Professor of SymbologyProfessor of Symbology | Art by Jason Rainville

If you've played Magic for any length of time, you know all about the proliferation of stuff that comes with the hobby. You've got your desk towers, closet boxes, draft leftovers in the glovebox...all of it is basically a rite of passage. Largely, the vast majority of any Magic collection is worth next to nothing and only really takes up space, but most of us keep it around. Why? We all have our reasons, but for many, it might boil down to simply not knowing what to do with all those cards.

MagiKids has an answer, though. The organization collects donated bulk and assembles it into free kits for classrooms, libraries, and after-school programs. If you've been at any large event, you've likely seen their setup — a booth or table crowded with families of Magic players, plenty of buzz and activity, and of course, big bins of donated cards.

We spoke with MagiKids about the philosophy behind the program, and with Alex, a teacher at Eagle Rock Middle School who offered his own experience with that donated bulk, but on the receiving end. In honor of educators everywhere, and in the season of students worldwide returning to school, let's talk Magic's educational value.

MagiKids

Speaking for MagiKids is Natalie Rosin, Administrative Lead for the organization since May of last year and veteran of the nonprofit sector. Natalie, also known as Giraffa Nat, is also a cosplayer, content creator and Magic player.

MagiKids talks about supporting the "intellectual health" of young people rather than test scores or grades. What does that phrase mean to you, and why is it the right way to frame what Magic does?

Intellectual health, for us, really embodies the vast number of skills that go beyond just standardized curriculum and classroom learning. We have seen how Magic can develop critical thinking, socialization, confidence, problem-solving and more. One of the beautiful things about the complexity of Magic is that it provides so many components. Just looking at the cards themselves, there's math, reading, art, language, history, and science. Once you get into the actual gameplay, you start bringing in the social aspects, decision making, and so on. Everyone has a different way of learning, and something like Magic allows people to utilize those preferred methods.

Walk me through Sort, Build, Play. Why those three steps, and what happens for a kid as they move through them?

The Sort, Build, Play curriculum is designed to provide a template. We chose these three steps because we found they are very applicable and flexible to all skill levels. As a veteran Magic player, you think about sitting down for a draft — once you have your cards you go through this same process. You sort your cards by color, type, or function, then you build your deck, and you play it.

For a new player, sorting through the bulk cards first allows them to start recognizing patterns and allows them to discover interests. Which card is your favorite so far — why is that card your favorite? Maybe it's the art, maybe it has really big numbers, maybe it has an interesting name. Once they've done that, they start building their decks. For brand new players, this could be a basic monocolor deck of ten lands and ten creatures. As they advance they can start adding in other cards, another color, until they reach the level of comfortably building a normal deck. In this step, we are applying those patterns and themes and thinking about things like mana cost — math, in other words.

The last part is play, which is where the kids get to learn, play, and engage with their peers through the game. That's where the magic happens.

The whole model runs on donated cards that would otherwise go unused — turning bulk nobody wants into free kits for classrooms. How did that idea come together?

The concept stems from the idea that while something may not have a use to you, it can have a use to someone else. For us, education and the future generation is something we care deeply about. Many of the groups that we provide these kits to are groups that don't have the funding for something like an after-school Magic program. Teachers already spend so much money out of their own pockets for their classrooms. So we decided to take cards that would be otherwise thrown away and put them into the hands of teachers and educators.

As we've grown, we now do the same with unused donated industry products, so that these programs aren't just receiving cards in their kits, but all the accessories that go along with the cards to make it a fuller experience.

What's a moment from the past year that made you certain this is working?

I wouldn't say there's just one big moment from the past year, but all the small moments that happen adding up together. Demand is incredibly high and our organization continues to grow. We've had an average of a 49% increase in kit applications this year compared to last. Every time we receive an email or a letter from teachers and students that demonstrate how important these resources are to them is a success for us. These teachers explain to us how they've seen growth in their students throughout the year.

If you could tell every teacher in the country one thing about what Magic can do for their students, what would it be?

Magic will help provide your students a sense of fulfillment. The beautiful thing about Magic is that it can be enjoyable for everyone, it helps create a sense of belonging, and the skills they gain will make an incredible long-lasting impact.

