Playful learning, inclusion, and belonging: a perspective on engaged classrooms

This perspective argues that supporting child and adolescent mental health in schools requires classrooms that foster belonging, engagement, and agency for every learner. Upon reading this article, we propose that the research field explores more rigorously into the connections between classroom engagement, playful learning, inclusion, and sense of belonging. In this perspective, the concept of belonging is central to the idea of mental health. Our viewpoint is that playful learning is a promising pathway to support students who report feeling excluded or unsupported in their classroom. While perhaps not a cure-all for all students in all classrooms, it is an area that rightfully deserves more attention as its impact can go beyond the classroom wall. We propose further exploration of the intersection between classroom engagement, playful learning, inclusion, and sense of belonging specifically for primary and secondary school students. By grounding learning in joyful, hands-on, and collaborative experiences, playful approaches can offer a practical means of increasing belonging within the classroom. Drawing on classroom practice and product development, including examples such as LEGO Education Science, we explore how playful learning can support the core learning domains of education into safe and supportive environments that nurture both cognitive and emotional growth. Much like the topic of science itself, the intersectionality between inclusion, learning through play, and belonging is still evolving. In the following pages, we'll explore opportunities for educators, researchers, and policymakers to build systems that reduce teacher burden while strengthening inclusion and engagement. We point to the need for accessible practices and ready-to-use resources that allow teachers to implement playful learning without additional workload. Finally, we outline directions for research and collaboration to further understand and scale approaches that simultaneously advance learning, inclusion, and belonging.