Learners Just Wanna Have Fun

Individuals who have fun while learning are more likely to be engaged and retain information, per 2019 research from Michael J. Tews, associate professor at Pennsylvania State University's School of Hospitality Management, and Raymond A. Noe, a researcher and professor at Ohio State University.

But how do you add enticing activities to training courses, especially when learners may push back against what they may view as frivolous and a waste of time?

In "Cement Learning With Fun," Paige Parker Salazar advises facilitators to endeavor to understand themselves and their learners. That involves issuing personality and learning assessments, then adapting the method to personal style while modifying the training session itself to the learners' styles. Does fun come naturally to the facilitator or do they need to be intentional? Would learners work better in teams, with attention, or with focused activities? What kind of icebreakers best serve a class for company leadership?

There are many natural points during a training session that lend themselves to inserting engaging activities.

• Beginning with a fun activity that introduces learners to each other can foster a safe and more trusting space for learning.

• A short activity that is unrelated to dense or emotionally taxing course material, such as trivia or Scattergories, can give learners' brains a break and lead to greater results once the facilitator returns to the curriculum.

• An exercise that requires learners to move around can improve their focus and memory retention.

• Use role-play or movement-oriented activities mid-afternoon when energy often lags.

• A game—such as Jeopardy!—at the end of a training course can reinforce content and reveal knowledge retention.

These tips were adapted from the May 2025 issue of TD at Work. Learn more at td.org/TDatWork.