Classified "A" by ANVUR in the fields 11/D1, 11/D2 Scientific in the field 14.
Abstract
The use of board games in educational settings is increasingly emerging as a practice capable of combining inclusive aims, cognitive development, and active learning. This contribution presents the development and testing of an evaluation grid for board games, aimed at analyzing their effectiveness in strengthening executive functions, specifically: emotional self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, planning, focused attention, working memory, and response inhibition, from an inclusive education perspective. The tool was implemented within a university workshop involving third-year students from the Primary Education degree program. Working in groups, the students selected and analyzed over ten children’s board games, critically completing the proposed evaluation grid and collectively discussing their findings. The games analyzed varied widely in type, mechanics, target age, and educational objectives. The results show that the tool supports systematic observation and pedagogical reflection, fostering greater awareness among future teachers regarding the educational use of games in diverse and inclusive school contexts. The article discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the experience, offers a summary of the data collected, and proposes criteria for the informed adoption of board games in instructional planning.
