The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
Week Twelve focuses on strengthening gratitude, empathy, teamwork, and emotional awareness through a blend of energising movement activities and reflective SEL-based tasks. Students engage in fun, interactive games that build memory, coordination, and social connection, beginning with Name Bop, which encourages quick thinking, name recognition, and confidence in working with peers. My Happy Place deepens emotional reflection by helping students identify places that make them feel calm, safe, and joyful, allowing them to express these feelings creatively through drawing and writing. These activities work together to strengthen social bonds, emotional intelligence, and student well-being.
The week also incorporates physical fitness and teamwork through Letters and Numbers, where students complete exercises based on randomly selected cards. This builds coordination, communication, and group cooperation. Empathy Mirrors closes the week by strengthening students’ ability to recognise, interpret, and reflect emotions through non-verbal cues, supporting stronger empathy and emotional connection. Together, these activities promote whole-child development, boosting fitness, social confidence, emotional expression, and a sense of belonging within the group.
Weekly Lessons
Name Bop
Name Bop is a fast-paced icebreaker that helps students learn each other’s names while building confidence and connection. As players sit in a circle and react to names being called, they strengthen recall, sharpen attention, and practise responding under pressure, all within a fun, low-stakes environment. The playful tension of trying to speak before being tapped keeps students engaged and laughing, while also encouraging them to stay alert and tuned into the group.
The activity also fosters a supportive, collaborative atmosphere, as students cheer each other on and develop stronger familiarity with their peers. Whether they’re the Bopper in the middle or part of the circle, every participant is practising quick thinking, listening skills, and social awareness. Name Bop is an ideal opener for new classes, teams, or groups, helping everyone feel more comfortable, connected, and ready to engage together.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Following Directions
Name Bop helps students to:
- Practise active listening by tuning in closely to names being called around the circle.
- Respond clearly and confidently by saying their own name and a peer’s name under time pressure.
- Follow game instructions accurately, improving their ability to act quickly and appropriately in social situations.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This activity supports students to:
- Engage positively with peers, learning each other’s names and building a sense of belonging in the group.
- Encourage and support classmates during fast-paced moments, fostering a friendly, playful environment.
- Show good sportsmanship by celebrating successful responses and handling mistakes with kindness and humour.
Respect, Inclusivity & Shared Values
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Treat all classmates with respect by learning and using their names correctly.
- Create an inclusive circle where everyone is acknowledged, valued, and part of the shared experience.
- Use respectful language and behaviour, reinforcing a classroom culture built on kindness, recognition, and connection.
Self-Regulation, Confidence & Managing Quick Decisions
Name Bop encourages students to:
- Stay calm and think quickly even when they feel the pressure of the game.
- Build confidence as they improve in recalling names, responding under pressure, and participating in front of the group.
- Manage feelings of excitement or nervousness, developing resilience through repeated low-stakes challenges.
Movement, Physical Well-Being & Active Engagement
This activity helps students to:
- Stay physically engaged by reacting to the Bopper’s movement and staying alert in the circle.
- Develop coordination and timing as they respond at the right moment before being tapped.
- Experience joy and energy through playful movement, boosting overall well-being and classroom positivity.
My Happy Place
My Happy Place invites students to pause, breathe, and connect with the places that bring them comfort, joy, and calm. Whether it’s a cosy bedroom, a favourite park, a beach holiday spot, or a world they imagine in their minds, students reflect on the environments where they feel most safe and relaxed. By thinking about why these spaces matter, they develop deeper self-awareness and emotional understanding, key skills for managing big feelings and knowing what helps them reset.
Through drawing and writing, students bring their happy places to life and share them with others, building connection and empathy within the group. The activity creates a gentle, supportive atmosphere where everyone’s safe space is valued and celebrated. My Happy Place helps students recognise the power of having somewhere, real or imagined, that fills them with peace, grounding, and positivity, and reminds them they can return to it anytime they need.
Respectful Relationships
Emotional Literacy, Self-Awareness & Understanding Feelings
My Happy Place helps students to:
- Recognise and name emotions connected to calm, joy, comfort, and safety.
