Periodic Table Guess Who: A Fun Chemistry Game for Kids

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The periodic table is a lot more fun when you turn it into a game! This Periodic Table Guess Who game turns the 118 elements into a chemistry guessing game. Players secretly choose a mystery element and then take turns asking yes-or-no questions to figure out their opponent’s element.

Is it a noble gas? Is it in Period 3? Is its atomic number greater than 50?

Each question eliminates more possibilities until you’ve narrowed the entire periodic table down to one mystery chemical element.

It’s part chemistry practice, part logic game—and a fun way to help kids become more comfortable using the periodic table.

See Also: My viral Periodic Table Battleship game! 

A Fun Way to Learn the Periodic Table

The periodic table can look pretty overwhelming when kids first see it. There are 118 elements packed into all those little boxes, along with numbers, symbols, colors, groups, and periods.

Instead of simply memorizing all that information, I love giving kids a reason to use it.

While playing this periodic table game, kids will naturally practice:

• finding element names and chemical symbols
• comparing atomic numbers and atomic masses
• identifying groups and periods
• recognizing different categories of elements
• noticing patterns in the periodic table
• asking strategic questions and using logic to eliminate possibilities

The more familiar they become with the periodic table, the better their questions become!

Free Printable Periodic Table Game

I created a free printable Periodic Table Guess Who game that includes everything you need to play.

The printable includes:

• a full-color periodic table game board
• labeled groups and periods
• a color-coded element category key
• a How to Read the Periodic Table reference page
• complete game instructions

The reference page explains groups and periods as well as the atomic number, chemical symbol, element name, and atomic mass. This makes it easy for kids who are still learning how the periodic table works to join in.

Print two copies of the game board—one for each player. (Download below.)

I recommend laminating the boards or slipping them into dry-erase pockets so you can play over and over again.

How to Play Periodic Table Guess Who

This is a two-player game.

Each player secretly chooses a mystery element, writes its name or symbol on a small slip of paper, folds it up, and places it in the middle of the table.

I especially like having players write down their elements before starting. There’s no mysteriously changing your element when your opponent gets a little too close to the answer!

Keep your game board hidden from your opponent. We used clipboards, but a binder, book, file folder, or other privacy shield will work.

Players then take turns asking one yes-or-no question about their opponent’s mystery element.

For example:

• Is your element in Period 3?
• Is its atomic number greater than 50?
• Does its symbol have two letters?
• Is it a transition metal?
• Is it a noble gas?

Use each answer to cross off elements that can no longer be the mystery element. When you think you’ve solved it, use your turn to guess the element. The first player to correctly identify the other player’s mystery element wins!

You’ll find the complete rules in the printable.

Chemistry Challenge: Don’t Ask About Colors!

The game board is color-coded to make the different categories of elements easier to identify. But there’s one rule I’d recommend:

Don’t ask about the colors!

Instead of asking:

Is your element teal?

ask:

Is your element a halogen?

Instead of asking whether an element is red, ask whether it’s a noble gas.

Kids can still use the colors to help them find the categories, but they’ll practice the actual chemistry vocabulary as they play. Sneaky learning for the win!

Why Play Games to Learn the Periodic Table?

A game gives kids a reason to interact with the periodic table repeatedly without simply drilling facts.

Think about how many times a player might scan the table during a single game.

They’re looking for groups and periods, comparing atomic numbers, reading symbols, finding element families, and noticing how the entire table is organized—all because they’re trying to figure out one mystery element before their opponent does.

That’s a whole lot of periodic table practice disguised as a game!

This would be a fun addition to:

• • homeschool chemistry
  • middle or high school science
  • classroom science centers
  • chemistry review
  • homeschool co-ops
  • science clubs
  • educational game days

Download the Free Periodic Table Guess Who Game Now!

 

More Fun With the Periodic Table

If your kids like this game, they’ll also love my Periodic Table Battleship Game.

In Periodic Table Battleship, players use the periodic table as the game board while practicing element names, symbols, groups, and periods.

These two games make a fun combination for a chemistry unit because kids get lots of practice navigating the periodic table without another worksheet.