The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
Key Focus for Year 1–2 Teachers:
At this level, students begin to explore their relationships with themselves and others. They learn to understand their own emotions better, develop empathy, manage problems, and practise fairness and inclusion in real-life situations.
Core Learning Objectives:
- Emotional Literacy
- Enhance students' ability to identify a broader range of emotions.
- Teach how emotions feel in the body and how they change in different situations.
- Help students recognise emotions in others.
- Personal Strengths
- Support students to identify their strengths and those of their classmates.
- Use language that boosts self-confidence and encourages positive self-talk.
- Positive Coping
- Introduce a variety of coping strategies (e.g. deep breathing, going for a walk, talking it out).
- Help students recognise which strategies work best for them.
- Problem-Solving
- Teach step-by-step approaches to resolve social conflicts (e.g. stop, think, choose).
- Encourage role-playing with standard classroom and playground problems.
- Stress Management
- Support students to understand what stress feels like and how to reduce it.
- Use calming techniques as daily classroom routines (e.g. mindfulness, quiet corner).
- Gender and Identity
- Continue to challenge gender stereotypes and promote inclusive behaviours.
- Reinforce that everyone can do anything, no matter their gender.
- Positive Relationships
- Deepen understanding of friendship qualities like kindness, fairness, and honesty.
- Help students learn how to make and repair friendships.
- Help-Seeking
- Practice how to ask for help from adults and peers in a range of scenarios.
- Build confidence in recognising when and how to seek support.
Tips for Teaching at Years 1–2 Level:
- Keep it concrete and playful: Use stories, puppets, games, and visuals to support learning.
- Model healthy relationships: Consistently demonstrate respectful communication and fairness.
- Practice daily: Integrate emotion check-ins, kindness moments, and partner sharing into your routine.
- Name strengths often: Use character strength language in feedback ("That showed persistence!").
- Celebrate differences: Regularly affirm that every student is unique, meaningful, and included.
- Empower with language: Give students the words to name feelings and ask for what they need.
Years 1–2 is all about:
- Understanding emotions
- Celebrating strengths
- Solving problems
- Being a kind friend
- Knowing when to ask for help
Weekly Lessons
Respect Quest: The Amazing Race
Respect Quest: The Amazing Race is a high-energy, team-based activity that challenges students to work together through a series of playful stations focused on respect, inclusion, trust, and communication. As teams rotate through each challenge, students practise collaboration, take turns leading and supporting one another, and experience firsthand how shared responsibility and positive teamwork help groups succeed. The fast-paced, game-like structure keeps students engaged while reinforcing respectful behaviour in a fun and meaningful way.
The reflection at the end of the quest is just as powerful as the challenges themselves. By discussing what helped their team succeed, how they included others, and what strengths each person brought to the group, students build self-awareness and appreciation for diversity within teams. Respect Quest celebrates cooperation over competition, helping students recognise that respect, kindness, and inclusion are essential skills for everyday school life and beyond.
Respectful Relationships
Teamwork & Collaboration
This activity supports students to:
- Work cooperatively toward shared goals.
- Value every team member’s contribution.
- Understand that success comes from working together respectfully.
Inclusion & Belonging
Students are encouraged to:
- Actively include all team members in tasks.
- Ensure everyone has a role and a voice.
- Recognise how inclusion helps people feel safe and valued.
Shared Leadership & Responsibility
Through rotating challenges, students learn to:
- Take turns leading and supporting others.
- Share responsibility rather than dominate tasks.
- Appreciate different leadership styles within a group.
Respectful Communication
This activity helps students to:
- Use clear, kind, and encouraging language.
- Listen carefully to instructions and peer ideas.
- Respectfully provide guidance and feedback.
Trust & Cooperation
Students are supported to:
- Build trust through guided and cooperative tasks.
- Rely on others for support and direction.
- Understand that trust grows through respectful actions.
Empathy & Appreciation of Others
Through reflection and sharing, students practise:
- Recognising strengths in their peers.
- Expressing admiration and gratitude toward others.
- Valuing similarities and differences within a team.
