Talks, workshops and individual consulting services for learning by playing projects
Its-Your-Turn-Consulting
I offer my expertise in developmental psychology, pedagogy, and the development of games and toys with increased educational value. I gained this experience during my doctorate and my time in the education, toy, and board game industry.
I am particularly happy to receive inquiries from publishers, authors, and designers, as well as projects dedicated to playful learning and using play(ing) as an educational medium.
My support ranges from helpful suggestions and in-depth discussions to comprehensive consulting and the classic services of a board game editor.
For more insights, please see the sections on topics and target groups below.
Topics
I am interested in a wide range of topics. For this homepage, I have focused on those most relevant.
future skills
Just like always, the world is in constant change. But today, this change is happening at an unprecedented speed. Never before in history has the gap been greater between the world children grow up in and the world they will live in as adults.
This poses an enormous challenge for us as a society. We must prepare children to the best of our ability for this change, and urgent action from all of us is needed. Our education system is lagging behind; its transformation is long overdue. We must shift from transmitting generational knowledge to fostering future competencies. In the future, no one will be able to rely solely on acquired knowledge and skills learned once. It is crucial to empower children for lifelong, sustainable learning and to independently explore the world.
digital education
Today’s children are naturally digital from an early age. Even if we deny it, we cannot prevent it. However, they will then have their first experiences in this world on their own. If we instead take them by the hand on their first steps, their journey will be much safer, more self-determined, and more enjoyable.
Our most important goal should be for children to see themselves as co-creators of digital worlds and digital change, rather than just consumers of others’ work. Even if they don’t become the inventors of the next big thing, a solid foundation in digital education will help them assess and operate new tools as responsible and discerning users.
Surprisingly often, you don’t even need a screen to start with that empowerment. By practicing analytical and critical thinking with them, we help them discover new connections and question given assumptions. Classic forms of play, such as role-playing or board games, excellently promote both aspects, especially when children experience that meaning and rules are not fixed but can be collectively constructed and negotiated. Other important pillars for digital competencies, such as visual thinking, imagination, creativity, tinkering, experimenting, computational thinking, and especially a constructive handling of mistakes, setbacks, and criticism, should be fostered in diverse and playful ways.
game-based learning
Board games are excellent tools for fostering key competencies in children, such as STEM skills, social skills, communication skills, motor skills, strategic and creative thinking, and problem-solving. Their supreme discipline is the promotion of executive functions, which are essential for our survival in times of information overload, overflowing emotions, and constant distractions.
But games not only stimulate; they can also transform tense situations into something wonderful. They can repair unfavorable social dynamics by bringing together people who might otherwise not talk to each other, or only in an unfriendly way. When people share excitement and cheer with each other, all tensions are overcome.
education for sustainable development
Humanity is currently facing a series of existential crises, with the climate crisis being perhaps the most insidious. Its effects are significantly delayed, and combating it requires not only a massive change in how we live and generate wealth but also a global commitment to this project, even though the results of our efforts will only be visible in the distant future. It is becoming increasingly clear that today’s adults are overwhelmed by the speed at which change is needed. Therefore, it is crucial to instill the right values in the next generation from an early age and teach them the critical thinking skills they need to transform society as they grow older, avoiding the mistakes of their parents and grandparents.
Playful learning is an effective way to convey various concepts, including learning for sustainable development. Role-playing games help break out of habitual thought patterns, adopt different perspectives, and see the world as malleable. Good toys can foster curiosity about scientific and ecological relationships and support their exploration. Board games can illustrate and train how we can and must change the world for the better through their themes and mechanics. Given the importance of play in society, we cannot afford to ignore this lever. It would also be a shame because this endeavor holds the potential for great projects and a lot of fun.
other forms of innovative, playful, and explorative learning
Playing is a wonderful way to inspire children’s development, but it is not the only one. Besides playful learning, I am also enthusiastic about other teaching methods that fuel children’s curiosity and enthusiasm, giving them room to grow instead of holding them back and forcing them into traditional patterns of thinking.
Target groups
I love working directly with creatives and educators. I also enjoy supporting institutions and projects that aim to inspire people or provide them with the space to do great work. What matters to me is the common goal and the impact.
for publishers and companies
Whether it’s a new product line or an educational program, an in-house conference or an inspiring event, if you want to foster children’s future skills and/or use playful learning methods, let’s talk!
for museums, projects, initiatives
Are you working on a non-profit project or in a public institution that focuses on supporting children or innovative learning methods? Count me in!
for authors and designers
Are you currently working on a new toy or board game designed to encourage children, whether at home or in an educational context? Whether it’s an early concept or nearly a prototype, I would love to support you. Advising on product development and improving products in the making has always been my favorite kind of advice. And don’t worry about the pay—as long as the effort doesn’t get out of hand, I tend to do this kind of consulting for fun and for a good cause.
for educators and educational institutions
Let’s be honest, I’m not a trained teacher. I also don’t want to claim that I know more about teaching than you or how to bring a curriculum to life. However, what I can offer you is an expert outside perspective, backed by a lot of experience and expertise that will be inspiring and valuable to your work.
for you
Not sure if you belong to one of the groups mentioned above? What’s the harm in just asking me?
EN 
DE