It is well known that fun is an important ingredient for positive learning experiences. So how does having fun, creating enjoyment, satisfying our curiosity, and being involved in positive social interaction enhance our ability to learn? The Oxford dictionary defines fun as ‘amusement, especially lively or playful’, but what exactly is fun? What happens in our brains when we are having fun? 

Having fun and being excited about learning increases brain-activity of neurons that use oxytocin (pleasure hormone), dopamine (reward, motivation, learning, senses, thinking hormone), and norepinephrine (energizing, attention hormone) which improve learning and memory.

Neurological research indicates that having fun while learning stimulates unique cognitive resources, associates reward and pleasure with information, strengthens and broadens memory networks, makes the gathering of information pleasurable, increases the brain’s flexibility, engages our senses, and improves the general quality of our learning experiences.

The benefits of having fun also include improved immune functioning, stress relief, increased tolerance for pain, improved cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, helps to overcome boredom, reduces the rigidity of the curriculum, allows more student-autonomy, and provides a sense of enjoyment.

The Brain Fun resources contain more than 1,000 thought-provoking puzzles and user-friendly activities that are able to be examined individually, in small teams, or in groups. Selected answers are provided, but in many instances, the outcomes will generate further discussion and much personal satisfaction.