Problem-Solving & Flexibility
This activity encourages students to:
- Adapt strategies when challenges arise.
- Solve problems together rather than individually.
- Stay positive and flexible when tasks feel tricky.
Reflection & Self-Awareness
Students are guided to:
- Reflect on what helped their team succeed.
- Identify behaviours that supported respectful teamwork.
- Recognise their own strengths within a group.
Positive Classroom Culture
“Respect Quest: The Amazing Race” helps create:
- A classroom culture built on cooperation and respect.
- Stronger peer relationships through shared success.
- A shared understanding that respect is shown through actions, words, and teamwork.
Puppet Play
Puppet Play is a creative, hands-on activity that invites students to explore emotions, relationships, and problem-solving through imaginative storytelling. By designing their own puppets and acting out social scenarios, students learn to recognise different feelings, understand how emotions influence behaviour, and practise expressing empathy and kindness in everyday situations. The playful nature of puppets creates a safe and engaging space for students to explore tricky social moments without pressure.
Working in small groups, students collaborate to plan, rehearse, and perform short puppet shows that focus on respectful choices and inclusive behaviour. Through shared storytelling, they practise communication, teamwork, and listening to others’ ideas, while reflecting on how conflicts can be resolved fairly and kindly. Puppet Play supports emotional literacy, empathy, and positive relationship skills in a way that feels fun, creative, and meaningful for young learners.
Respectful Relationships
Emotional Literacy & Awareness
This activity supports students to:
- Recognise and name a range of emotions through puppet characters.
- Understand how feelings influence behaviour and choices.
- Build emotional language in a safe, imaginative context.
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
Students are encouraged to:
- Step into the role of different characters and viewpoints.
- Consider how others might feel in social situations.
- Respond with care, understanding, and compassion through storylines.
Respectful Problem-Solving
Through guided scenarios, students learn to:
- Identify social challenges such as conflict or exclusion.
- Explore kind and fair solutions to relationship problems.
- Practise resolving issues without blame or aggression.
Inclusion & Belonging
This activity promotes:
- Awareness of how it feels to be included or left out.
- Storylines that model welcoming and inclusive behaviours.
- Positive messages about making everyone feel valued.
Communication Skills
Students develop the ability to:
- Express thoughts and feelings through dialogue and play.
- Listen to peers’ ideas when planning and performing.
- Use respectful words to explain actions and solutions.
Teamwork & Collaboration
By working in small groups, students practise:
- Sharing ideas and taking turns during creation and performance.
- Cooperating to plan, rehearse, and present a shared story.
- Respecting different ideas and creative contributions.
Creative Expression & Imagination
This activity encourages students to:
- Use puppets as a creative tool for storytelling.
- Express emotions and social situations through play.
- Explore relationship skills in an engaging, playful way.
Reflection & Social Understanding
Through discussion and performance, students are supported to:
- Reflect on how characters felt and acted in the story.
- Identify respectful behaviours shown in the puppet show.
- Connect puppet scenarios to real-life friendships and relationships.
Respect Memory Match
Respect Memory Match is an interactive card game that helps students explore the difference between respectful and disrespectful behaviours in a clear, engaging way. By turning over cards and matching behaviour pairs, students practise observation and memory skills while developing a stronger understanding of social expectations and positive peer interactions. The game structure encourages students to slow down, think carefully, and recognise how everyday actions can either support or harm relationships.
The discussion element of the game is where the deeper learning happens. As students explain why a behaviour is respectful or disrespectful and how it makes others feel, they build empathy, reasoning skills, and confidence in using kind, thoughtful language. Respect Memory Match supports fair play, inclusion, and emotional awareness, helping students transfer these respectful choices from the game into their everyday classroom and playground interactions.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding Respectful Behaviour
This activity supports students to:
- Recognise clear examples of respectful and disrespectful actions.
- Understand social expectations within the classroom and playground.
- Build awareness of how everyday behaviours impact others.
Empathy & Social Awareness
Students are encouraged to:
- Consider how different behaviours make others feel.
- Develop empathy by discussing the emotional impacts of actions.
