Leveling Up: Bring Gamification to the Classroom with 3D Pens

We’re unlocking a new dimension in the classroom – literally! Today, we’re diving into the exciting world of gamification with points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, and more.

It’s time to move on from worksheets and passive listening. Envision a learning environment where creativity explodes, and students are intrinsically motivated to conquer learning prompts and challenges like never before. That’s the power of gamification, and 3D pens are the ultimate tools to bring it to life!

A Winning Combination: Gamification & 3D Pens

At its core, gamification is about taking the elements and principles of games and applying them to real-world activities – in this case, the classroom.

Re-imagining games for new environments taps into our desire for:
  • Autonomy: Offer students choices and some control of their learning.

  • Mastery: Providing opportunities to develop skills and see progress.

  • Purpose: Connecting learning to meaningful outcomes and goals.


Student creating an object with a 3Doodler 3D pen

Now, let’s add a 3D pen into the mix! These incredible tools allow students to transform their ideas into tangible, three-dimensional creations. This hands-on element amplifies the benefits of gamification in several ways.






Benefits of Using 3D Pens with Gamification
  • Increased Engagement: The novelty and creative freedom of 3D pens instantly grab attention and foster deeper involvement.

  • Tangible Rewards: Encourage students to create physical items representing their achievements in a particular lesson.

  • Problem-Solving in 3D: Challenges become more engaging when students need to design and build solutions in three dimensions.

  • Multi-Sensory Learning: Engaging with 3D creations involves visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learning styles, catering to a broader range of students.

Unlocking New Lessons

Interested in taking the leap and bringing this dynamic duo to your classroom? We’ve got you covered. Here are some gamified activity ideas using 3D pens:

Objective-Based Challenges:

Frame learning objectives as quests! For example, in a geometry lesson, the “quest” could be to design a specific geometric shape with accurate dimensions to earn “geometric gems” (points or small rewards).

Badge Systems (Tangible Badges!):

Students can create badges to represent mastery of a concept or skill instead of using digital badges. Imagine a “History Hero” badge for completing a timeline project or a “Science Superstar” badge for a successful experiment model.

Collaborative Builds for XP:

Divide students into teams and assign them a 3D design challenge related to the lesson. The team with the most accurate, creative, or functional build earns points or privileges. Think of designing a model of the water cycle or a historical landmark.

Escape the Classroom:

Create a series of clues or puzzles students need to solve related to the curriculum. The final clue could require them to 3D draw a specific object that “unlocks” the next stage or a small reward.

Boss Battles (Knowledge Checks):

At the end of a unit, present a complex challenge or problem related to the material. Students can use their 3D pens to represent their solution visually. Successfully presenting and explaining their creation “defeats the boss” and helps them earn rewards.

Personalized Tokens:

Offer students different learning pathways with reading challenges, for example. As they complete their reading and comprehension tasks, they can draw a small 3D token representing their progress.

The Future is 3D Gamification!

Integrating 3D pens with gamification offers a powerful and engaging way to bring learning to life in your classroom. It fosters creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration and presents learning in a format we know students enjoy. So, get your 3Doodler 3D pens, unleash your inner game designer, and watch your students level up their education in exciting new ways!

Have you tried gamification? Share your experience with us @3Doodler or #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate!

Real-World Application with STEM Lessons in 3D!

Boost STEM learning outcomes by using 3D pens to design prototypes and engage students in real-world thinking.

With 3D printed models, students are able to observe characteristics of objects that can be more challenging to comprehend through 2D worksheets or textbooks. For example, students can create models of cells, atoms or historical buildings that would otherwise be inaccessible in a classroom. By creating and examining models hands-on, non-visual learners gain accessibility to educational concepts that would otherwise be out of reach. With 3D printing pens, students gain confidence in STEM subjects by exploring real-world topics in 3D with direct application, engaging in creative thinking and open ended problem-solving.

3Doodler offers an extensive library of resources to educators and we’re sharing our top STEM lesson plans for the in-person, remote, or hybrid learning settings for the 2020-21 school year.

Colorful kite 3D drawing

Geometric Collage Maker

Recommended grades: K-2
Learn about: Geometric shapes, how to calculate area and perimeter
Overview:  In this lesson, students create a Doodled collage of geometric shapes, resulting in crayon rubbings used to calculate the area and perimeter of combined shapes.

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Geometry & Tessellations

Recommended grades: 3-5
Learn about: Geometric shapes and problem solving through design
Overview: Students will design a simple tessellation for a 3D shape such as a cube, a cylinder, or a cone using 2D templates. Students will enjoy seeing their designs come together in 3D, and will even be able to use it as a functional item, such as a pen holder!

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Construct a 3Doodler City

Recommended grades: 6-8
Learn about: City planning, geometry, area and perimeter calculations
Overview: Students will identify the structures that make up a city (e.g. roads, buildings, bridges), and then analyze the way in which these structures are composed of lines and geometric shapes. Students will design 2D shapes and then Doodle over them to construct their own 3D structures. This real-world, hands-on project combines math, problem solving, and technology.

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3D pen art: Close-up of cell and phone on table

Prokaryotic & Eukaryotic Cells

Recommended grades: 9-12
Learn about: Biology, cell structure, prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells
Overview: In this activity, students will Doodle two cell models, one of a prokaryotic cell, and one of a eukaryotic cell. The students will build all parts in each model such as the nucleus, plasma, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, etc. The students will analyze and record the differences and similarities between the two cells.

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See our full collection of 3Doodler Lesson Plans

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How do you incorporate hands-on STEM learning in your classroom or home learning environment? Our community of parents and teachers want to know. Share your thoughts with us on social media, and be sure to tag us!

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