Boost Student Engagement with Canva’s New Interactive ai Features
- Jenn
- May 19
- 6 min read
New Canva Features That Make Learning Feel Like a Game: A Guide for Elementary Teachers Starting a Teachers Pay Teachers Shop
Let me start with a confession: I used to think Canva was just for making pretty classroom posters and timetables. Boy, have I come a long way! After spending countless hours (3000+ designs, to be exact) exploring this design wonderland, I'm happy to say that Canva has transformed into a powerful tool for creating game-based learning experiences that students absolutely LOVE. These are money makers and student engagement creators!
Why Game-Like Learning Works for Upper Elementary Students
Boosts Engagement and Focus
If you've ever tried to teach long division after lunch on a Friday (my personal version of teacher purgatory), you know that keeping kids engaged can feel like trying to herd cats wearing roller skates. Game-based learning changes that equation completely.
Kids are naturally drawn to challenges, achievements, and rewards - it's hardwired into their developing brains. By incorporating game elements into our teaching, we tap into this intrinsic motivation.
Builds Skills through Play
Remember learning to ride a bike? You didn't master it by reading a manual - you learned by doing, falling, and trying again (with maybe a few tears and bandages along the way). The same principle applies to learning academic content.
When students engage with material through play, they're actually developing crucial problem-solving and critical thinking skills. What looks like "just a game" on the surface is actually building neural pathways that strengthen learning.
“Systematic reviews of gamification in primary education consistently show that incorporating game elements—such as rewards, points, and challenges—significantly boosts student motivation and engagement, leading to improved learning outcomes across subjects.”
(Adapted from findings in the International Journal of Educational Methodology)
Canva's New Interactive AI Features That Help Create Game-Like Activities
Interactive Presentations (Perfect for Social Studies & Language)
Remember when presentations were just static slides that students glazed over? Canva has completely revolutionized this space with interactive elements that transform passive observers into active participants.
With Canva's animation features, you can now create elements that appear, disappear, or move in response to clicks - perfect for creating interactive quizzes where the answer appears after students have time to think. You could create a "Grammar Detective" presentation where students click on speech bubbles to reveal whether sentences used punctuation correctly. Better engagement, yes?
Pro tip from my own trial and error: Turn your Canva presentation into a choice board where students click buttons to select their learning path. For an ecosystems unit, students could choose different biomes to explore, each with its own set of challenges and information. It could save you hours of planning and differentiation throughout the unit.
Pro Tip:
🎬 Use Canva’s clickable elements and animations to create digital choice boards or interactive quizzes.
🗺️ Curriculum Link: Grade 4 Social Studies – B2.2: Physical and Political Regions of Canada
🎓 TPT Idea: “Explore Canada: Interactive Geography Adventure” – students choose a region, unlock facts, and earn badges.
Gamified Templates
If you're like me and sometimes struggle to find time to exercise, let alone design elaborate educational games from scratch, Canva's pre-made templates are about to become your new best friend.
These templates aren’t just editable—they’re designed for interaction. Imagine turning a science lesson into “Mission: Plant Life Cycle,” where students unlock digital badges as they master each concept. Instead of passive worksheets, they're on a mission—and yes, earning a “Photosynthesis Expert” badge feels like a big deal when you're 10.
And the best part? What could take hours to build from scratch can be customized in under 30 minutes using Canva. No coding, no extra tech. Just smart design that feels like a game.
Pro Tip:
🏆 Checkout Elements for various graphics that can enhance your progress bars, achievement badges, and level-based content. Just swap in your own curriculum-aligned prompts.
🔬 Curriculum Link: Grade 6 Science – Biodiversity (B1.1, B1.2)
🎓 TPT Idea: “Mission: Biodiversity!” – students unlock badge levels as they complete eco-challenges.
Embedding Media and Interactivity
Remember the old days when we had to show a video, then switch to a worksheet, then back to another media? Talk about a flow-killer! Canva now allows you to embed videos, audio clips, and hyperlinks directly into your resources.
Consider creating a virtual field trip to Ancient Egypt where students can click on different landmarks to watch short video explanations, hear authentic music, or solve hieroglyphic puzzles. The seamless integration kept students immersed in the learning experience.