- Reflect on fairness, kindness, and care in peer interactions.
Reasoning & Moral Thinking
Through gameplay and discussion, students learn to:
- Explain why a behaviour is respectful or disrespectful.
- Make connections between actions and consequences.
- Practise thoughtful reasoning rather than guessing or copying others.
Respectful Communication
This activity promotes:
- Using calm, kind language when explaining ideas.
- Listening respectfully to others’ viewpoints.
- Sharing opinions without judgment or blame.
Positive Decision-Making
Students are supported to:
- Make fair and kind choices during structured play.
- Pause and think before deciding how to act.
- Transfer respectful decision-making into real-life situations.
Memory & Cognitive Skills
The matching format helps students to:
- Strengthen memory and concentration skills.
- Focus attention and recall information accurately.
- Engage in learning through playful challenge.
Inclusion & Fair Play
This game encourages:
- Turn-taking and patience during play.
- Equal participation and shared learning experiences.
- A classroom culture where everyone feels valued and included.
Reflection & Behaviour Awareness
Through prompts and explanations, students develop the ability to:
- Reflect on which behaviours are easiest or hardest to recognise.
- Identify respectful actions they can practise every day.
- Build confidence in choosing and modelling respectful behaviour.
Empathy Snap
Empathy Snap is a fast-paced, playful card game that helps students recognise emotions and connect feelings to real-life situations. By matching emotion cards with everyday scenarios, students practise identifying how someone might be feeling and begin to understand that emotions are often shaped by experiences. The familiar Snap-style format keeps the activity energetic and engaging, while still grounding learning in emotional awareness and social understanding.
The real power of Empathy Snap comes from the reflection and conversation built into each round. When students share times they’ve felt similar emotions and suggest kind, supportive actions, they strengthen empathy, perspective-taking, and respectful communication skills. This game supports positive relationship building and helps students transfer emotional literacy into everyday interactions, encouraging them to notice feelings in others and respond with care, kindness, and understanding.
Respectful Relationships
Emotional Awareness & Recognition
This activity supports students to:
- Recognise a range of emotions through facial expressions and scenarios.
- Notice emotional cues in others during play.
- Build sensitivity to how people might be feeling in different situations.
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
Students are encouraged to:
- Think about how another person might feel in a given scenario.
- Step into someone else’s experience with care and curiosity.
- Develop empathy by connecting emotions to real-life moments.
Kind & Supportive Responses
Through discussion and reflection, students learn to:
- Suggest kind and helpful actions to support others.
- Understand that empathy often leads to action, not just understanding.
- Practise caring responses that strengthen friendships.
Respectful Communication
This activity promotes:
- Using kind, thoughtful language when sharing ideas.
- Taking turns and listening respectfully during fast-paced play.
- Explaining thinking calmly, even during competitive moments.
Positive Peer Relationships
“Empathy Snap” helps students to:
- Build connection through shared play and discussion.
- Strengthen friendships by recognising and validating feelings.
- Practise being a supportive and caring peer.
Social Decision-Making
Students are supported to:
- Decide how to respond kindly when emotions are identified.
- Reflect on what might help someone feel better or supported.
- Apply empathetic thinking to everyday school situations.
Attention, Focus & Self-Regulation
The snap-style gameplay encourages students to:
- Stay focused and attentive during play.
- Manage excitement and quick reactions appropriately.
- Practise self-control while remaining engaged and enthusiastic.
Fair Play & Inclusion
This game reinforces:
- Turn-taking and fairness during group play.
- Inclusive participation where all voices are valued.
- Respect for others, regardless of who wins a round.
Reflection & Emotional Language
Through reflection prompts, students develop the ability to:
- Talk about emotions they recognise and experience themselves.
- Use emotional vocabulary with growing confidence.
- Reflect on how empathy can be shown in daily interactions.
Classroom Culture of Care & Respect
“Empathy Snap” helps create:
- A classroom environment where feelings are noticed and valued.
- Increased understanding that emotions are a shared human experience.
- A culture of kindness, empathy, and respectful relationships.
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