
If you want to use play and games in an educational setting or teach kids and teens how to design board games, there are some great resources out there. In addition to the resources below, I’ve also compiled an annotated bibliography on using games in libraries.

Chicago Toy & Game Group (ChiTAG) hosts the Young Inventor Challenge at their annual Toy & Game Fair. Their website includes resources for educators who want to run inventor workshops.

The Game Library is a free resource from a library system in NY, The Game Library by Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. Games can be searched for based on subject or even Core Standards alignment. You don’t need an account to search the database, though teachers in NY state can benefit from further support.

The Games & Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) has several resources available to librarians: member forums, a blog, info on overcoming challenges to having games in libraries, program examples, and much more!

Kathleen Mercury‘s website is FULL of resources to teach strategy game design to kids and teens. There is also info on running game clubs.

“We believe play is a foundational human need and an indispensable part of hands-on learning. Play in Education exists to equip and encourage teachers to fully engage the minds of their students by leveraging the power of play. We hope this website and this newsletter become that hand or that hug when you need it.”

Teachers, parents, and children can use the Play Play Learn website to find games that align with specific topics and learning levels. There are also links to tools and presentations about how to implement playful learning that are useful to parents and teachers. The site is run by professionals in the library, gaming, and curriculum development fields.

My Little Poppies offers resources for using games in your homeschool curriculum, including lists of games by age/grade and subject.

“Adventures in Gameschooling’s purpose is to provide a place where homeschooling familes and school teachers can find reviews of board games and free resources that can be use in the classroom. “