Trashketball is a super fun, active review game that combines learning with a little competition and movement. It’s a hit in elementary classrooms because it gets students engaged and excited about answering questions correctly.
💥 How to Play Trashketball
What You Need:
Review questions (from any subject)
Small trashcan, bin, or box
A soft ball or paper ball (you can crumple up paper)
Tape to mark a shooting line on the floor
Scoreboard (whiteboard, paper, or projected slide)
🏀 Setup & Basic Rules:
Divide the class into 2–4 players per team.
Ask a review question to one team at a time.
If they answer correctly, they get a chance to shoot the ball into the trashcan for extra points.
Example: 1 point for the correct answer + 1 bonus point if they make the shot.
Repeat after each round. 
Students will answer the questions on whiteboards. Go around to check to see the answers put the points up and a player from each team to answer correctly has a chance to earn bonus points if they make a shot.
⭐️ Tips for Elementary Teachers
1. Set Expectations First
Review behavior rules (no running, yelling, or distracting others).
Make sure students know it's about learning and having fun—not just winning.
2. Use Visuals
Project questions on the board or use task cards so all students can follow along.
3. Make It Equitable
Let each team work together before answering so everyone feels involved.
You can give different students a chance to shoot, not just the most athletic ones.
4. Use Tiered Questions
Offer different difficulty levels: “2-point challenge” for harder questions, “1-point safe zone” for easier ones.
5. Get Creative with the Court
Use different “shooting lines” for more or fewer points.
Add “bank shots” off a wall for fun challenges.
6. Incorporate SEL
Compliment good sportsmanship and teamwork.
Pause for a “mindful moment” if energy gets too wild.