Gamification

Goodbye lectures. Hello accelerated, brain-based learning, where the goal is to create an active, participatory learning experience. Customize interactive, educational games to your content and make learning more memorable and effective. It's true that training games are most effective when they’re closely tied to your content. That’s why Trainers Warehouse’s game supplies can all be tailored to the unique needs of your classroom, your learners, and your teaching style. 

  • Answer Board, Marker, Eraser - THUMBNAIL

    Answer Board, Marker, Eraser

    WBOABME

    $6.50 $5.00
  • Diversity Thumball

    Diversity Thumball

    BLTHAD6

    $31.95
  • Helium Stick & Facilitation Notes

    Helium Stick

    GAMEHLM

    $42.95
  • Getting to Know You Thumball

    Getting to Know You Thumball

    BLTHAG6

    $31.95
  • Large Mesh Bag; lime green

    Large Mesh Bag

    BLTHABAG

    $8.99
  • Icebreaker Thumball

    Icebreaker Thumball

    BLTHBK6

    $19.99
  • Pipeline Challenge by Trainers Warehouse

    Pipeline Challenge

    GAMEPIPE

    $42.95
  • Session Openers Thumball

    Session Openers Thumball

    BLTHAS6

    $31.95
  • UNZiP-it! Remote w/ Diversity Prompts - THUMBNAIL

    UNZiP-it! Remote w/ Diversity Prompts

    BLZPREMD

    $19.95
  • Be a Leader Thumball

    Be A Leader Thumball

    BLTHAN6

    $31.95
  • Get Happy at Work Thumball

    Get Happy at Work Thumball

    BLTHAJ6

    $31.95
  • What Makes You You? Thumball -thumbnail

    What Makes You You Thumball

    BLTHAM6

    $31.95

LEARNING GAMES FAQ

  • To be honest, much of the content is the same. We heard from trainers that some were reluctant to start throwing balls around the room; others simply wanted a quieter vibe. So we re-visioned the Thumball activities as "UNZip-It" activities, where players can pick a card, read the question, and speak freely. Next, we made the content usable to online groups through both our UNZiP-IT Remote PowerPoint Decks and the Trainers Exchange, where users will have access to all the conversation prompts for one low annual subscription.
  • Dry-erase answer boards, give every participant a voice and let every participant answer your questions. Trainers and teachers are able to gauge the entire class and see how well the whole group is doing.

    Game show buzzers are unequaled in their ability to create a playful, exciting learning environment. The lights and electronics dazzle learners. Competitions spur engagement and team spirit, which is likely to remain with players long after a learning game. Their only downside possible is that they may limit the number of active players. In response skilled facilitators adapt their method of play to include the greatest possible number of players. Some choose to use phone-based buzzer apps like Meridia's CloudVote that allow every player to answer every question.
  • Game shows having too many teams can be frustrating because the teams will have a hard time accumulating points. Game show experts, suggest that you limit the number of teams to 2-4. These formats can allow you to involve more people in the game:
    • Play in teams
      • Have multiple players gather around a single buzzer pad. Trainer Warehouse buzzers are made to sit on a table, rather than being handheld, so that several team members can easily reach the pad.
      • Form a line for each team. The teammate at the head of the line has a chance to answer the team's question.
      • Allow teammates to consult one another before answering.
    • User buzzers that block-out previous responders
      • Some buzzers allow EVERY participant to answer, each time the buzzer system is reset. Me First! Game Buzzers will let you block previous responders until everyone has had a chance to answer a question.
    • Employ "ask the audience" or "ask a friend" techniques.
      • You can use this either before the player submits their answer
      • Or, you can use this method to see test if the answer is correct. If the answer is wrong, but the audience agreed with the answer, award the points, and note the learning opportunity.
  • Who's First? is best for:
    • 6 or fewer teams.
    • Energy and excitement created by light tower
    • Random selection mode (toggle to choose one of the six team colors at random).


    Me First! is best for:
    • Downsize or Upsize for larger or smaller groups (operate 2-30 buzzers from a single facilitator pad).
    • One buzzer for each player.
    • Ability to block out previous responders.
    • Keep track of the buzzer that got the most right (or wrong) answers.
    • Integrate with select game show software programs.
  • It's a little confusing to Jeopardy-style games because the game board shows "answers." Players are challenged to respond with the "question" that would yield that answer. For example:
    Suppose the category is IMPORTANT DATES.
    The game board shows (ANSWER): February 11, 1731
    The correct response (QUESTION): What is George Washington's Birthday

    These are the basic steps for playing a categories game show in the style of the popular Jeopardy® game shown on TV:
    • Choose a team to start. It's best to choose a team randomly.
    • Ask that team to select a category and point value.
    • Read the “answer” shown on the game board
    • Have players “buzz-in” when they know the correct response. [NOTE: Using a buzzer system like Who’s First? or Me First! makes this easier on the facilitator and less frustrating for the players].
    • Ask the first to respond to share their response
    • If they responded correctly, add points to the players point tally; If they replied incorrectly, deduct the points accordingly.
    • If the answer was incorrect, you might want to give the second-to=ring-in an opportunity to respond. Reward points accordingly.
    • Whoever answers correctly can choose the category and point value for the next round of play.
    • Continue until all questions are answered or time runs out.
    For more ideas on playing a traditional Jeopardy®-style game, click here: Jeopardy-like Games Facilitation Tips

    In learning settings, you might want to alter they organization and set-up of the game to involve more players. To do this, you might:
    1. Create teams and have one buzzer at each table or give each player their own buzzer (but still score the game as teams).
    2. Play a feud-style game where just two teams face off against each other. For each question, have a different team member buzz in.
    3. Don't score the game at all, during the first round. Just get a sense of what people know and make it fun to learn new material.
    For more tips on staging dynamic game shows using the Me First Buzzer System, explore this article: Me First! Inside and Out

TRAINERS WAREHOUSE FOR ALL YOUR TRAINING NEEDS

Teachers and trainers continue to jump on the gamification bandwagon, making learning more fun and effective with interactive, educational games. Whether you’re looking for game buzzers, conversation starters, response boards, or teambuilding games, Trainers Warehouse has you covered. Adapt each tool to your groups’ unique needs and your content. All of the tools and game supplies we curate and sell on our website seek to help you build participation and engagement. We want you to be the teacher they remember!

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AT TRAINERS WAREHOUSE

Mike (a.k.a. dad) was 56 years old when he started Trainers Warehouse in his basement. He was tired of his headhunting job and looking for a new challenge. He had an idea for a cool product that would make office cubicles more friendly and tidy – picture frames with VELCRO brand fasteners that would adhere to fabric walls. One day, he got two of his largest-ever orders. When he found that both customers planned to use the frames for training course completion certificates, he set out to find more products for trainers. That’s what we’ve been doing for over 30 years now—finding products that trainers will love; products that make their job easier and more fun; products that make them look like stars without busting their budget. Dad passed in 2010, but I know he’d be proud to see us carrying on his vision! Read more...