How to have fun in the classroom

Spring is in the air and, as children return to the classroom after Easter, they may well be feeling restless. What better way to amuse them, than to put aside the books and play some games, whether conventional role play, new interactive technology or, if you are really ambitious, a combination of the two.

Using games in the classroom can increase participation and allow children to experiment. Role play, for example, can be used across the curriculum to promote thinking, discussion and writing, says the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

When it comes to foreign languages, students can act out real life situations, such as asking for directions, or use games like bingo and lotto to learn vocabulary and numbers.

But when you are supposed to be delivering the national curriculum, is there time to play? Introducing any type of game means teachers need to feel both comfortable and in control. "There are issues of behaviour management when you're playing games," says one recently qualified English and drama teacher from London. "Some children see it as a let-loose activity, a bit of a free-for-all and that makes teachers anxious. But it's not – it's disciplined and you have to set strict rules."

This English and drama teacher used role play to encourage 12-year-olds to discuss issues such as bullying. By assuming the role of different characters, children can develop empathy, understand different perspectives and improve language skills. But some teachers find this difficult. As one colleague told her recently: "I hate it when the children aren't behind their desks."

Similar sorts of fears surround using new, technology-based games. Will the children really learn anything, and will you stay in control? Last year's Harnessing Technology survey, conducted in schools for Becta, the government agency for information and communication technology in education, found that ICT equipment for new ways of learning is now in place. What is needed is a way to fully use it.

Most schools now have plenty of interactive whiteboards and computers – in secondary schools there are four pupils for every desktop computer. Three-fifths of the surveyed teachers said pupils enjoy lessons more if they use ICT.

Nick Palfrey, 22, managing director of Moofu, would agree. In January his company launched Project Zero Film, which allows eight- to 14-year-olds to create their own videos.

"When I left school four years ago I was diagnosed with learning difficulties," says Palfrey. "I have a really short attention span. To sit and copy what's on the board gives me a sore hand. If I could have been allowed to use a camera, it would have made my learning much more effective."

Project Zero Film enables children to play an interactive cartoon game on a computer, and in the process learn how to make a video. They can then take a video camera off to a science lesson, say, and film an experiment.

But does the idea of a commercial game making money for a company sit well in schools? Palfrey says the video film game only lasts 30 minutes, children are not playing continuously the way they might at home, and it is a cost-effective product.

Few would argue with the notion that new technology can help in learning. Last year, however, the National Union of Teachers warned that children shouldn't have endless exposure to computers because it made it harder for them to make friends.

So these days some teachers are combining traditional games with modern technology. "We're seeing people using technology with conventional role play, with children videoing themselves. Or they role play sequences and then edit them into very professional looking movies," says Andrew Black, technology research manager at Becta.

With a digital handheld video camera costing just £40, young people are now able produce content, not merely consume it. Black also reports more teachers using off-the-shelf computer games to teach literacy and numeracy. Games such as these and traditional board games such as Monopoly or Cluedo help children learn how to solve problems. What is important, says Black, is that a creative teacher uses the right tool for the job. "If you couple modern technology with conventional games like role play you can produce something really powerful."