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In nearly every workshop we run, there's one thing that always shows up in people—the fear of failure. A reluctance to speak up. A fear of getting it wrong. And it's not just students. It's staff, leaders, teams. The fear of failure is one of the most common limiting blocks to learning.
It is shaped by systems that reward perfection instead of progress. By fixed mindsets that treat intelligence as static. The result? People play small to stay safe.
The good news is that with the right culture, we can break the stigma. 💗
Give people psychological safety, and they start taking chances. Celebrate effort, not outcomes, and they lean in. Let mistakes be shared without shame, and energy returns!
When it's safe to get it wrong, people start to learn in ways that truly matter.
This week, we're sharing how you can build failure-friendly environments, so you can foster cultures where mistakes aren't feared but embraced as part of the process. Let's dive in!
#370: Blow Your Own Trumpet & The Treasure Hunters Mindset
If fear of failure keeps you stuck, then one of the best ways to break free is to celebrate progress even when it's small and messy.
In this episode, Paul and I dig into the power of recognising wins, cultivating gratitude, and adopting what we call the Treasure Hunters mindset.
Beyond the laughs, this episode gets to the heart of teaching people to notice what's working, so you can create safer spaces for growth and development, and then replace the fear of being wrong with the freedom to show up fully.
Listen to Episode 370 to discover how to create a culture where effort is valued and joy is part of the process!
Giveaway
One of the biggest reasons failure feels so heavy? We don’t pause to reflect. We move on, bury the discomfort, and miss the lesson.
We’re big fans of failure forums and mistake celebrations for this. When you give yourself space to talk about what didn’t go to plan without shame, you begin to see failure for what it really is: productive, powerful, and necessary for growth.
We’re giving away the “Embrace Your Fail” Reflection Journal for students, parents, and professionals who want to turn setbacks into stepping stones in creating a more failure-friendly routine.
Grab your free copy now and start celebrating what didn’t go perfectly!
Daily Mission Cards
Powerful mindset shifts happen in moments that catch us off guard and make us feel just safe enough to take a risk.
This week's challenge: Find ways to smile more today, and better yet, make someone else smile with you!
In the classroom or office, it works even better as a daily ritual. Let a few students or staff kick off the day by sharing a joke. Attempt a pun. Be joyfully awkward.
It's an invitation to do something playful that might not land. It's still a win, even if no one laughs, because the point isn't the punchline. It's the courage.
Explore the Creative Play & Movement Mission Cards to foster a safer and structured productive failure that rehearses bravery before the stakes get big!
Paper Planes
It's hard for students to learn when every mistake feels like a mark against them. This week's game is a revolution.
Paper Planes starts as a simple challenge to design a paper plane that carries your "HELP" message the farthest.
How to play: You kick off with a story where the only hope of rescue lies in the paper in the students' hands. They'll research designs, fold their planes, and take three throws.
Students get to test, redesign, and try again week after week. They're building not just better planes, but stronger thinking, metacognition, and a tolerance for trial and error. This is when:
- Mistakes lose their sting.
- Every attempt becomes part of the process.
Plus, it's a lot of fun!
Visit the Jugar Life page here for more low-stakes activities and watch what happens when failure feels safe!
Jace Ferguson – Embracing Failure
Fear of failure isn't a mindset issue, but an emotional one.
This webinar is a powerful, practical talk led by international educator and consultant Jace Ferguson. With humour and hard-earned wisdom, Jace unpacks what it really means to approach failure from a place of psychological safety.
You'll learn:
- What a fail-positive mindset looks and feels like
- Simple tools you can use to reframe failure for yourself and others
- How to spot the learning opportunities that fear might be hiding
This session is hopeful and full of real-world insight.
Watch it here and discover that the very thing holding you back is the key to moving forward!
Student Voice, Leadership, and a Whole Lot of Fun
Last week, we had the privilege of being a guest on the new podcast Voices of the Creek, hosted by the incredible student leaders at Clyde Creek Primary School.
We love it when students have the opportunity to develop a new skill, such as hosting podcasts, as it creates a range of transferable skills that can be utilised in other areas of learning and life.
Anything that is student-led and driven is a win in our books. Well played, Clyde Creek PS and thanks for the invitation to be your first guest. We feel super special, and it was a pleasure talking to you.
We then conducted a fun session with the rest of the student leadership team, preparing them to deliver some of our FunShop activities to the Grade 2 and 3 students throughout Term 4.
Join us on this global journey of joy and connection! If you want to bring The School of Play to your community, fill out the form here ➡
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