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.
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.
My Little Poppies offers resources for using games in your homeschool curriculum, including lists of games by age/grade and subject.
People of Play (PoP), previously 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.
“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.”
TTRPGkids is intended to help parents, caregivers, teachers, etc. find resources to facilitate quality tabletop role playing games (TTRPGs) for kids!
This site covers game reviews, game lists sorted by age and theme, interviews with creators, interviews with parents, tips and tricks, giveaways, and lots more to help you find a good way to introduce tabletop RPGs to your kids with the right game.