Learning by playing

Play plays a key role in the development of all human beings; it is a fundamental tool for stimulating the development of thinking, language and the ability to interact with others and with the environment [1, 2, 3, 4] . Many authors in the field of psychology have emphasized the positive values of play [5], particularly linking it to learning processes and the experience of well-being [6]. Indeed, play occurs in a context that is "outside of reality", where the risk of failure is not perceived as an error, but rather as one of the possibilities that play offers. This quality of play leads to a reformulation, a loss of interest, or a shift of attention to another activity [1]. Based on these considerations, play is a core theme within the Educational Psychology curriculum in primary education and it is a topic that needs to be experienced to be fully understood. A hands-on approach along with small group interactions are essential, aiming to break down the anonymity of the “large class group” [6, 7]. Being able to experiment play activities may foreshadow the vision of the so-called “reflective practitioner,” proposed by Schön [8] in later years. Initially implemented in face-to-face classrooms, this model was later transposed into online experiences [9, 10, 11, 12]. It also introduced opportunities for reality-based tasks and guided reflection on lived experience [13] . This hands-on approach marked the beginning of a culture of active and interactive teaching in psychological subjects taught at the University of Macerata (and beyond) since the 1970s. Keeping the interactive model in mind, the educational and psychological value of play activities was planned to be taught using an interactive teaching-learning approach. To address these aims, a research project composed of three studies was conducted. The first study aimed to explore the positive effects of play on personal well-being in the academic classroom (emotional and social goals). In the second study [14], the experience shifted online, offering a screen-to-screen play practice addressed to verify the impact of online interactive gaming on well-being. The third study sought to promote understanding of the positive value of game formats in the teaching-learning process (cognitive goal) and to encourage reflection on the game experience in order to design play activities for children (metacognitive and learning transfer goals).