Learning Through Play - Archives
For Students Raised on iPods, Lessons in Bridge
Schools see mental and social benefits in the game of Bridge (NY Times)...more
Effort to Restore Children’s Play Gains Momentum
Parents are embracing a growing movement to restore the business of play to the lives of children - NY Times...more
A Box? Or a Spaceship? What Makes Kids Creative
Creativity in American kids is rapidly declining as rote learning and testing crowd out less structured academic activities....more
Want to get your kids into college? Let them play
Want to get your kids into college? Experts say, "Let them play!"...more
Why Preschool Shouldn't Be Like School
New research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire....more
The Four Secrets of Playtime That Foster Creative Kids
Our world is increasingly filled with play that makes kids passive consumers instead of active creators. Here's how we can change that....more
The Case for Play: How a handful of researchers are trying to save childhood.
Researchers explore the critical need to embrace and protect our kids' access to authentic, unstructured play experiences....more
Bending and Stretching Classroom Lessons to Make Math Inspire
Meet an inspirational "mathemusician" whose audacious career ambition is to math cool!...more
It's How You Play the Game: An Israeli school where children learn by playing games
A failing Israeli school turns things around with a unique game-based teaching approach...more
The Creativity Crisis
The Creativity Crisis: For the first time, research shows that American creativity is declining. What went wrong—and how we can fix it....more
What Would Walt Disney Learn in School Today?
In today's high-stakes testing environment, are creative thought leaders like Walt Disney supported, or stifled?...more
The Power of Play
Constructivist play can be the best use of instructional time, contributing to deep, important, and “real” learning that lasts. ...more
Playing to Learn
Current test-driven classroom instruction does not support children's developmental need to learn through meaningful play experiences....more
Is Children's Play Innate?
When contemporary educators reduce playtime, they may be frustrating an innate need....more
School Recess and Group Classroom Behavior
Study finds that classroom behavior improves when elementary students are given at least 15 minutes of recess daily....more
Let Them Play
A veteran Kindergarten teacher reminds us of the vital importance of play & the learning benefits lost when free play is squeezed out...more
Let the Children Play (Some More)
Research suggests play has long term positive effects into adulthood, and it’s crucial that”goof-off time” not be limited to summer vacation....more
The 3 R’s? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess
New research suggests that unstructured play time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math....more
Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them
New research in cognitive neuroscience helps clarify when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental mathematical concepts....more
A Creative Mom Uses 36 Cube to Build Early Math Skills!
A creative mom took “The World’s Most Challenging Puzzle” and made it an age-appropriate math challenge for her young learner!...more
Game Club After School Program a Big Success in Maryland!
A game-based after school program teaches social skills and problem solving!...more
ThinkFun Games Teach across Grades at Armbrae Academy!
A Canadian school incorporates game play into all classrooms, challenging and delighting students at all levels!...more
ThinkFun Games Build Pride and Self-Confidence in Strategies Lab
A school's Strategies Lab program uses ThinkFun games to help kids practice problem solving and talking about their thinking....more
ThinkFun Games Engage Every Type of Learner!
A second grade teacher shares her success bringing ThinkFun games into the classroom and giving her students a ew challenge....more
ThinkFun’s GridWorks Game Enriches a High School Math Class Curriculum!
ThinkFun's GridWorks (now reinvented as Chocolate Fix) helps reinforce math skills in a high school Algebra classroom....more
ThinkFun Games Ignite Minds in a 7th Grade Math Class!
A teacher describes how classroom games provide new avenues for learners to succeed and build confidence!...more
A 5th Grade Math Teacher Uses Games to Motivate All Learners!
A teacher discusses the powerful learning that comes with integrating game play into the classroom...more
Sharpen Students' Thinking Skills with Brainteaser Puzzles!
A high school math teacher explains why begining each class with a brainteaser gets students ready to learn!...more
Problem Solvers Unite to Tackle the 36 Cube Challenge!
A teacher shares her experience challenging students to take on the 36 Cube puzzle. Here she describes the way her students rose to the challenge...more
Playing MathDice Makes Math Learning Fun!
A gifted specialist introduces MathDice to a middle school classroom and reignites students' enthusisam for math!...more
The Importance of Play in the Homeschool Curriculum
If you’re a fan of ThinkFun, you know that they create their fantastic games with the belief that children learn best while at play....more
Board games teach life’s important lessons
The Board Game Family shares critical life lessons kids learn by playing games ...more
