The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
Week Thirty Eight invites students to explore and practise the powerful life skill of empathy. Through imaginative role-play, mindful movement, creative crafts, and reflective art experiences, children learn how to step into someone else’s “space boots” and understand feelings that may be different from their own. Whether they are acting out emotions, mirroring a partner’s movements, or crafting glasses that help them “see with kindness,” students experience empathy not just as a concept, but as a way of thinking, moving, and connecting with those around them. Guided by Neptune’s swirling, emotional depths, this week highlights the importance of listening with care, responding with compassion, and being present for others in quiet, meaningful ways.
These activities encourage students to recognise emotions, pay attention to body language, and respond thoughtfully to their peers. Walk in Their Space Boots teaches emotional awareness and caring communication, while Heart Glasses Craft lets students explore what the world might look like when viewed through kindness and perspective-taking. Mirror Me helps children practise non-verbal empathy through gentle, attentive movement, and Caring Boots offers a chance to visualise and commit to real acts of kindness in daily life. Together, these experiences nurture emotional intelligence and foster a classroom culture where children look out for one another. Week Thirty Eight ultimately reminds students that empathy is a superpower, one that strengthens friendships, calms challenges, and helps us walk gently through each other’s worlds.
Weekly Lessons
Walk in Their Space Boots
Walk in Their Space Boots invites students to practise empathy in a playful, imaginative way by literally stepping into someone else’s “space boots.” Through role-play, students explore different feelings, situations, and perspectives, helping them understand that everyone experiences emotions in unique ways. By pretending to be someone else, even just for a moment, students connect with the life skill of empathy, encouraged by Neptune’s message that emotions can be deep and powerful, and understanding them helps us care for one another.
The activity also strengthens kindness, communication, and emotional safety within the group. Students not only share how a character might feel but also practise responding with compassion, supportive words, and gentle understanding. As they switch roles, listen to peers, and talk about feelings, they build social awareness and emotional connection. Walk in Their Space Boots shows children that when we pause, imagine, and listen deeply, we become better friends, teammates, and helpers, just like astronauts supporting each other through the waves of Neptune.
Respectful Relationships
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
This activity supports students to:
- Step into another person’s experience and imagine how they might feel.
- Understand that people can experience the same situation differently.
- Build empathy by practising seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.
Emotional Awareness & Understanding Feelings
Students are encouraged to:
- Identify and name emotions such as sadness, nervousness, excitement, or disappointment.
- Recognise that emotions can be deep, complex, and change over time.
- Develop understanding that all feelings are valid and deserve care.
Active Listening & Attentive Presence
Through partner sharing, students learn to:
- Listen carefully without interrupting when others speak.
- Show interest and care through body language and respectful responses.
- Understand that listening is a powerful way to support others emotionally.
Respectful Communication
This activity helps students to:
- Practise speaking kindly and thoughtfully about emotions.
- Respond to others using supportive and respectful language.
- Build confidence in sharing feelings in a safe and structured way.
Kindness, Compassion & Care
Students develop the ability to:
- Respond compassionately when someone shares a difficult feeling.
- Offer supportive words or actions to help others feel understood.
- Learn that kindness strengthens relationships and emotional safety.
Inclusion & Belonging
By exploring different perspectives, students learn to:
- Respect differences in experiences, feelings, and backgrounds.
- Create a classroom environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
- Strengthen a sense of belonging through understanding and empathy.
Imaginative Role Play & Emotional Safety
This activity encourages students to:
- Use imaginative play as a safe way to explore emotions.
- Practise empathy without needing to share personal experiences.
- Build confidence through playful, low-risk emotional learning.
Supportive Classroom Culture
“Walk in Their Space Boots” helps create:
- A classroom culture where emotions are spoken about respectfully.
- Increased emotional safety through shared understanding.
- Stronger peer relationships are built on empathy, care, and connection.
Heart Glasses Craft
Heart Glasses Craft is a creative and meaningful activity that helps students explore empathy by making and decorating their own “heart glasses.” These colourful, heart-shaped glasses become a playful symbol of looking at the world with care, kindness, and understanding. As students design their glasses, they are encouraged to think about what empathy looks like, sharing, helping, listening, and being gentle with others, allowing big emotional concepts to become visible and tangible through art.
Once the glasses are complete, students wear them and participate in imaginative role-play, pretending to see the classroom through “kindness lenses.” They practise noticing others’ feelings, offering help, giving compliments, and thinking about how their actions impact their peers. This activity reinforces perspective-taking in a fun, memorable way and reminds students, just like Neptune teaches in The Playful Astronauts, that empathy grows when we choose to look deeper and see with our hearts.
Respectful Relationships
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
This activity supports students to:
- Imagine how others might be feeling in different situations.
- Practise seeing the world from someone else’s point of view.
- Develop understanding that everyone experiences emotions differently.
Emotional Awareness & Understanding Others
Students are encouraged to:
- Recognise emotions such as sadness, happiness, worry, or loneliness in others.
- Connect visual symbols (hearts) with caring and compassion.
- Build language to talk about feelings in gentle, age-appropriate ways.
Kindness & Compassionate Behaviour
“Heart Glasses Craft” helps students to:
- Reflect on how kind actions can support others.
- Practise choosing caring responses in everyday situations.
- Understand that kindness is an intentional choice.
Imaginative Play & Social Learning
Through creative role-play, students learn to:
- Use imagination to explore social and emotional situations.
- Act out kind and supportive behaviours in a safe way.
- Build confidence expressing empathy through play.
