one of my favorites for turning lesson objectives into quiz games that feel more like play than work. You can create questions quickly or use pre-made sets, and students can compete in teams or individually. I’ve used it for short science quizzes on cell organelles, and it works great as a low-pressure review. Timed challenges or “Tower Defense” game modes make it exciting and competitive in a positive way. Using AI tools like Khanmigo, you can generate aligned questions in seconds, saving tons of prep time. You can watch here how to use Blooket: https://youtu.be/aft3DLxLqFE?

🎨 Canva for Visual Prompts

Canva isn’t just for making pretty slides—it’s a powerful way to make your lessons interactive. You can create slides with discussion questions, mini challenges, or problem-solving tasks. One activity I tried recently is “Guess the Emoji”, where students decode key terms or concepts represented by emojis. For example, an emoji combination like 🧬🌱💡 could represent photosynthesis and DNA. It’s simple, fun, and sparks lots of participation. Canva also lets you make drag-and-drop activities, mini puzzles, or even short “design your own cell” challenges. Visual cues like these keep students focused and provide a reference they can come back to if they get stuck.

🧩 Wordwall for Quick Knowledge Checks

Wordwall is perfect for short, interactive quizzes. Students can match pairs, sort items, or answer fill-in-the-blanks. I’ve used it for photosynthesis and DNA review quizzes, and it’s amazing how it gets even the shyest learners involved. Instant feedback helps reinforce learning immediately and encourages students to try again if they make a mistake. You can even set it up so students race against the clock, which adds a playful sense of urgency without stress. I usually just type in "Wordwall Photosynthesis" and then I get a bunch of activities that I can choose from. You can look here how I use Wordwall : https://youtu.be/aft3DLxLqFE?si=fHCGzdC_pnZqBbXC

🧠 ClassroomScreen for Check-Ins and Brain Breaks

ClassroomScreen has timers, polls, visual cues, and more. I use it to guide participation and keep lessons on pace. Brain breaks are built right in—students can stretch, do a short activity, or even play a mini “spot the difference” slide. I like using it in combination with quick cell organelle identification games—it gives learners a reset before moving to more challenging content. Adding visual timers or countdowns also motivates students to stay on task without feeling pressured. You can watch here how I use ClassroomScreen: https://youtu.be/ThrrKvdNzq4?si=_qJpxQs-eFk6bS-b

📱 Transum and Mathframe for Math Fun

If you teach math, these are must-haves. Transum and Mathframe are free, and students can use them on tablets or phones, making them perfect for hybrid or remote learning. They turn practice into quick, engaging challenges rather than repetitive worksheets. I’ve used them for mini math quizzes, timed challenges, and games that reinforce concepts like fractions, decimals, and algebra. They’re perfect for short brain breaks too—students can do a 5-minute challenge and come back refreshed. Bonus: your own children can use them for practice too!

📌 Padlet for Organizing and Sharing Ideas

Padlet is a digital bulletin board that makes organizing, sharing, and collaborating easy. You can post activities, collect student responses, or create a visual learning wall for your class. They’ve recently added an AI feature that can help generate ideas or questions. You can use it for drag-and-drop activities in English, Science, Math, Geography, or History. I even used a simple habitat activity as a mini brain break, and students loved it. Padlet is flexible and lets students interact at their own pace while still contributing to the lesson.

🎯 Mini Lesson Flow Example
Here’s how I combine these tools for a fully interactive lesson:

1. Start with a Brain Activation: Use a quick Blooket quiz on cell organelles to get students thinking.

2. Visual Engagement: Switch to a Canva slide with a “Guess the Emoji” challenge on photosynthesis terms.

3. Knowledge Check: Move to a Wordwall quiz with matching or sorting tasks to reinforce the content.

4. Brain Break: Use ClassroomScreen for a 2–3 minute “spot the difference” or stretching activity.

5. Independent Practice: Students work on a mini Padlet drag-and-drop activity or Transum math challenge.

6. Wrap-Up: Quick exit poll or reflection question on ClassroomScreen to consolidate learning.

🙌 Putting It All Together
You don’t have to use all these tools at once. Start small—maybe a five-minute Blooket quiz at the start of a lesson, a short Wordwall review, or a mini Padlet activity as a brain break. Even one small activity can make a noticeable difference in participation. Once students see that joining in is easy, fun, and rewarding, they’re more likely to stay engaged in future lessons.

Oh, and since you’re still reading—here’s a little bonus. I created a mini escape room quiz about cell organelles, photosynthesis, and DNA. You can’t move to the next section until you complete the first one, which makes it feel like a fun little challenge rather than just another worksheet. Combining these mini-challenges with fun visual activities like “Guess the Emoji” or habitat drag-and-drop tasks makes online learning playful, interactive, and memorable.

So, what strategies do you use to encourage participation in online lessons? Share your ideas in the comments and help build a toolkit for other educators. Let’s keep making online learning engaging, creative, and—most importantly—fun! 🌟