The afternoon light bounces off the bright yellow walls of a classroom in northern Ghana.

Rebecca, a 5th Grade teacher, calls her class to attention and explains the subject of today’s science lesson: mixtures and solutions. She starts the lesson with a game called Concentration. First, she assigns each student a new name: Salt, Sugar, Tea, Milo, and so on. Then, she tells the learners, “Everyone should listen for their name, and when you hear it, repeat it loudly and then call out the name of another student without losing the rhythm.”

She claps twice and slaps her knees twice, setting a rhythm, and invites the class to match the beat. Then she calls out, “Concentration is the game, keep the rhythm if you can! Tea, tea! Milo, Milo!”

One of the students picks up the beat: “Milo, Milo! Sugar, sugar!”

The boy who’s been assigned the name Sugar falters. “Sugar, sugar ... ummm?” Everyone laughs. They review the names and start up the beat again.

Strengthening education through play

Children learn by playing. Studies show that play-based learning has a positive impact on learning outcomes and helps children develop holistic skills and a life-long love of learning.

For Rebecca, using playful approaches in lessons has been a game-changer. It helps her get and keep her students’ attention, creates the space for all students to participate equally, makes sometimes intimidating topics like science feel accessible and fun, and helps students retain information.

In 2019, Ghana’s Ministry of Education launched the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), one of whose goals is to transform teaching and learning, in response to persistent gaps in access and quality education in the country. Part of the effort involves moving away from traditional rote styles of teaching, which focus on memorization and compliance, and integrating evidence-based playful learning approaches and other creative pedagogies into teaching practice and curriculum.

“It is through play-based learning that children can actually interact and engage among themselves,” says Charles Odoom, Municipal Education Director with Ghana Education Service. “By doing this, they entrench core skills and competencies like critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative communication. So, I think Ghana cannot do without it.”

Setting the foundation for national scale

In 2020, Right To Play partnered with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to launch Partners in Play (P3), a national project focused on enhancing the quality of education in classrooms across the country and enriching the educational experience for more than three million learners between the ages of four and 12.

Through the project, which is supported by the LEGO Foundation, Right To Play is working with stakeholders across the education system to create safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environments where children can thrive.

Working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the National Teaching Council, the Ghana Education Service, the University of Winneba, and Colleges of Education, we are ensuring that school curriculum includes evidence-based playful approaches to help children achieve their learning goals, and that teachers have the training and knowledge they need to bring it to life.

This multi-faceted approach is strengthening the overall education system, and creating more opportunities for students across the country to thrive. As of June 2024, the project had supported more than 2,000 schools in 55 districts and trained more than 16,000 teachers. And there is evidence that these approaches can be replicated and scaled up in other regions, opening the door for increased access to quality education for more learners across the country.

“Play-based learning is something that all schools need to help the children learn holistic skills, cognitive skills, and all the skills they need not only to complete primary but also to access higher levels of education,” says Josephine Mukakalisa, Country Director, Right To Play Ghana.

Equipping teachers to support children's learning

Many of the over 16,000 teachers trained through the P3 program teach in crowded classrooms with over 70 students per class and limited resources. Keeping learners engaged can be a struggle: teachers are often overwhelmed and rely on teaching methods that focus on repetition and compliance – approaches that discourage students from participating in lessons.

Before teachers started integrating play into their lessons, they primarily used the ‘lecture’ method, where children were expected to sit quietly, copying down information, and use rote memorization to retain concepts and prepare for examinations. To control large, unruly classrooms with distracted students, teachers often turned to corporal punishment as a form of discipline for lack of attention. But with the introduction of more engaging lessons and more positive approaches to classroom management, children enjoy coming to school, where they are free to explore and learn.

“The biggest change I’ve seen with the introduction of the play-based method is it has made my work very easy, and it has built my confidence,” says Sarah, a 4th-Grade teacher in the Volta Region.

A mid-term project evaluation found that teachers who went through the training showed an improved ability to adapt their approaches to learners’ needs. The teachers were also less likely to use corporal punishment or other approaches that negatively impact children’s learning environments.

“I always feel happy because I know coming to class, I have a game coming to introduce, and my learners will take part in it. I feel very fulfilled seeing my learners now out of their shell, now no longer feeling shy, working in groups, and embracing learning through play,” adds Sarah.

Creating friendly, engaging learning environments for children

Learners have seen a big change in their learning experience and environment since play has been added to the equation. Teachers are using movement, songs, and games in the lessons, which make learning more fun and engaging, help students focus, and make classrooms more inclusive places where all students, including girls and children with disabilities, feel comfortable participating. Students have more chances to work in groups and problem-solve and learn with other students, building skills like collaboration and communication.

Rachel, a Grade 2 student in the Greater Accra Region, says, “Before we had games in class, first I didn't want to come to school. But now I come to school because the teachers use games to help us learn. So now I want to come to school and play and learn.”

After one year of program implementation, the percentage of Grade 2 students who could not identify a single word in a reading test dropped by 20% – from 96% of students who scored zero in a reading test at the beginning of the project to 76% after a year.

“Play has greatly improved my students’ reading and math skills,” says Thomas, a head teacher in the Volta Region. “With the help of word cards and games, students are now able to pronounce words correctly and also find innovative ways of solving mathematical problems.”

More ways we're energizing education in Ghana

The Partners in Play (P3) program is made possible thanks to the support of the LEGO Foundation. Active in Ghana since 2020, P3 aims to improve the quality of education for children from kindergarten to 6th grade.