A number of teachers have in recent times devised educational play tools — including mazes, role-play, building blocks, and interactive digital games — across 5 subjects: Arabic language, mathematics, science, social studies, and English. They have transformed lessons into enjoyable learning experiences that develop skills, accelerate academic attainment, and enhance comprehension and participation.
Teachers confirmed that learning through play is no longer a recreational activity used on the margins of lessons, but has evolved in a growing number of schools into a new teaching method based on educational games and interactive activities, alongside the use of artificial intelligence tools in some subjects to foster creative thinking. This contributes to raising comprehension levels, boosting student participation, and developing thinking, analytical, and teamwork skills.
They explained that this approach has changed the shape of classrooms, shifting the student from a passive recipient of information to an active element within the lesson. They noted that a child who learns through play does not simply memorise a lesson, but becomes more capable of applying it.
Education specialist Dr Mohammed Fath Al Bab said this transformation has not only changed the form of the lesson, but has redefined the very concept of learning inside the classroom, making comprehension, application, and experience essential components of the educational process, rather than focusing solely on completing the curriculum or preparing for examinations.
He noted that a number of teachers have recently devised simple yet effective educational play tools based on word cards, competitive games, maze games, role-play, building blocks, and interactive digital games, stressing that the success of learning through play is not tied to the availability of costly tools, but to the teacher's ability to transform the lesson into an enjoyable learning experience.
Interactive grammar
Arabic language teacher Mahmoud Attia Hamouda confirmed that learning through play has changed the way grammar is taught inside classrooms, explaining that grammatical rules — which had been a burden for many students — have become easier and more engaging when converted into educational games based on challenge and group participation.
He added that he relies in lessons on sentence-building games, parsing cards, and competitive games between groups, stressing that this approach has raised students' concentration and comprehension levels and helped them absorb grammar rules more quickly compared with the traditional method of memorisation and rote learning.
Implementation challenges
Education specialist Dr Mohammed Al Bustawee pointed out that implementing learning through play still faces a number of challenges in some schools, chief among them the density of curricula and high numbers of students per classroom, which makes it difficult for teachers to carry out educational activities in the required manner.
He added that some parents still associate educational quality with traditional instruction and heavy homework loads, viewing play as incompatible with the seriousness of a lesson. There is also pressure linked to examinations and assessments, which pushes some teachers to focus on completing the curriculum rather than applying modern teaching methods.
He stressed that the success of learning through play requires continuous teacher training, greater flexibility in study plans, and a review of assessment tools in line with modern learning approaches that focus on comprehension and skills rather than memorisation alone.
5 subjects
Education specialist Marwa Ali Muhayya explained that learning through play can be applied effectively across 5 core subjects: Arabic language, mathematics, science, social studies, and English. She noted that this approach is no longer confined to recreational activities, but has become a teaching tool capable of simplifying complex concepts and raising students' level of comprehension in the classroom.
She added that mathematics is among the subjects that yield the clearest results through learning through play, particularly with concepts that students find difficult to understand, such as fractions, geometry, and arithmetic operations. Building blocks, arithmetic games, group challenges, and mathematical puzzles help transform numbers and equations into tangible, easily understood concepts.
Mathematics
Mathematics teacher Shadia Hussein confirmed that throughout her teaching experience she has been keen to employ artificial intelligence technologies and learning through play in teaching mathematics, with the aim of transforming the subject from abstract concepts into enjoyable, interactive learning experiences that stimulate students' curiosity and develop their motivation to learn.
She added that this deployment has contributed to strengthening students' mathematical thinking and logical reasoning through the design of digital activities and intelligent educational games that take individual differences into account and provide immediate feedback. She stressed that this has had a positive impact on academic attainment and has increased student participation and self-confidence.
Employing technology
Technology and artificial intelligence teacher Manar Abdulqader confirmed that the use of educational games inside classrooms has become one of the most effective methods for capturing students' attention and motivating them to learn. She noted that she has relied on the "educational maze game" as one of the interactive models that combines learning with artificial intelligence.
She added that integrating artificial intelligence into the game has made the learning experience smarter and more flexible, as the system is able to analyse a student's performance during play, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then adjust the difficulty level according to their progress.
Exploratory games
Mohammed Salem, a science teacher in middle school grades, confirmed that exploratory games and simplified experiments make the learning process faster and more enduring, explaining that a student who participates in an experiment remembers information for a longer period and is more capable of applying it in new situations.
He added: "Transforming a lesson into an experiment or educational game reduces the time a teacher spends re-explaining, because the student reaches understanding through practice and discovery."
Social studies teacher Najlaa Al Mazrouei explained that she relies on role-play and historical simulations inside lessons, where students enact historical figures and events, helping them understand historical context rather than simply memorising dates.