METHODOLOGY OF USING BOARD GAMES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/maup.psych.2026.1.1Keywords:
board games, intellectual leisure, educational process, game-based methods, game mechanics, teaching methodsAbstract
Background. The article substantiates the potential of using board games in the learning process and in the organization of intellectual leisure, and analyzes how game-based methods affect children’s psycho-emotional state within a large-scale educational project implemented by the NGO Batkivska Spilka in cooperation with Lord of Boards LLC with the support of the Government of Japan and UNESCO, involving more than 160,000 children aged 7–17. Thirteen board games were selected for the project – including Slovomandry, Khapai, and Keskife – and adapted for educational purposes aimed at developing critical thinking, communication skills, cultural identity, and a positive emotional climate. The study combines a theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical concepts of play, a systematization of classifications of game mechanics, and a synthesis of practical results from the project’s implementation across different age groups. The methodological approach focuses on mapping specific mechanics and components of board games to learning objectives, forms of work (individual, pair, team, group), and expected learning outcomes and socio-emotional effects, with attention to age-related, psychological, and social factors. The paper justifies a methodically structured system for integrating board games into the educational process that: (a) links mechanics, components, and interaction modes to curricular tasks; (b) specifies pedagogical conditions for effective game selection and adaptation; and (c) embeds criteria for monitoring cognitive, communicative, and socio-emotional development alongside the organization of intellectual leisure. Systematic and methodologically grounded use of board games enhances instructional effectiveness, strengthens key competencies (cognitive, communicative, socio-emotional), and supports positive dynamics in children’s psychoemotional state. The results confirm the feasibility of board games as an innovative pedagogical resource that unites educational, developmental, and value-oriented goals and can be scaled across diverse learning contexts.
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