Games for Teaching About Careers

Along with learning the necessary skills to enter a career, school age children must also learn about a variety of careers so they can make an informed choice as to what they might want to become. Teachers can educate their students by engaging them in games. These games enable students to learn while they play, making learning about careers a joy.

Create a version of the game “Memory” by typing or writing the names of careers on large or small index cards. In print media or online, find pictures of an individual performing these careers, and size the pictures to fit on large or small index cards. If the photos you find are too big to size down to a 3-by-5-inch index card, then use 4-by-6 inch index cards. Use the same size of index card for photos and the names of careers. Print or cut out the photos and glue them on the index cards. Mix the career name and picture cards together. Place the index cards face-down in front of the students. Allow the students to take turns turning up two cards at a time. If the student turns up a career name and a matching photo, that student keeps the pair. If the student turns up cards that don’t match, the student must turn the cards back over and try again. Continue until there are no more cards on the table. The player with the greatest number of matches at the end of the game wins.

Build student knowledge about an array of careers by creating a "Who Am I?" career challenge. To prepare this activity, select 10 different careers. Think about what are the job duties of each career, and write a riddle for each. Make your riddle vague enough as to not be overly obvious, but specific enough so that students can successfully deduce the answer. For example, you could write: “In my job, I work with lots of children. Sometimes we play games, but most of the time we work hard. I work hard, and I enjoy what I do.” The answer is, of course, a teacher. Read the riddles to the students one at a time. Allow the students to raise their hands if they have a guess. Reward the students who guess correctly with a piece of candy or other small token.

Allow your students to mingle while engaging them in a "What Do I Do Again?" game. To prepare, write an assortment of different careers on index cards. When the students arrive in class, line them up and tape one index card to each student's forehead without letting that student see the job listed. Once all the cards have been taped to the students’ foreheads, let them mingle. Tell the students to walk around the room and talk with their friends, and ask yes-or-no questions that might help them figure out the careers on their cards. Have the students raise their hands when they think they know what their cards say. Reward the first several students who determine which career is on their card.