Navigator Lana

Welcome to Roll Call: Your Navigator’s Guide to Adventure-Based Learning, from the Kitchen Table to the Classroom

What if playtime for kids, or downtime for teens, wasn’t just a break from learning, but an essential stop on the map? Picture a learning chart where rolling dice unlocks mathematical puzzles, card games sharpen critical thinking, and epic board game adventures bring history and narratives to life. Embracing this vision can completely transform your educational experience, turning it into an exhilarating journey of discovery, inspiration, and genuine growth. Welcome to Roll Call, your Navigator’s guide to making your learning space a gateway to adventure!

Why Roll Call?

Kids and teens learn best when they’re truly engaged. When we reflect on all the times in our lives when we learn best, it is frequently through hands-on activities. From cooking to gardening, we find opportunities as educators and parents to teach our children in the moment. Games offer an exciting, interactive approach that helps learners grasp concepts in ways that textbooks and worksheets often fall short. From strategic planning and problem-solving to reasoning and communication skills, board games provide all this in the way we love best: learning without the kids recognizing our ploy.

The question ultimately remains: how does this motivate students more than what they find in worksheets and textbooks? The novelty of board games lies in the addition of the “win” condition. An A on a paper is excellent! But what’s even more exciting is sharing the tale of that epic victory in the game! Players often grasp onto the rules (codename: learning) because it’s crucial to their victory on the board. Through creative games, learning is unlocked in organic, and most importantly, memorable ways.

As educators and families, we certainly value education. Still, many of us recognize that there are skills we teach our children beyond the textbook, such as good sportsmanship, teamwork, kindness, negotiation, and, yes, even how to handle a defeat. These are essential opportunities in our homes and classrooms to practice virtues that strengthen family and community bonds, echoing the gentle wisdom of ‘spreading seeds’ through courtesy and goodwill. Games at the table create these shared experiences, connections, and lasting memories for preschoolers to teenagers.

Charting our ‘Roll Call’ Course

As your Navigator, I’ll be guiding you through the exciting world of games and showing you how learning and fun can join forces! We’ll focus on exploring a variety of board games and card games that you can incorporate into your lessons, offering fantastic educational value for all ages and stages of an academic journey. We’re going beyond just your standard Monopoly, Candy Land, and Battleship. I’ll help you discover fresh new finds, uncover hidden gems, and continue to celebrate the classics.

Our itinerary will cover:

• Game Spotlights & Reviews: Deep diving into specific games, focusing on their educational benefits and how to incorporate them into your lessons.
• Thematic Learning Ideas: Discovering collections and game publishers that excel in teaching core subjects like history, science, math, etc.
• Practical Tips & Tricks: Strategies for adapting games to different ages and learning styles, maximizing the educational value of a game, and fitting game time into your bustling schedule.
• Solutions to Common Challenges: Whether it’s a troublesome subject, student burnout, or educator fatigue, we’ll show how games can provide a fresh and invigorating new approach.
• And so much more!

My goal is to provide you with ideas and inspiration, showing your whole family and all your students that learning doesn’t have to be confined to worksheets and textbooks – it’s a thrilling adventure with boundless cardboard palaces to explore!

New to Learning with Games? Let’s Unpack Your Worries!

When I tell people my hobby is board games, a typical response is, ‘Like Monopoly? Oh, I can’t even stand Uno!’ They often follow up by explaining how ‘learning with games’ could never work for their family or classroom. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you’re picturing only those dusty classics from Grandma’s shelf. Still, the world of games has exploded far beyond that! You might be thinking:

• “I’m not a gamer. How can I teach with board games?”
• “My kids would never sit still for a board game!”
• “Aren’t games expensive? Where do I even look?”
• “I barely understand Monopoly, let alone a new game!”

I’m here to tell you, you are absolutely not alone in these thoughts! I’ve heard them countless times, and I’m ready to share solutions that are far easier and more encouraging than you’d expect.

• You don’t need to be a “gamer”: Learning with games isn’t about making you the next board game expert or GenCon attendee (though that’s a happy coincidence if it happens!). It’s about helping you, the educator or parent, find creative and diverse ways to educate through games. I’ll break down the ‘whys and hows,’ guiding you along step-by-step!”
• Kids and teens love games: Not all games last three hours like “Free Parking Monopoly”! There are tons of games that last 5-10 minutes, and some games can last for hours. As with our teaching journey, you know what is best for your children and students, and I’ll help you find a game that is suitable for the most detail-oriented student to the squirmiest little one. Even the most reluctant learners can find a game they enjoy.
• Learning with games can fit any budget: We’ll explore ways you can utilize classic games you already own, borrow games from the local library, visit your local game shop (which frequently have demo games to play), connect with family and friends, scout the marketplace, and even play games on a digital simulator or as a print-and-play!
• Rules don’t have to be daunting: There are a plethora of games with easy rules, especially educational games. Many games have video or digital tutorials, and even forums to ask questions if you’re stuck. As your Navigator, I’m here to ensure you don’t get lost in the rulebook or feel overwhelmed by the journey.

So, think of me as your Navigator—here to guide you on this new adventure!

What’s Next on our ‘Roll Call’ Itinerary?

Now that I have you pumped up and excited about incorporating games into your learning day, you’re probably wondering what is first on the list for our adventure. Keep an eye out for our very first “Game Spotlight.”

In our next post, I’ll be navigating a fantastic learning game and breaking down exactly why it works, what it teaches, and how you can use it to bring your lessons to life. It’s the perfect first stop on our journey!

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As your Navigator, I’m charting a course through the entire world of board games—from educational deep dives like this one to game reviews and hobby news.

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