Schools
Admission to the Festival for school classes is FREE OF CHARGE and includes access for all students and their accompanying teachers (maximum 3 per class), as well as participation in educational workshops.
Schools based in the Municipality of Modena can apply through the Memo website, in the section Itinerari Scuola Città (Itinerario 90 - Play Festival del Gioco).
Schools that are not based in the Municipality of Modena can submit a request by writing to educational@play-festival.it and filling in the following application form.
Registration form: (Modulo Iscrizione Scuole PLAY-2025.pdf)
Participation in the event must be requested no later than 7 March 2025: after that, for logistical reasons, we will regrettably be unable to process any additional requests. Participation is subject to acceptance of the application by BolognaFiere and to a limited number of places, so interested parties are invited to register as soon as possible.
For information and details: educational@play-festival.it
Play - The Games Festival School project contact person:
Arianna Rivi 339.6578729
Art Direction and Coordination of Educational Projects
Andrea Ligabue 392.0472697
direzione.artistica@play-festival.it
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
Board Games
Suitable for all ages.
Board game workshops can be held in the areas reserved for research organisations, associations and publishers taking part in the Festival.
Board games can be used to effectively develop soft-skills by improving cognitive, social-relational and ethical skills in young people. The activity is carried out in small groups, which also trains meta-cognitive and cooperative-learning skills. The games are chosen according to the age of the participants. There are suitable games for all ages, starting from pre-school onwards.
Role-playing games
Recommended from upper secondary school 2nd year (age 15+) onwards.
The students, divided into small groups, will be engaged in a role-playing ‘adventure’, guided by expert game masters. Using dice, paper and pencil, and driven by their imagination, the players will play fictional characters and face the challenges narrated to them by the ‘game master’. Interaction, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, storytelling, identification are some of the keywords of this activity.
EduLARP – Live-Action Role-Playing game
Recommended for upper secondary school students (age 14+). In some cases, this activity is suitable for lower secondary school 2nd and 3rd year (age 12+) onwards.
Live-Action Role Play is a powerful educational tool. Players will be immersed in a unique experience, playing characters within a specific historical context or situation. They will have to rely on their skills to think, interact, socialise, communicate. EduLARP workshops are limited in number; the subject matter and type will depend on the school grade of the attending class and their didactic and educational objectives.
Motor Skill Games
Recommended for pre-school and primary school (age 3 to 11).
Undergraduates in Primary Education Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia will engage students in a series of motor skill games aimed at developing their motor and relational skills, under the guidance of University lecturers.
Traditional Games
Chess, draughts/checkers, traditional and modern abstract games.
Attending classes will participate in workshop activities using wooden games, traditional games, spinning tops. An activity that will test the participating students’ fine motor skills and dexterity, as well as their capacity for reasoning.
Historical Games
Board games, Role-playing games and Edu-LARPs with historical settings.
Students will participate in activities with board games or miniature games set in specific historical moments, to explore their characteristics and unique features in a fun and engaging way.
Games and Science
At Play, you will find an area dedicated to games and science featuring activities offered by INAF (National Institute of Astrophysics), INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics), OGS (National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics), the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the Game Science Research Center… and many more!
Other Workshops
Every year, Play comes up with new ideas for visiting classes, including workshops specifically dedicated to the theme of the Festival. Our 2025 theme is EVOLUTION, and the Festival will feature meetings with authors and artists from the world of boardgames, three-dimensional games, virtual reality games, and much more...
COME VISIT PLAY – THE GAMES FESTIVAL!
