Abstract: the question of human activity motivation is of interest to researchers from ancient times to the present time. Today, science understands motivation as a complex phenomenon including a set of psychological characteristics of a person that are in constant development. Variability is the main and most important characteristic of motivation for educational and learning purposes, and therefore motivation can and should be the object of purposeful pedagogical influence in accordance with the requirements that time presents to the individual. Educational motivation is a particular type of motivation that provides cognitive activity and originates in cognitive and, as studies show, social needs of a person. This article provides a psychological and pedagogical justification for the use of game technologies in the educational process aimed at increasing motivation. Didactic game is considered as a special form of education, performing a number of pedagogical functions. Motivational possibilities of an educational game are considered through the concepts of emotions, interest, activity. Educational game is a natural transition from the leading game activity of younger students to educational, the turn to gaming technology easing its difficulty.
Keywords: education, game technologies, educational process, motivation