Several groups have taken the concept of “charity donations” to a whole new level by creating educational games for a cause. These online platforms let players support non-profit organizations while learning and having fun.
On this list you’ll find 3 cause-related games that are accessible to students of English and can therefore be used inside the classroom.
3 Educational Games
1. Free Rice
Free Rice is a free online vocabulary game that donates 10 grains of rice for every correct answer to this site’s endless quiz. It is a non-profit website that supports the United Nations World Food Programme in its fight against hunger. WFP uses the donations from the site to purchase rice locally, both feeding people in need and stimulating local economies.
Freerice has two goals:
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- Provide educational games to everyone for FREE.
- Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for FREE.
You can get your students involved
There are many teachers registered on Freerice who have been using this learning game to teach both vocabulary and the value of helping others in need. Today, you can register up to 39 students on a single email address (which protects the identity of your students by giving them a limited profile without any personal information).
To find out how to register your class go to Freerice.com/teachers.
Once your class is registered, you are good to go! Kids will love the simple game format and will more likely accept the challenge of improving their scores in order to donate more!
Freerice is also very kind to create downloadable certificates and even lesson plans on their website!
Indeed, this is not just your average vocabulary game. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you or your students helped provide. Don’t hesitate to let your students play, learn and rice up against hunger!
2. Answer4Earth
Answer4Earth is another educational game that donates funds based on the number of correct answers. Their quizzes cover a wide-range of subjects from English vocabulary to popular culture. They have a vast collection of questions at varying degrees of difficulty. There are easier questions well-suited for children in grade-school learning elementary subjects and harder questions that will challenge even the smartest people in the world.
How it works
Answer4Earth was founded as a call to action to the people of the world in response to the growing environmental crisis. While Freerice gives you grains, Answer4Earth gives you a leaf for each question you get right.
When you collect enough leaves, they will turn into branches, which eventually turn into a full tree. This is not a fake “virtual” tree. This is a real live tree that will be planted due solely to the fact that you played this game.
Every leaf you earn counts so even if you have time for just a few questions today, don’t worry. If you like playing the game, you can come back anytime until you’re able help plant a full tree, or multiple trees!
How you can donate while playing
Answer4Earth is not asking for your money. When you play the game, advertisements appear above the question area. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to plant trees. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the planting of trees all over the world in a united effort to end Global Warming. They currently split their donations between two non-profit charities, Trees For the Future and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.
You and your students now have the opportunity to jump in and make a real difference. Creating an ID at Answer4Earth is completely optional, and you can play the game as long as you like without ever registering.
So get on it, start playing and save the environment!
3. Free Kibble
Freekibble is an interactive site that asks visitors to answer a brief trivia question about animals. If you go to their website you can answer one question a day and if you get it right or even if you get it wrong, the website donates 10 peices of kibble to animal shelters to help feed their hungry dogs. Yes, right or wrong, you win!
Freekibble has donated over 18 million meals to homeless dogs and cats in shelters and food banks across the country! Today, the Freekibble Network reaches over 500,000 passionate pet-lovers, with over 140,000 daily combined visitors from 157 countries.
Despite having limited questions a day, Freekibble, for me, is still an excellent website that benefits dogs (including cats) and a fun, completely safe place for kids to hang out.
Conclusion
It’s always a great idea to help out the less fortunate especially when you’re learning and having fun at the same time! It is also quite easy to integrate these cool stuff into your class. You can hold tournaments, set class assignments, create an entire lesson such as this one, and many more!
Adam
March 10, 2017 2:55 amThese seem to be legit. I looked into Freerice after playing it for awhile. It’s really fun! I made it to level 45 once, but couldn’t stay there for more than one word. Very challenging!
Sonia Dales
March 10, 2017 2:59 amI love these websites! It’s such a great idea: answer questions, learn and fight world hunger, save the environment or even feed dogs!
Rose Abyssinian
November 28, 2017 11:56 amNice thought.I do have some concern over the GMO rice that the WFP gives to their feeding programs.It seems that this does more harm than good,especially when it is possible to fortify the rice without genetically modifying it.I love the other games though.Fun,engaging,and a great way to have fun,learn something,and help others all at the same time.