How a Card Game is Inspiring Learners to Tackle Environmental Issues

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In a world where technology often dominates, a simple card game is sparking curiosity and igniting a love for learning among South African youth. MindBlown, a play-based learning game, is transforming classrooms and inspiring young minds.

Durban, South Africa (05 December 2024) – Way too many South African households don’t have a single book in them. Many learners are not interested in reading but, not surprisingly, love to play.

The challenging question is how to inspire children to become curious about the world around them, develop an awareness of environmental issues, and cultivate a desire to seek solutions to challenges like climate change. What young people may perceive as an uninteresting science syllabus may not provide all the answers.

Learners at Ekuthuleni Primary School in Amaoti in Durban are among 5,000 pupils at 100 eThekwini schools who have enthusiastically taken to MindBlown, a play-based learning game.

Each learner chooses a card (called “collectibles”) from a different category and then reads the self-answering questions to which the answer is either ‘Myth’ or ‘Fact’. The correct response earns a point and results in players gaining new knowledge.

The game’s impact extends beyond the classroom as it fosters a sense of community and teamwork as learners compete and collaborate with their peers.

There is a downloadable mobile version as well, but most of the learners at the school do not have access to cell phones. Hence, the card version has proven to be a real hit with the learners and generates a lot of interest in discovering more about the very real environmental issues their generation is inheriting and will have to deal with.

Thobile Msani, who leads The Domino Foundation’s Life Skills programme, which is facilitated at the school, explained that her youth worker team has added the card game to the extra-mural activities they offer to stimulate reading, learning science and technology facts and to stimulate teamwork which is an important component of the game.

The Youth Workers at the schools keep a record of the scores throughout the term. The enthusiastic participants at the school not only vie with each other in the after-class sessions but also have joined the MindBlown League. At the end of each term, the four learners with the highest scores attend the League’s inter-school tournaments.

Some call it “gamification” and others “game-based learning.” Whichever term you choose, there’s no denying that the game, which was developed in Durban eight years ago, is reaping great results.

Youth Worker at Ekuthuleni Primary, Nomthandazo Khosa, commented:

“I love seeing the learners discovering new information every time we play MindBlown. It really does ‘blow their minds’ and they never get bored with the questions.

“It sharpens their minds and reasoning skills. It is a fun and educational at the same time game. We enjoy playing it with them ourselves.”