The Case for More Play in Learning, Even for Older Kids (Yes, Middle Schoolers Need It Too)

When people talk about play in education, they usually mean preschool. Maybe kindergarten, if you’re feeling generous. After that, it’s pencils up, smiles down, and a suspicious shift to something called “rigor.”

Because clearly, the moment a child turns eight, they should stop enjoying things.

Spoiler: that’s nonsense.

Play isn’t just about glitter and blocks and pretending to be a dinosaur named Kevin. Play is how kids (and, let’s be real, adults) learn best. It’s curiosity. It’s experimentation. It’s problem-solving in disguise. And cutting it off after early elementary school? That’s like giving someone a bike with no wheels and saying, “Good luck learning to ride!”

So let’s talk about why older kids need play, how to sneak it into your lessons without losing your academic cred, and why a seventh grader making a board game about the Cold War might just be the peak of educational genius.

Wait…What Do We Even Mean by “Play” for Older Kids?

Let’s clarify: we’re not saying your eighth graders need to spend the afternoon playing tag in the hallway (although… would it help? Maybe).

We’re talking about learning experiences that are:

• Hands-on

• Creative

• Student-driven

• Exploratory

• Just a little bit chaotic in the best way

Play for older students looks like:

• Building things

• Debating as historical figures

• Designing escape rooms based on book plots

• Creating games, simulations, or videos

• Solving real-world problems with made-up solutions that totally could work if you squint hard enough

It’s learning with joy and purpose, not just rigid structure and bullet points.

Why Older Students Still Need Play (Probably Now More Than Ever)

1. Play Supports Real Learning (Yes, Even the Hard Stuff)

Play activates the brain in ways traditional instruction doesn’t. It increases:

• Retention

• Engagement

• Creativity

• Collaboration

• Risk-taking without fear of failure

You know, all the stuff we say we want from students but somehow expect them to get from multiple-choice quizzes and silent worksheets.

2. Play Builds Executive Function (Not Just Fun, Folks)

Want kids who can manage their time, make decisions, and actually think for themselves?

Let them play.

Games, simulations, and creative projects force students to:

• Plan

• Organize

• Adapt

• Try, fail, and try again

Play is practice for life—only way more fun than those “Life Skills” packets.

3. Play Makes Room for Intrinsic Motivation

The more we drill and grade everything, the less kids care about learning and the more they care about compliance. But give them a task that’s fun, meaningful, and gives them some creative power?

They’ll shock you.

They’ll stay late to finish it.

They’ll teach themselves new skills.

They’ll become so invested that they accidentally learn.

You know… what we’ve been trying to get them to do the whole time.

4. Older Kids Are Still… Kids

Let’s not forget that middle and high schoolers are still developing; emotionally, socially, cognitively. They may look like mini adults with questionable hygiene and sarcasm turned up to 11, but they still crave:

• Joy

• Connection

• Movement

• Laughter

• Moments that make them forget they’re technically in “rigorous academic instruction”

Play gives them that. And no, it doesn’t “baby” them. It respects their humanity.

“But What About the Standards?” (We Hear You, Admin Friends)

Good news: play doesn’t mean you abandon the curriculum. It means you deliver it through engaging, student-centered approaches.

Examples:

• Instead of an essay on ecosystems, have them design an endangered species rescue simulation.

• Instead of a quiz on ancient civilizations, have them create and trade cultural artifacts.

• Instead of writing definitions, let them act out vocabulary like charades (yes, even the grumpy kids will secretly enjoy it).

Standards aren’t going anywhere. But how we get there? That’s where the play comes in.

How to Bring More Play Into the Classroom (Without Panic or Pinterest Overwhelm)

1. Gamify What You Already Teach

Add points, levels, timers, or challenges. Even turning test review into a competition can spark motivation you didn’t know existed.

2. Create a Makerspace Vibe: No Matter Your Budget

Cardboard, tape, paper clips, LEGOs…anything can become a learning tool if you let it. Give them a problem. Give them weird materials. Then sit back and watch the innovation unfold.

3. Let Students Design the Experience

Let them write the questions. Build the review game. Lead the activity.

Ownership = engagement.

Also, less prep for you. Win-win.

4. Schedule Time for Unstructured Exploration

Even ten minutes of “What can you create with this?” can lead to big thinking.

(No, it’s not a waste of time. It’s brain development. Calm down, Gary.)

Final Thoughts: Play Is Serious Business

We’ve spent years telling kids that school is about work. But what if we reminded them that learning can be playful, creative, and full of joy no matter their age?

Because if a student builds a tower, designs a planet, writes a parody, creates a board game, or solves a problem with delight, that’s not a break from learning.

That is learning.

And honestly? We could all use a little more of that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a puppet waiting to host a debate about photosynthesis in the reading corner. Learning’s never been more fun.