Wellbeing
BALANCE – Board Games, Mindfulness & Emotional Regulation in Schools
6 days
Teacher wellbeing is one of the defining challenges in European education — and board games are one of the most underused tools in responding to it. BALANCE shows participants how to use carefully selected board games as instruments for emotional regulation, mindfulness practice, stress management and social connection.
Drawing on positive psychology, SEL frameworks and experiential learning, this course gives teachers practical, evidence-based strategies for integrating board games into wellbeing programmes — for themselves and their students. Participants build a complete classroom wellbeing toolkit anchored in play.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Select and use board games as tools for emotional regulation and self-awareness in the classroom
Integrate mindfulness principles into game-based learning sequences
Design school wellbeing programmes combining games, reflection and positive education
Apply SEL competencies (self-management, social awareness, relationship skills) through structured play
Build a resilience-focused classroom culture rooted in collaborative board game experiences
Lead a school wellbeing professional development session using board games as the primary tool
Programme
BALANCE – Board Games, Mindfulness & Emotional Regulation in Schools
Monday | Foundations — Play, Wellbeing and the Science of Games
Welcome session and course overview. Ice-breaking games to build trust and connection.
The neuroscience of play: what happens in the brain when we play board games.
Overview of SEL frameworks and their alignment with board game mechanics.
Workshop: mapping board games to emotional regulation competencies.
Tuesday | Emotional Regulation Through Games
Games as emotional regulation tools: frustration, patience, resilience and recovery.
Hands-on session: play and analyse games designed for emotional development.
Discussion: how to debrief game experiences to maximise learning transfer.
Workshop: adapting commercial games for emotional regulation goals.
Wednesday | Mindfulness, Presence and the Slow Game
Mindfulness principles applied to board game design and classroom culture.
Workshop: slow games, meditation games and presence-building activities.
Designing game rituals: set-up, breathing, focus and reflection routines.
Building a mindful classroom: how games can anchor daily wellbeing practice.
Thursday | Social Connection, Belonging and Collaborative Play
Cooperative games: mechanics, research evidence and classroom applications.
Workshop: designing cooperative game experiences for diverse and vulnerable student groups.
Using games to build classroom community, trust and psychological safety.
Participants create their own simple wellbeing game prototype.
Friday | Field Experience & Final Workshop
Cultural visit to selected Braga or Porto landmark relevant to the week's theme.
Final hands-on workshop: design and present your classroom action plan.
Group showcase: share the games, tools or activities created during the week.
Saturday | Certificate Ceremony & Closing
Presentation of each participant's final project or classroom toolkit.
Peer feedback and recognition of contributions.
Certificate presentation ceremony.
Group photograph and informal closing celebration.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.