Playful pedagogies for future history educators

How can play serve as a powerful pedagogical tool for fostering joy and engagement in Singapore’s history classrooms, especially given the high-stakes and examination-driven context? Through insights from a study trip to Denmark and conversations with Singaporean student-teachers, this article examines the possibilities and tensions of adopting Playful Learning in the classroom as a means of enhancing student engagement, promoting historical thinking, and nurturing 21st-century skills and competencies. This article proposes several approaches to developing playful teachers who view the classroom learning process as one that is rich in possibilities for choice, delight, and wonder – the key ingredients of play.