A next level trick is using embedded video clues for digital scavenger hunts. Record yourself giving hints, embed them at strategic points in your Canva creation, and watch as students become completely engrossed in the chase. Warning: expect noise levels to rise considerably as excitement builds!
Pro Tip:
📹 Upload videos, add audio, or embed web links right inside your Canva slides or digital worksheets.
🌍 Curriculum Link: Grade 6 Social Studies – Global Communities
🎓 TPT Idea: “Virtual Canada: Interactive Cultural Tour” – includes video landmarks, soundscapes, and clickable puzzles.
Introducing New Canva AI Features for Gamified Education Resources
Canva has recently (April 2025) unveiled exciting AI features that make creating gamified educational resources easier than ever. With these tools, educators can transform traditional worksheets into engaging activities that students will love.
Getting Started with Canva Templates
Begin your journey by selecting an empty Canva template. This provides a blank canvas where you can unleash your creativity. Here are some key components to incorporate:
Shapes: Use shapes to create visually appealing layouts.
Text Boxes: Add instructions and questions to guide students through activities.
Interactive Components: Integrate elements like buttons, sliders, and drag-and-drop features for a dynamic experience.
Prompting Canva
Creating Engaging Worksheets
For example, in a parts of speech review, teachers can utilize drag-and-drop elements to allow students to sort words into the correct categories. This interactive approach transformed what could have been a mundane worksheet into a highly desired activity!
Benefits of Gamified Learning
Increased Engagement: Students are more likely to participate in activities that are interactive and fun.
Enhanced Learning: Gamified resources can reinforce concepts and improve retention.
Motivation: The game-like elements encourage students to take ownership of their learning.
With these new Canva AI features, educators can easily create captivating and effective educational resources that make learning enjoyable for students. Start designing today and watch your students thrive!
My number one tip for beginners: Start small. Choose one worksheet you already use and reimagine it with interactive elements. Once you see how students respond, you'll be hooked on creating more.
Pro Tip:
🧠 Create category sorts, sentence builders, or vocab puzzles using Canva’s moveable elements.
📘 Curriculum Link: Grade 5 Language – Vocabulary Development, Word Choice (B2.2)
🎓 TPT Idea: “Grammar Gameshow!” – students move parts of speech into sentence slots.
🧩 From Canva to Classroom to TPT: Packaging Your Product for Profit
🎯 Start with a Canva Template, Export to Editable Formats
Once built in Canva, export as:
PNGs (for PDFs)
PDFs (for printables)
Google Slides (for interactive versions)
This makes it easy to sell in multiple formats and increase your TPT conversions.
🖼️ Use Consistent Visual Branding (and Boost Your Sales)
Choose 2–3 fonts, 3–5 colors, and stick with them for every cover, preview, and instruction sheet. Use Canva’s Brand Kit to apply this with one click.
🧭 Add Clear Instructions for Teachers
Include a visual quick-start guide for both digital and print versions. It reduces confusion and boosts 5-star reviews.
💬 Final Tips from a Fellow Ontario Teacherpreneur
Canva is more than just a design tool. It’s a portal to deeper student engagement and TPT profitability. If you're teaching the Ontario curriculum and dreaming of starting a side hustle, this is your moment.
☕ Ready to jump in?
Start with one worksheet you already use.
Add interactive Canva elements.
Align it to an Ontario expectation.
List it on TPT with a polished preview.
Your students (and your customers) will thank you. And when you hit that first sale? Message me — I’ll be cheering you on with a celebratory gif and a coffee in hand.
Conclusion
Transforming learning into a game isn't just about making education "fun" - though that's certainly a wonderful benefit! It's about tapping into the natural ways students engage with challenges, process information, and build lasting skills. Canva's newest interactive features make this kind of transformation more accessible than ever for busy teachers like us.
Whether you're creating resources for your own classroom or building a TPT shop that supports teachers worldwide, these tools open up possibilities that were unimaginable just a few years ago. I've watched my own students transform from reluctant learners to enthusiastic participants, all thanks to game-inspired resources that meet them where they are.
So what are you waiting for? Open up Canva, explore those interactive features, and start creating your first game-inspired resource today. Your students (and your TPT customers) will thank you. And when you create something amazing - which I know you will - drop me a comment to share your success!
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