The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
Week Ten brings together a lively blend of movement, gratitude, teamwork, and emotional reflection. Students stay active through energetic physical games like Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay and Five Little Monkeys, which strengthen coordination, motor skills, and whole-body fitness through fun jumps, spins, crawls, and story-based exercises. These activities keep students motivated and energised while encouraging quick thinking, rhythm, and group cooperation. Alongside the physical elements, students also nurture their emotional well-being by expressing gratitude, sharing positive memories, and deepening meaningful connections with classmates.
The week also emphasises kindness, empathy, and creative expression through reflective activities such as Gratitude Rainbow and Wellness Guess Who. Students identify and celebrate the positive aspects of their lives, share personal reflections, and practise active listening within a supportive group setting. These activities build social confidence, empathy, and appreciation, helping students understand how gratitude strengthens relationships and boosts emotional well-being. Together, the Week Ten activities create a powerful balance of movement, creativity, connection, and gratitude, helping students finish the cycle feeling uplifted, active, and more deeply connected to themselves and others.
Weekly Lessons
Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay
Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay is a fast-paced, high-energy group game that gets students laughing, jumping, spinning, and fully engaged from the very first moment. By responding quickly to simple commands, jump forward, jump backward, or spin, students practise listening skills, coordination, and quick reactions in a playful, low-pressure environment. The circle formation and shared movement create an instant sense of togetherness, helping students feel connected and ready for whatever comes next in the session.
As the pace increases and sequences become more challenging, students must focus, cooperate, and move in sync with the group, building teamwork and social awareness. The emphasis is on fun rather than competition, encouraging students to support each other and enjoy the collective challenge. Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay is a brilliant warm-up or brain break that boosts energy, promotes physical coordination, and strengthens group connection, all while filling the room with laughter and momentum.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Following Directions
Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay helps students to:
- Practise active listening by responding quickly and accurately to movement commands.
- Strengthen their ability to follow multi-step instructions, especially as the pace and sequences increase.
- Build concentration and attention, staying focused on the leader’s voice and the group’s rhythm.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This game supports students to:
- Work together in a circle, matching each other’s timing and movements to keep the group safe and in sync.
- Develop trust and connection through shared play, laughter, and collective success.
- Encourage and support one another when sequences become challenging, strengthening positive peer relationships.
Respect, Fair Play & Shared Rules
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Respect shared space by being aware of others, maintaining safe distances, and moving with care.
- Follow the agreed rules of the game, understanding that fairness and safety depend on everyone doing their part.
- Contribute to a positive, inclusive atmosphere where mistakes are accepted with kindness and playfulness.
Self-Regulation, Confidence & Managing Quick Decisions
Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay encourages students to:
- Respond to cues quickly while staying calm, practising impulse control and emotional regulation.
- Build confidence as they master new movement patterns and successfully complete sequences.
- Bounce back from mistakes, learning resilience through a playful, low-pressure environment.
Movement, Physical Well-Being & Active Engagement
This activity helps students to:
- Stay physically active through jumping, spinning, and coordinated movement.
- Improve balance, coordination, and reaction time through repeated motor pattern practice.
- Experience joy through movement, building positive associations with physical activity and group play.
Gratitude Rainbow
Gratitude Rainbow invites students to pause, reflect, and celebrate the colourful parts of their lives by connecting each band of a rainbow to something they appreciate. As they draw and fill in each colour, students explore gratitude across different areas, family, friends, hobbies, memories, and more, helping them notice the small and meaningful things that brighten their days. The creative process of writing or drawing inside each section makes the experience playful and expressive, supporting emotional awareness in a gentle, accessible way.
Once students have completed their rainbows, they reflect on how focusing on gratitude makes them feel and are encouraged to add even more things they’re thankful for. This simple moment of reflection helps them recognise the uplifting impact of gratitude and develops a habit of noticing the good around them. Whether shared in a group display or kept personal, Gratitude Rainbow is a vibrant reminder of positivity, connection, and the many reasons we have to feel grateful.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Sharing Personal Reflections
Gratitude Rainbow helps students to:
- Practise expressing their thoughts clearly through drawing and writing about meaningful parts of their lives.
- Share their personal reflections with peers, building confidence in talking about emotions and positive experiences.
- Listen respectfully to others’ gratitude stories, strengthening awareness of diverse perspectives.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This activity supports students to:
- Engage in supportive discussions when sharing their gratitude rainbows, celebrating each other’s ideas.
- Build positive peer relationships by recognising similarities and appreciating differences in what others value.
- Contribute to a collective “Gratitude Wall,” reinforcing a sense of community and connectedness.
Respect, Fair Play & Appreciating Diversity
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Value the different things their classmates are grateful for, showing respect for diverse backgrounds and experiences.
- Engage in the task honestly and thoughtfully, contributing meaningfully to class culture.
- Create an inclusive environment where everyone’s reflections are welcomed and respected.
Self-Regulation, Emotional Awareness & Building a Positive Mindset
Gratitude Rainbow encourages students to:
- Pause and reflect on the good things in their lives, developing the skill of emotional self-awareness.
- Recognise how gratitude impacts their feelings, supporting emotional regulation and optimism.
- Build confidence through personalised creative expression, reinforcing positive thinking habits.
