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Elana ShyongCreative facilitator & trainer

Games ARE Learning: Drama Games for Joyful, Collaborative Classrooms

· 1 min read

An infographic titled How Children Develop Skills Through Play

Games are a game changer (ha! pun intended) to creating joyful and collaborative learning spaces! 🎭✨

This month, I’m running Games Month for Recess, an online platform for learning, filling every drama session with activities that get kids thinking, laughing, collaborating, and imagining together.

I often hear from teachers I train, and parents too:

"Games are a waste of time, they aren’t learning anything!"

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Research - and years of working with young people - tell a different story. According to Dale’s Cone of Learning, we remember up to 90% of what we do. Drama games let kids embody learning, making it active and memorable.

Play is also a safe space.

In games, children can: experiment, take risks, make mistakes, discover the joy of learning... and so much more!

This kind of playful risk-taking builds resilience, confidence, and creativity.

The research backs it up:

🌟 Pretend play and drama can boost problem-solving skills by up to 20%. 🌟 Gesture-driven, interactive play supports better learning performance and motor skill development. 🌟 Over 90% of educators say games increase student engagement—especially for learners who might otherwise hold back.

Games aren't a break from learning - when we use them correctly, they can become a core part of the learning process!

#DramaEducation #LearningThroughPlay #CreativeLearning #SEL #SocialEmotionalLearning #DramaGames #ImprovForKids #PlayfulLearning #StudentEngagement #EducationInnovation #ActiveLearning #EdTech #OnlineLearning #ChildDevelopment #CreativityInEducation #TeachersOfLinkedIn

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