PLAY2DISCONNECT

Funding programme

Erasmus+ KA210-ADU – Small-scale Partnerships in Adult Education

Project reference

2025-1-RO01-KA210-ADU-000356923

Period

2025–2026

Coordinating organisation

Asociația Părinți pentru Copii (APPC), Câmpia Turzii, Romania

Participating countries

Romania, Spain

Official project website

Visit official website

PLAY2DISCONNECT aims to promote healthier digital habits, strengthen family relationships and encourage meaningful non-digital leisure through the structured use of modern board games.

Specific learning objectives

• Responsible digitalisation: Raise awareness among parents and educators about excessive screen use and encourage a balanced, informed and responsible relationship with digital technologies.
• Family cohesion: Strengthen relationships between parents, children and other family members through shared experiences, face-to-face communication and positive interaction.
• Social and emotional competences: Encourage cooperation, active listening, patience, empathy, emotional regulation, decision-making and problem-solving through gameplay.
• Intergenerational learning: Create opportunities for adults and children to learn together, exchange experiences and develop mutual understanding through shared play.
• Non-digital leisure habits: Help families incorporate regular screen-free activities into everyday life, offering practical and enjoyable alternatives to passive digital entertainment.
• Adult education and facilitation: Provide parents, teachers and community educators with the knowledge and resources required to select, facilitate and reflect on educational board game experiences.
• Community participation: Encourage families to participate in accessible local meeting spaces where board games can support social interaction and continued learning.

The project promotes positive alternatives to excessive screen use rather than rejecting digital technologies. Its broader objective is to support sustainable changes in family leisure practices through engaging, educational and socially meaningful experiences.

PLAY2DISCONNECT uses existing modern commercial board games as educational and social tools to promote meaningful screen-free family leisure.

Unlike projects that develop original educational board games, PLAY2DISCONNECT focuses on selecting and facilitating commercially available games according to their suitability for family interaction, age diversity and specific educational objectives.

Game selection approach

• Cooperative games: Games that encourage shared goals, collective problem-solving, mutual support and collaborative decision-making.
• Communication and social interaction games: Games that encourage conversation, listening, expression, creativity and meaningful face-to-face interaction.
• Family-friendly strategy games: Games that promote planning, attention, decision-making, patience and the management of success and frustration.
• Accessible introductory games: Short, relatively simple games that facilitate participation among families with limited previous experience of modern board games.

Selection criteria

The methodology recommends choosing games according to participants’ ages, group size, previous gaming experience, interests, complexity, duration, accessibility and the type of interaction promoted by their mechanics.

The guide also recommends using BoardGameGeek (BGG) as a reference for evaluating game characteristics such as player count, playing time, mechanics and complexity.

Game approach: Commercial Board Games.

Adaptations: Game rules, difficulty and supporting materials may be adapted when necessary to accommodate participants’ characteristics and educational objectives.

Games developed: No original board game has been identified as a project output. The principal game-related output is a methodological guide explaining how to select and apply existing games in family and community settings.

Documentation note: The publicly reviewed sources describe the types of games and their selection criteria, but do not provide a sufficiently verified consolidated list of individual commercial titles used across all workshops.

PLAY2DISCONNECT applies the Ludus Method, a structured Board Game-Based Learning (BGBL) approach designed to transform modern board games into intentional educational experiences within family and community contexts.

The methodology emphasises educational intentionality, face-to-face interaction, guided reflection, transfer to everyday life, accessibility and enjoyment.

Six-step methodological framework

1. Setting objectives: Define the purpose of the activity before selecting games. Objectives may include improving family communication, encouraging cooperation, strengthening relationships or creating regular screen-free leisure experiences.
2. Analysing the family group: Consider participants’ ages, interests, previous gaming experience, available time, attention spans, expectations, interpersonal dynamics and possible support needs.
3. Selecting appropriate games: Choose modern board games according to their mechanics, complexity, duration, player count, educational potential and suitability for the family group. Particular attention is given to balancing challenge and participants’ abilities.
4. Developing supporting materials: Prepare pedagogical resources when necessary, including activity sheets, rule adaptations, facilitator guidance and questions for reflection.
5. Facilitator preparation and training: Equip parents, educators and community facilitators to explain games clearly, guide participation, observe interactions, manage difficulties and facilitate reflective discussions.
6. Impact evaluation: Assess the experience using observation, participant feedback, questionnaires and follow-up activities, considering indicators such as family interaction, enjoyment, shared leisure habits and screen-free time.