Respectful Communication
This activity promotes:
- Thoughtful listening when peers share ideas or feelings.
- Using kind words and gentle actions when interacting with others.
- Respect for different perspectives and emotional experiences.
Inclusion & Belonging
Students are supported to:
- Notice when someone may feel left out or unsure.
- Take small actions that help others feel included and valued.
- Build a classroom culture where everyone feels seen and cared for.
Self-Expression & Creativity
By designing their own heart glasses, students develop:
- Confidence in expressing ideas through art and design.
- Fine motor skills through cutting, decorating, and assembling.
- Pride in creating something meaningful with a positive message.
Positive Classroom Culture
“Heart Glasses Craft” helps create:
- A shared understanding that empathy is a valued skill.
- A safe environment where kindness is noticed and celebrated.
- Stronger peer relationships built on care, respect, and understanding.
Mirror Me
Mirror Me builds empathy through movement and shared attention as students take turns leading and copying gentle motions with a partner. By focusing closely on each other's actions, students practise non-verbal communication, compassion, and emotional tuning-in, skills that help them better understand how others feel. The slow, deliberate pace of the mirroring encourages calmness, connection, and mindful listening with the body.
As partners switch roles, students experience what it feels like to guide someone gently and what it feels like to be carefully followed, reinforcing mutual respect and kindness. This activity reminds learners that empathy isn’t just about words, it’s also about noticing, matching energy, and being fully present with another person. Inspired by Neptune’s soft, swirling calm, “Mirror Me” helps students understand that when we slow down and pay attention, we can better understand each other’s emotions and build stronger, more caring relationships.
Respectful Relationships
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
This activity supports students to:
- Tune into another person’s movements and energy.
- Practise understanding others without using words.
- Develop awareness that empathy begins with noticing.
Non-Verbal Communication Skills
Students are encouraged to:
- Use eye contact, posture, and movement to show attention.
- Recognise that communication happens through bodies as well as words.
- Respond thoughtfully to subtle cues from others.
Emotional Regulation & Calm Presence
“Mirror Me” helps students to:
- Slow their bodies and movements intentionally.
- Match the pace and energy of a peer.
- Practise calmness, patience, and gentle control.
Respectful Turn-Taking
Through shared mirroring roles, students learn to:
- Take turns being both leader and follower.
- Respect another person’s time and role.
- Experience balance and fairness in interactions.
Cooperation & Shared Attention
This activity promotes:
- Working closely with one partner toward a shared goal.
- Maintaining focus together without distractions.
- Building trust through coordinated movement.
Kindness & Consideration of Others
Students are supported to:
- Move gently to support their partner’s success.
- Adjust actions to help others feel comfortable and included.
- Show care through patience and thoughtfulness.
Connection & Belonging
As students mirror one another, they develop:
- A sense of closeness and shared experience.
- Stronger peer relationships through quiet connection.
- Feelings of being seen, valued, and understood.
Mindfulness & Awareness
“Mirror Me” helps create:
- Present-moment focus through observation and reflection.
- Awareness of how actions affect others.
- A classroom culture that values stillness, care, and empathy.
Caring Boots
Caring Boots is a gentle creative activity that helps students explore empathy by imagining what it feels like to “walk in someone else’s shoes.” Through tracing and decorating their own boots, children reflect on ways they can help, support, and care for others. The activity encourages emotional expression, imagination, and kindness, inviting students to think deeply about how their actions can make others feel safe, valued, and understood. Inspired by Neptune’s emotional depth, the task helps young learners connect the idea of empathy with the everyday steps they take.
As students fill their boot outlines with drawings or words that show caring actions, like helping a friend, listening, sharing, or offering comforting words, they begin to understand how small choices can create big moments of connection. Sharing their “caring boots” with the class reinforces community and gratitude, reminding everyone that empathy isn’t just a feeling; it’s something we carry with us wherever we go.
Respectful Relationships
Empathy & Perspective-Taking
This activity supports students to:
- Imagine what life might feel like from another person’s point of view.
- Understand that everyone has different needs, feelings, and experiences.
- Practise “walking in someone else’s shoes” as a way to build empathy.
Kindness & Caring Actions
Students are encouraged to:
- Identify simple, everyday ways they can help others.
- Recognise that small caring actions can make a big difference.
- See kindness as something they can choose and practise daily.
Emotional Awareness & Understanding Others
“Caring Boots” helps students to:
- Think about how actions affect other people’s feelings.
- Develop language to describe care, support, and compassion.
- Build awareness of emotions such as sadness, worry, or loneliness in others.
Respectful Communication
Through reflection and sharing, students learn to:
- Talk about caring actions using respectful and positive language.
- Listen attentively when others share their ideas.
- Respond with kindness and appreciation to different perspectives.
Self-Reflection & Responsibility
This activity promotes:
- Reflection on personal choices and behaviours.
- Understanding that everyone has a role in creating a caring community.
- Ownership of how their actions can support others.
Creativity & Expressive Thinking
Students are supported to:
- Use drawing, colour, and symbols to express empathy.
- Represent caring ideas visually in a meaningful way.
- Combine imagination with emotional understanding.
Connection & Belonging
As students share their Caring Boots, they develop:
- A sense of shared values around kindness and empathy.
- Stronger connections with peers through common goals.
- Feelings of belonging within a supportive classroom environment.
Positive Classroom Culture
“Caring Boots” helps create:
- A culture where empathy and kindness are visible and valued.
- Shared reminders that caring actions matter.
- A learning environment inspired by Neptune’s lesson that deep feelings are best met with understanding and care.
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