Between 21 February and 1 March, European Institute for Modern Board Games (EIMBG) sent two of its youth workers, Zezo Cantalapiedra and Alejandro de Castro, to participate in the training course “Games Laboratory for Youth Workers Vol. 2” in Narva, Estonia, organised by IZUM Youth Club within the Erasmus+ programme.
The main objective of the course was to strengthen the competences of youth workers in gamification and game-based learning through non-formal education. The training focused on exploring how games can be used as meaningful educational tools and on experiencing first-hand the process of “learning by playing.”
Throughout the course, participants worked with a wide variety of game formats, including team-building activities, simulations, quest and escape boxes, board games, outdoor games, and role-play dynamics. A key part of the training was understanding not only how games are played, but also how they are structured, facilitated, and evaluated in educational contexts.
Alejandro and Zezo began with the more theoretical part of the programme, learning about Erasmus+ values, the principles of non-formal education, and the foundations of gamification as a learning methodology. This initial framework helped them better understand how playful approaches can support participation, reflection, and competence development among young people.
The training then moved into a highly practical phase, where participants explored different types of games through direct experience, group challenges, and collaborative design activities. One of the most valuable tasks of the course was the creation of an educational quest box, developed by participants and later implemented in a real-life setting.
As a final practical experience, the group brought their quest box to a local youth centre, where they facilitated a play session with children aged 9 to 12. This gave participants the opportunity to test their ideas in practice, observe children’s engagement, and reflect on the educational value of game-based activities in youth work.
For EIMBG, this mobility represented an excellent opportunity to continue strengthening its international commitment to innovative, playful, and meaningful educational practices. The experience has provided Alejandro and Zezo with new tools, ideas, and inspiration that can now be transferred to future youth activities and educational projects developed by the organisation.
At EIMBG, we remain convinced that games are far more than entertainment: they are a powerful way to foster learning, participation, creativity, and social connection.