Workshop implementation

Practical workshops typically begin with a welcome and introduction, followed by game explanations, facilitated gameplay, short reflection activities and recommendations for transferring the experience to family life.

Role of the facilitator

Facilitators create a welcoming environment, introduce appropriate games, ensure inclusive participation and support the group without unnecessarily controlling gameplay. They observe communication, cooperation, emotional responses and decision-making, intervening when needed to maintain a positive learning environment.

Reflection and debriefing

Guided reflection encourages participants to discuss how they communicated, cooperated, made decisions and managed challenges. The aim is to connect gameplay experiences with real situations within family relationships.

Transfer to everyday life

A distinctive element of the methodology is its emphasis on sustainable behavioural transfer. Families are encouraged to establish regular opportunities for shared board game activities at home and to continue participating in community-based game sessions.

PLAY2DISCONNECT implements its Board Game-Based Learning methodology through family workshops, awareness activities, community meeting spaces and international dissemination actions in Romania and Spain.

Implementation activities

• Awareness campaign: Educational activities and resources addressing responsible digitalisation, screen-time balance and the importance of meaningful non-digital family leisure.
• Family workshops: The project established a target of 16 workshops across four educational centres, with four workshops per centre. The activities were designed to introduce families to modern board games through structured, facilitated sessions.
• Workshops in Valladolid: Ludus Magnus organised a programme of family board game workshops in collaboration with FECAMPA CONCAPA Valladolid, using Distrito Zero as the activity venue. Four sessions were announced for June and July 2026.
• Community meeting spaces: Two sustainable spaces for board game activities were established in Câmpia Turzii (Romania) and Valladolid (Spain), collaborating with Avram Iancu School and Distrito Zero, respectively.
• International intergenerational activity: On 29 October 2026, an international dissemination workshop at the European University Miguel de Cervantes (Valladolid) brought together 32 Romanian and Spanish participants. Mixed groups of Romanian adults and Spanish university students explored modern board games through intercultural and intergenerational interaction.
• Educational dissemination: Open-access guides, online resources, public events and partner communication activities supported the transfer of the methodology beyond the participating organisations.

Evaluation approach

The methodology includes pre- and post-activity questionnaires, participant feedback, observation and follow-up activities intended to explore changes in family leisure practices and the quality of interpersonal interaction.

Relevant evaluation dimensions include:

• Frequency of shared family activities without screens.
• Perceived quality of communication and family interaction.
• Participant satisfaction and willingness to repeat board game activities.
• Cooperation, participation and emotional responses during gameplay.
• Changes in screen-related leisure habits.

Available evidence

Public documentation confirms the publication of educational resources, the organisation of workshops and dissemination events, and the establishment of community meeting spaces. The international activity held on 29 October 2026 involved 32 participants.

However, the publicly reviewed sources do not provide a consolidated final evaluation dataset establishing changes in screen time, family cohesion or other targeted outcomes across the full intervention.

Evidence classification: Documented implementation and educational resource development, with an evaluation framework described in the methodological guide. Quantitative effectiveness findings remain insufficiently documented in the reviewed public sources.

Limitations: Without reported baseline and follow-up results, validated outcome measures and an appropriate comparison design, the extent to which the intervention improves digital habits or family cohesion cannot yet be determined.

PLAY2DISCONNECT provides educational and awareness resources designed to support responsible digitalisation, meaningful family interaction and the implementation of Board Game-Based Learning in non-formal and community settings.

