Thinking Skills and Creativity 5 (2010) 1–15 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Thinking Skills and Creativity journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/tsc Creative and playful learning: Learning through game co-creation and games in a playful learning environment Marjaana Kangas ∗ Centre for Media Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland article info Article history: Received 2 March 2009 Received in revised form 31 October 2009 Accepted 21 November 2009 Available online 27 November 2009 Keywords: Creative and playful learning Playful learning environment Game co-creation Outdoor playground abstract This paper reports on a pilot study in which children aged 7–12 (N = 68) had an opportu- nity to study in a novel formal and informal learning setting. The learning activities were extended from the classroom to the playful learning environment (PLE), an innovative play- ground enriched by technological tools. Curriculum-based learning was intertwined with game co-creation, play, and computer games in the PLE. The results indicate that the chil- dren considered learning in groups, through co-creation and turning fact into fiction, to be a rewarding way to learn, practice group work and use their imagination for a common goal. Teachers felt their role was important and challenging, especially in terms of the amount of tutoring and lesson planning. The study shows that one way to foster activity, creativity, imagination, and group work skills-along with academic achievement-is to integrate fact and fiction and a playful learning environment in teaching, studying and learning. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction In the world of new technologies, the forms of education are changing, as are the sites on which education occurs. Some scholars argue that the school of the future should be based predominantly on innovation and interactive creativity with new technology and new ways of acting (e.g. Craft, 2005; Natriello, 2007; Sawyer, 2006a; Tuomi, 2007). This aim has been widely recognised globally in educational contexts, and it has been concluded that teaching approaches that are too formal may not match the methods that children and young people use in learning or working with media (e.g. Lemke, 2002; Sawyer, 2006a, 2006b). It also is argued that many students learn to solve specific types of problems but are unable to respond to unexpected situations, which inevitably arise in today’s fast-changing world (cf. Cropley, 2004; Resnick, 2007). As Resnick (2007) and Sawyer (2006a) assert, most schools are not focusing on helping pupils develop as creative thinkers and are not teaching them how to create knowledge. Instead, in formal schooling, children are typically taught that knowledge is static and complete; they become experts at consuming knowledge (or media, as well) rather than producing and creating it (Sawyer, 2006a). Thus, innovative ways of using information, readiness to deal with the unexpected and flexible thought have taken on importance. The present study contributes to the current educational debate by presenting a strategy for incorporating creativity, imagination and new technologies into education. The study offers an opportunity for children to co-create their own curriculum-based game content for play and for learning activities in a research-based and technology-enhanced playful learning environment (PLE). Many recent studies have focused on creativity in learning and concluded that classroom Abbreviation: PLE, playful learning environment, an innovative outdoor playground enriched by technological tools, also called Smartus. ∗ Tel.: +358 40 742 8971. E-mail address: marjaana.kangas@ulapland.fi. 1871-1871/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2009.11.001