For many decades, board games have been a source of entertainment for the entire family. This is not all that they have to offer though! Board games can also be used for soft skills training and knowledge discovery1. Through board games, not only do players engage in games that stimulate their learning interest, but they also practice a series of soft skills while interacting with each other. Hence, soft skills enhancement occurs without the players even realizing it(1)!
Let’s see what happens when an unfortunate event turns into a true soft skills lesson…
It all started when John injured his leg and was forced to stay at home. In order to make him feel better, his friends surprised him by showing up to his house with his favorite board games. This is going to be a long night! John’s mom is making popcorn and hot chocolate for everyone. The boys’ imagination awakens…
John’s best friend, Nick, grabs Harry Potter's invisibility cloak and swiftly puts it on. “Now you can’t see me! I shall fiddle the dice and win every game!” he shouts jokingly. But his friends are not laughing. “Would that be fair for us?” they all ask in one voice. Nick stops for a second to think. “Yes, it wouldn’t be right, of course. I won’t do it, guys. But I am keeping this awesome invisibility cloak, okay?”
According to L. Kolhberg's Stages of Moral Development, at the level of conventional morality adolescents internalize the moral rules of society and norms and accept social conventions about what is right and wrong. The two sub-stages of ethical analysis are the stage of good interpersonal relations and that of maintaining social order2. In the first stage, adolescents focus on conforming to social expectations and roles to gain the acceptance of others. In the second stage, the goal is to maintain social order, and individuals begin to consider society as a whole before making a decision(2).
The teenagers begin to set up John’s favorite board game, the Ghost Castle. In a second, they turn into paranormal activities investigators! “The time has come to discover if the legend of the Ghost Castle is real and to unveil what is going on in the castle!” John shouts in enthusiasm. ”Oh no! The Ghost has captured us! We need to figure out how to escape the Ghost Castle! Come on, let’s think, guys!” Alex urges them. The friends discuss their options and agree on the best possible solution. In the end, they manage to beat the Ghost and escape.
Decision-making is the process of evaluating and selecting a specific choice among many, with the purpose of solving a particular problem. Via the board game, the friends cooperated, communicated and expressed their thoughts and needs, in order to escape from the Ghost. At the same time, they practiced their critical thinking, a necessary skill in decision-making.
“What are we going to play now, guys?” wonders Alex. “It’s time for…Fairytales with a shift!” John suggests. Another mystery game for our young investigators. The players' mission is to find out the truth about what has happened in the woods and then print it in the newspaper. To discover the truth, they will need to overcome the obstacles the opponents have posed in their way.
This is another board game that allows teenagers to practice their critical thinking skills, while trying to investigate the mystery. Additionally, it allows them to improve their communication skills, while discussing what is the best way out of the obstacles they face and it calls for them to take risks, in order to solve the mystery!
During game night, the friends are having a great time playing board games, while also enhancing a series of soft skills through collaborative play, such as decision-making, critical thinking, communication skills and risk-taking.
This is what board game magic looks like! The ability to turn an unfortunate event, such as John’s accident, into a night full of creativity and expression.
(1) Yuan, Teh & Abidin, Mohammad Zukuwwan & Ahmad, Puteri & Mohd Radzi, Shanizan Herman. (2020). The effectiveness of board game towards soft skills development for higher education. Doi: 10.17051/ilkonline.2020.02.111.
