Six classroom games with concentration grids
Once students know the basic exercise, small changes keep it fresh. Each of these takes a few minutes and works with printable grids, the online grids, or both.
1. Partner timer
Pairs share one sheet and one timer. One student searches and touches each number; the other watches the clock and checks the order. Then they swap, with a new sheet. Students stay engaged even when it is not their turn, and checking a partner's order is a scanning exercise of its own.
2. Beat last week's sprint
Run a 30-second sprint, online or on paper with a shared clock. Students count how many numbers they found and write it down. Next week, same size, same length: did the number go up?
3. Projector relay
Put one grid on the board and split the class into teams. One student from each team comes up in turn and points to the next number, then hands over to a teammate. The rest of the team can help by calling out where they see it. It is loud, quick and a good way to introduce grids to a new class.
4. Call and find
Every student has the same kind of grid but a different random sheet. You call a number, and everyone circles it as fast as they can and raises a hand. Because every sheet is different, nobody can copy a neighbor.
5. Evens, odds or backwards
On paper, change the rule: find only the even numbers in order, only the odd ones, or start from the last number and count down. The online game always counts up, so these variations are for printed sheets.
6. Hidden clock
Before a timed round, ask students to guess how long it will take. Then play with the timer hidden (online, set Timer to Hide before you start) and compare the guess with the real time at the end. It is a light way to talk about how time feels when you concentrate.
For repeated rounds on paper, print Schulte tables 4 or 6 to a page so one sheet covers a whole session.