Well-Being, Mindfulness & Appreciating Life’s Positives
This activity helps students to:
- Develop emotional well-being by focusing on moments, people, and experiences that bring joy.
- Practise mindful reflection through a calm, creative process, linking art with emotional expression.
- Develop a habit of gratitude, which supports long-term mental health and resilience.
Five Little Monkeys
Five Little Monkeys is a playful, high-energy movement adventure that blends a classic nursery rhyme with fun fitness challenges. As the story unfolds and each “little athlete” falls off the bed, students perform a series of exciting exercises, plank jacks, jump squats, burpees, bear crawls, sit-ups, and more. The singalong format keeps the rhythm lively, while the physical actions help students build strength, coordination, and endurance. Each verse invites them to imagine themselves as cheeky monkeys jumping on the bed, adding a spark of creativity and laughter to the workout.
This activity encourages students to follow directions, stay active, and engage fully with the story. The repeated pattern of movement, sound effects, “doctor’s orders” keeps them focused and entertained, while the final twist, when the instructor becomes the last monkey, ensures the adventure ends with big smiles. Designed for fun rather than competition, Five Little Monkeys builds confidence, boosts fitness, and leaves students energised and connected. It works beautifully in classrooms, group sessions, or even family settings, bringing together music, imagination, and movement in one joyful experience.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Following Directions
Five Little Monkeys helps students to:
- Listen closely to verbal and musical cues, responding with the correct movement at the right time.
- Follow sequential instructions during the story, such as switching between plank jacks, squats, burpees, crawls, and jumps.
- Strengthen focus and attention by syncing their actions to changes in the narrative and sound effects.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This activity supports students to:
- Participate together in a shared movement story, creating a sense of group rhythm and collective fun.
- Celebrate each other’s effort and energy, contributing to a playful and supportive environment.
- Demonstrate helpful behaviour such as giving space, encouraging peers, and engaging respectfully during high-energy moments.
Respect, Fair Play & Shared Rules
Through this adventure, students learn to:
- Respect the shared space, moving safely and responsibly around others.
- Follow agreed-upon rules (e.g., freeze when sound effects play, complete the doctor’s instructions before returning “to the bed”).
- Maintain a positive atmosphere where everyone feels included, capable, and valued, regardless of fitness level.
Self-Regulation, Confidence & Managing Physical Challenges
Five Little Monkeys encourages students to:
- Stay composed and persistent even when exercises become challenging, practising resilience through movement.
- Manage excitement during playful fitness tasks, balancing enthusiasm with self-control.
- Build confidence by completing a variety of movements, celebrating their effort and progress throughout the singalong.
Movement, Physical Well-Being & Active Engagement
This activity helps students to:
- Engage in full-body fitness movements, squats, jacks, push-ups, crawls, burpees, that build strength, endurance, and coordination.
- Enjoy being active through story-driven play, linking physical exercise with joy and imagination.
- Improve motor skills while pretending to be playful monkeys, making movement feel natural, creative, and fun.
Wellness Guess Who
Wellness Guess Who is a reflective and connection-building gratitude game where students write or draw a positive memory they are thankful for, drop it into a jar, and later listen as the memories are read aloud. Each note becomes a small moment of gratitude, something that made a student smile, feel proud, or feel loved. As the group listens and guesses who the memory belongs to, students practise empathy, communication, and active listening while celebrating the positive moments that shape their lives.
This activity gently encourages students to open up, share meaningful experiences, and learn more about each other in a safe, supportive way. With each reveal, students strengthen their classroom bonds and deepen their understanding of one another. Wellness Guess Who builds gratitude, connection, and emotional awareness, turning simple memories into powerful opportunities for community and wellbeing.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Sharing Personal Stories
Wellness Guess Who helps students to:
- Practise expressing positive memories and feelings clearly through writing, drawing, and discussion.
- Strengthen active listening skills as they pay close attention to clues, stories, and peer reflections.
- Build confidence in speaking about meaningful experiences in a safe, supportive environment.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This activity supports students to:
- Work together to guess which classmate shared each gratitude memory, fostering teamwork and collective problem-solving.
- Engage in supportive, positive interactions as they celebrate classmates’ stories and respond with kindness.
- Strengthen classroom bonds by learning more about one another’s happy moments, strengths, and experiences.
Respect, Empathy & Understanding Others
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Show respect by listening attentively and responding thoughtfully when peers share personal memories.
- Develop empathy by understanding the importance of positive moments in classmates’ lives.
- Appreciate the diverse experiences within the group, recognising that everyone values different things.
Self-Regulation, Emotional Awareness & Confidence
Wellness Guess Who encourages students to:
- Reflect on their own happy memories, building emotional awareness and gratitude.
- Manage any nerves about sharing personal experiences by participating in a low-pressure, playful format.
- Build confidence through storytelling, recognising that their experiences matter and contribute to the group’s connection.
Emotional Well-Being, Gratitude & Positive Mindsets
This activity helps students to:
- Focus on the positive aspects of their lives, strengthening gratitude and emotional well-being.
- Experience joy through remembering happy events and sharing them with others.
- Build a positive classroom climate where appreciation, kindness, and connection are nurtured.
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