Alex, Eagle Rock Middle School

If Sort, Build, Play is MagiKids' philosophy in the abstract, middle school teacher Alex is the trio of verbs in action. Alex was one of those educators looking for a jumpstart through MagiKids to acquire the means to use Magic in the classroom, and he's got a lot to say on the subject.

How did you get started teaching Magic, and how did MagiKids come into it?

I started the Magic club here at Eagle Rock Middle School because I'm a huge Magic player. I found out that the only clubs we had available at our school were fishing (part of the year), skiing (part of the year), and sign language club. So, I brought in all of my old cards, built 40-card decks for the students, and started the club.

I came across MagiKids when I was Googling how to run a school Magic club and, more importantly, how to get more cards. At the time, I only had enough cards to make four decks. I was initially going to just print out a bunch of cards, but something told me the kids wouldn't have enjoyed that nearly as much.

When it comes to using Magic as an educational tool, what are the kids actually doing, and what are they getting out of it?

Right now, we are facing a literacy crisis with students, and Magic: The Gathering has been a phenomenal tool for encouraging not only reading, but comprehension.

Students have to read and understand what their cards say and then figure out how those effects interact with the other cards in their hands and on the battlefield. It encourages students to read and reread, talk, discuss, and even argue about whether or not they misunderstood an effect.

Those are all skills that are difficult to replicate with a workbook. Our students weren't just reading because they had to, they were reading because they wanted to understand what was happening in the game and how to win.

Which skills do you see Magic building, both rote skills and soft skills, and which one surprised you most?

Magic builds a surprising number of skills. On the academic side, students practice reading comprehension, critical thinking, problem-solving, math, planning, and following complex rules. They are constantly making decisions, evaluating consequences, and adapting their strategies based on what happens in the game.

On the soft-skills side, I've seen students develop communication, sportsmanship, patience, teamwork, and confidence. They have to explain their decisions, communicate with their opponents, resolve disagreements, and learn how to win and lose gracefully.

The skill that surprised me the most was confidence. I expected the students to improve at the game, but I didn't expect to see some of the quieter students become leaders within the club.

Magic can look intimidating from the outside. How do you get a brand-new kid over that first hump and into the fun?

The biggest factor was having physical things to give the students. We found that when we gave a student a physical deck, they would fall in love with having "their very own" deck. They would bring it back week after week and show it off to their friends, even if they didn't quite know how to play the game yet.

Having a welcoming environment was also incredibly important. Giving students a place where they could bring their friends and interact with adults they trusted encouraged them to give the club a chance in the first place. Once they had that initial connection to the game and the club, learning how to play became much less intimidating.

What do you say to a parent or colleague who wonders whether card games belong in a classroom?

It can be difficult to keep things creative and engaging in a classroom. My advice would simply be: give it a try before you make any judgments. You might be surprised by what students can learn when you give them something they genuinely want to engage with.

Is there one specific student who changed what you thought this could do for kids? Tell me about them.

We had one parent pull us aside and explain that his student really wanted to participate but was struggling with anxiety. He described his son as a very shy, quiet student, but he still made the effort to come to the club.

After just three days, this particular student was practically helping lead the club. He was welcoming new students, explaining rules, and even helped organize a fundraiser so our club could draft a set.

By the end of the first trimester, the other teachers on his team had noticed that his normally quiet demeanor had shifted. He had become a much more confident student.

While that was the most notable and drastic change we saw from the club, I can honestly say that all of our students left the end of the year a little brighter than when they came in. That, more than anything, is what made the club worthwhile.

Come to learn. Stay to teach.Come to learn. Stay to teach.

Next time you're lamenting all the space your draft chaff and bulk boxes take up in your house (and car, locker, desk drawers, and anywhere else you stack up cards), head on over to the MagiKids booth at an event or visit their website to learn about how to donate.

What's your experience with Magic as an educational tool, on either end? Can you point to a time when playing Magic had a noticeable impact on your own skills, social or otherwise? Or, if you're a parent or teacher, have you used Magic as a way to teach a kid? Let us know below!