Available resources

• Board Game-Based Learning Methodology Guide: A comprehensive practical publication explaining the educational foundations of BGBL, the principles of the Ludus Method, a six-step framework, game selection criteria, relationships between game mechanics and competences, facilitator recommendations and practical session worksheets.
• Multilingual methodological resources: The BGBL methodology guide is available in Spanish, English and Romanian. The original Spanish publication has ISBN 978-84-09-86399-0.
• Responsible Digitalisation Guide: Educational guidance for parents and educators on healthier and safer digital habits, available in Spanish and Romanian.
• Awareness materials: Videos, informational resources and materials concerning digital wellbeing, online safety, excessive screen use and responsible family digital practices.
• Family workshop materials: Practical guidance, introductory materials and information leaflets helping families select suitable games and continue screen-free activities at home.
• Practical session worksheets: Templates for preparing and documenting BGBL activities, including objectives, participant characteristics, game selection, facilitation, reflection and evaluation.
• Community meeting spaces: Dedicated locations in Romania and Spain with collections of modern board games and access to methodological guidance.
• Dissemination resources: Online project documentation, educational events and materials intended to support replication by families, schools, parent associations and community organisations.

Transferability

The combination of open-access methodological guidance, session templates, practical workshops and permanent meeting spaces offers a transferable model for organisations seeking to promote healthier digital habits through Board Game-Based Learning.

The English methodological guide is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This does not imply that the commercial board games used in the activities are distributed under the same licence.

PLAY2DISCONNECT is a relevant example of Board Game-Based Learning applied to family education, responsible digitalisation and non-formal intergenerational learning.

Its distinctive contribution lies in extending BGBL beyond conventional educational settings and positioning modern board games as a structured tool for promoting meaningful family interaction and sustainable non-digital leisure habits.

Methodological strengths

1. Clear social and educational purpose. The project addresses a contemporary challenge related to digital leisure and family interaction, proposing board games as a positive alternative rather than adopting an exclusively restrictive approach to screen use.
2. Structured and replicable methodology. The six-step framework connects educational objectives, participant analysis, game selection, supporting materials, facilitation and evaluation. This provides a coherent basis for implementation in different family and community contexts.
3. Emphasis on educational transfer. A particularly relevant feature is the focus on extending the experience beyond facilitated workshops. Families are encouraged to reproduce meaningful screen-free leisure activities within their everyday routines.
4. Game selection based on participant characteristics. The methodology promotes informed selection of commercial board games according to their mechanics, complexity, duration, player count and suitability for different family members.
5. Intergenerational and relational learning. The project highlights the potential of shared gameplay to create opportunities for communication, cooperation, mutual understanding and positive interaction between children and adults.
6. Open educational resources. The multilingual methodological guide, responsible digitalisation materials and practical worksheets support access, dissemination and replication.
7. Community sustainability. The establishment of dedicated meeting spaces in Romania and Spain provides an organisational basis for continuing activities beyond the initial workshops.

Methodological limitations

Although the intervention has a clearly defined methodological structure and documented implementation activities, the publicly reviewed sources do not yet provide sufficient quantitative evidence to establish sustained reductions in screen time or improvements in family cohesion attributable to the programme.

The durability of any behavioural changes also remains uncertain. Establishing new leisure habits requires repetition, family motivation, accessibility to suitable games and continued participation beyond the facilitated intervention.

Future evaluation would benefit from validated measures of digital habits and family interaction, pre- and post-intervention comparisons, follow-up assessments and, where feasible, comparison groups.

Ludus Magnus assessment

PLAY2DISCONNECT offers a valuable and transferable model for applying modern commercial board games to family education and digital wellbeing. Its strongest methodological contribution is the connection between structured facilitation, positive screen-free leisure experiences and the intended transfer of these experiences into everyday family life.

The project also demonstrates how a relatively small Erasmus+ partnership can combine educational methodology, open resources, practical activities and local community infrastructure.

Its practical and methodological contribution is well documented, while evidence of long-term behavioural effectiveness requires further evaluation.

Transparency and involvement disclosure

The European Institute for Modern Board Games (EIMBG / Ludus Magnus) is a formal partner in PLAY2DISCONNECT. Members of its team developed the Board Game-Based Learning Methodology Guide and participated directly in the project’s implementation and dissemination. This assessment therefore reflects documented methodological expertise with declared project involvement, rather than an independent external evaluation.