GamesLab for Teachers

IT classes that excite — instead of PowerPoint slides about “What is an algorithm?”

Want to show your students what’s really possible with programming? We have everything you need: workshops, materials, a platform, training. And best of all: free.

What we offer you

The complete package for your classroom

1. Workshop at your school

We come to you with our team and all the equipment. A GamesLab workshop lasts one school morning (approx. 3–4 hours). Students learn:

• Game design — what makes a good game? Storytelling, game mechanics, level design
• Programming with Scratch — visual, browser-based, no installation needed
• Teamwork — playable prototypes emerge in small teams

By the end of the day, every team has its own game — and the experience that programming has nothing to do with boredom.

2. Handbooks for teaching and follow-up

Our didactic teacher’s handbook prepares the workshop content for regular classroom use. The student handbook supports independent continued work. Both handbooks are open source (CC BY 4.0) — copying, adapting, and sharing is explicitly encouraged.

Available as PDF, eBook (ePUB), and Word:

3. GamesLab Studio — the platform

After the workshop, your students can keep working independently on GamesLab Studio:

• Emoji login — no password, no email. 5 emojis are enough.
• Challenges — structured programming tasks with increasing difficulty
• XP & leaderboard — motivation through gamification
• Manage classes — you keep track of progress

The Studio is free, browser-based, and GDPR-compliant — no personal data needed.

4. Training & workshops

On request, we offer training for your staff:

• Scratch in the classroom — an introduction to visual programming
• Game design as a method — game development as a classroom project
• Using GamesLab Studio — setting up the platform, creating classes, assigning challenges

What teachers say

Teachers rate GamesLab 4.51 out of 5 points. 72% plan to integrate the content into their regular lessons.

Students rate it 4.03 out of 5 points — and 59% say they want to develop games themselves afterwards.

Who is GamesLab for?

• School types: Mittelschule, Realschule, Gymnasium, FOS/BOS, Wirtschaftsschule
• Grades: 5 to 13
• Subjects: computer science, IT, media education, art, project days
• Prior knowledge: none — neither for students nor teachers
• Cost: none

How to get started