As the reality of staying home every single day is starting to set in, It’s important for us to look at what we are already doing as possible learning moments. Many of us are playing board games, cards, and other favorite games. Table top games are a powerful tool for learning, and here are my top three reasons why.
Reason 1: learning should include Student choice
Kids love to play games and they usually have a favorite. The first few weeks of school in my classroom consisted of getting to know one another, learning routines, and lots of games.
Students were asked to bring in their favorite physical game (no video games) from home, and teach us how to play it. The purpose of this assignment was to give them an opportunity to take the lead in a less intimidating way. The message I was hoping to send was “We value what you have to share, who you are, and what you already know.”
John Spencer at Medium.com says “[Choice] is about empowering students through the entire learning process.” There is not a lot of ways to get kids to take some ownership in something if they had no choice in the matter. Kids need to take the lead more often, and we need to let them.
reason 2: learning is social
My 18 year old son loves Japanese culture, and found an Oriental board game called GO at a garage sale. The game has been played for thousands of years, and is part of Japanese culture. It’s a challenge to learn the game, but together we are figuring it out. Learning something new along side someone, especially someone you love, is unifying.
In our desire to learn how to play, we have had some great conversation! He has done some research, and I have asked lots of questions. As we play, we develop strategies, and ask more questions. This is the essence of great lesson design. As teachers, we want students to interact with the material (in this case, the game) and ask questions. They they try it out, get feedback, and start again.
Games like Guess Who are perfect for creating great conversational moments. My son and I used this elementary level game to practice asking and answering questions in Japanese. Although learning Japanese is not at the top of my list of interests, it is on the top of his. As a parent of a child getting ready to leave the house, I’ll take all the time I can get with him.
Reason 3: Technology is not the only tool
As schools have quickly transitioned to online learning, there have been some very positive outcomes, and there have been the inevitable downsides as well. I think we assume that all kids understand what it means to be a digital citizen, which is probably not the truth. We see proof all the time that adults don’t even know what this means. Technology can be a great tool for getting kids engaged in learning, and it is just one tool.
Worksheets are another default tool that is overused. It’s a little like using a screwdriver to beat in a nail. It will probably get the job done, but there is a better way. What we see is the product of some learning that has already taken place somewhere along the line. Table top games allow us to get involved in the process: the two steps forward and one step back approach to discovering something new. When a worksheet is done, its done. A game can be played and played again. Players can get creative to can change the rules, change strategies, lose and win.
What I am not saying is that we shouldn’t use technology or worksheets for at home learning. Learning is happening all around us all the time. With table top games we can be more intentional about learning with our kids, and recognize that it is actually already happening.
want more?
Check out these awesome learning games from Empower.com. These are easy to understand and content based.
Look for my upcoming blog posts about Pixar shorts, story starters, and digital citizenship for ideas for learning at home. Also, check out this great podcast about the power of table top games.
What other things are you already doing at home with your family, that could be a great tool for learning?Thanks for reading!