Games and Competition

At the Smithsonian, educators have used the pedagogy of game-based learning to create innovative programs and activities that open the door to vast content and collections for learners of all ages.

Changing the Game With Game-Based Learning

Educators stress that the mechanics for learning and embracing the playful are embedded in the structure of familiar games

Italian company Beeing’s B-Box is small enough to keep on even a modest urban balcony.

Nine Attention-Grabbing Inventions Unveiled at This Year's CES

Held virtually, the Consumer Electronics Show still debuted plenty of new gadgets, from an easy-to-use beehive to a Bluetooth mask

A young girl lightly pats the backs of others with a survachka on Christmas Day in Bulgaria.

A Globe-Trotter's Guide to Holiday Games

Staying home for Christmas and New Year's? Try one of these festive traditions from around the world

Each year, Purdue University’s INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering turns into a toy testing laboratory.

The Ten Best STEM Toys to Give as Gifts in 2020

Tested and reviewed by engineers, these top picks make coding, robotics and engineering more accessible than ever

Magnavox’s Odyssey cost $99.95 in 1972—about $625 in today’s money. By comparison, today’s web-ready, famously portable Nintendo Switch sells for around $300.

The Failure of the Magnavox Odyssey Led the Way for the Future of Gaming

The first console reached homes 11 years before Nintendo, marking the beginning of a multibillion-dollar industry

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: November 2020 Issue

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for "Smithsonian" readers

Three 3,000-year-old balls discovered at the Yanghai cemetery complex in Xinjiang

These Hair-Filled Leather Pouches Are the Oldest Balls Found in Eurasia

Some 3,000 years ago, Chinese horsemen may have used the objects to play a team sport involving hitting a ball

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: October Issue

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for 'Smithsonian' readers

A one-inch-long gaming piece found at the site of a former Roman fort in Chester, England

Roman Gaming Piece Crafted Out of Bone Found in England

Ancient soldiers may have used the oblong token to play "Ludus Latrunculorum," or the "Game of Mercenaries"

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: September 2020 Issue

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for 'Smithsonian' readers

A double-crested cormorant dives into blue-green water.

See Birds Dive, Splash and Play in These Prize-Winning Photos

Stunning images by amateurs and professionals took center stage in the 2020 Audubon Photography Awards

Archaeologist Ben Edwards and his daughter Bella recreated the Bryn Celli Ddu landscape in the computer game "Minecraft."

Explore a 5,000-Year-Old Welsh Tomb Recreated in Minecraft

The virtual world now boasts a cube-based recreation of Bryn Celli Ddu in its heyday

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Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: For 'Seasoned' Solvers

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for our readers

The four sides of a dice, as well as the front and back sides of several other game pieces found in western Norway

Ancient Roman Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound

Researchers unearthed a four-sided dice and 18 circular tokens

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Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: Maryland state birds: 10 letters

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for 'Smithsonian' readers

The Smithsonian Magazine Monthly Crossword: May 2020

Solve the clues based on articles from this month's print edition

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Weekly Word Search: State Capitals

Find the capital cities, working from a list of state names

The game's art dealer, a cunning fox named Redd, sells Arnold Böcklin's Island of the Dead under the name Mysterious Painting.

Can You Spot Animal Crossing's Art Forgeries?

Gamers are brushing up on their art history knowledge to spot Redd's counterfeit creations

A virtual tour isn't the same as an in-person experience, but it can still afford some great views.

Nostalgic for the North? Take a Virtual Dogsled Ride in Fairbanks, Alaska

Armchair travelers can also enjoy 360-degree views of the city's famed Northern Lights

Stonehenge, as recreated by Alexandra McNamara of Tappan, New York, with cheese, a rock, granola and bread

See 'Cheesehenge' and Other Historical Homages Created for Archaeology Competition

The Archaeological Institute of America launched its Build Your Own Monument challenge early to inspire families quarantining at home

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