- Reflect on what environments help them feel grounded, peaceful, and emotionally secure.
- Build self-awareness by identifying personal triggers for positive feelings and emotional regulation.
Communication, Expression & Sharing Personal Experiences
This activity supports students to:
- Express their inner world through drawing and writing, using creative tools to communicate feelings.
- Describe their emotional connection to a special place with clarity and confidence.
- Participate in meaningful conversations where they share and listen respectfully to others’ happy places.
Respect, Inclusivity & Valuing Individual Differences
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Respect that everyone’s happy place is unique, real, imaginary, quiet, busy, indoor, or outdoor.
- Appreciate the perspectives and emotional needs of others, building empathy and understanding.
- Create an inclusive, supportive classroom environment where personal experiences are honoured and celebrated.
Well-Being, Self-Care & Healthy Coping Strategies
My Happy Place encourages students to:
- Discover healthy strategies for calming their bodies and minds during moments of stress or overwhelm.
- Build a toolkit of positive imagery and reflective practices that support emotional well-being.
- Understand the importance of having safe, comforting spaces, real or imagined, to relax and recharge.
Connection, Belonging & Positive Classroom Community
This activity helps students to:
- Connect with peers by sharing personal stories that deepen understanding and trust.
- Celebrate diverse experiences, strengthening a sense of belonging and psychological safety.
- Contribute to a positive classroom culture by creating a “Happy Place Wall” that showcases joy, comfort, and community.
Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers turns a simple deck of cards into a fast-paced, high-energy fitness challenge where movement and teamwork come together. In pairs, students sprint to collect a combination of number and letter cards, then race back to complete the exercise that matches their draw, whether it’s high knees, star jumps, quick feet, air punches, or the wild-card favourite, jumping jaguars. Each round brings a new mix of movements, keeping the activity unpredictable, fun, and physically engaging. Students stay active from start to finish, building strength, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness while responding quickly to whatever the cards throw at them.
The game naturally builds teamwork as pairs support each other, count reps together, and push through challenges to complete as many card combinations as possible. A friendly competitive element keeps motivation high, but the real win is the shared effort, encouragement, and energy buzzing through the group. Easy to set up and adaptable for any age or fitness level, Letters and Numbers is a lively way to get students moving, cooperating, and having a great time while strengthening their well-being.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Cooperation & Working as a Team
Letters and Numbers supports students to:
- Communicate clearly with a partner as they decide how to complete each exercise together.
- Build cooperation skills by sharing tasks, encouraging each other, and working toward a common team goal.
- Practise taking turns, listening to instructions, and responding positively to teammates during fast-paced challenges.
Respect, Fair Play & Positive Participation
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Follow shared rules to ensure fairness, safety, and a fun experience for all participants.
- Show respect for others by waiting their turn, supporting teammates, and celebrating everyone’s efforts.
- Engage in friendly competition that emphasises doing their best, not just winning.
Self-Regulation, Resilience & Managing Physical Challenges
Letters and Numbers encourages students to:
- Manage big energy and excitement by staying focused on the task and controlling their bodies during movement.
- Bounce back when a task feels difficult, practising persistence and effort in a supportive environment.
- Build confidence as they complete exercises successfully and track their progress as a team.
Movement, Physical Well-Being & Active Engagement
This game helps students to:
- Stay active through a variety of fun, fast-paced exercises that improve strength, coordination, and fitness.
- Adapt quickly to new tasks, responding to random card draws with different movements and challenges.
- Experience the joy of movement through playful, energetic activity with peers.
Relationship Building, Encouragement & Shared Success
Letters and Numbers allows students to:
- Strengthen peer relationships by working closely with a partner to solve tasks and complete exercises.
- Build a sense of shared achievement as their completed card pile grows through teamwork.
- Develop positive peer interactions by offering encouragement, celebrating effort, and recognising improvement.
Empathy Mirrors
Empathy Mirrors is a simple but powerful partner activity that helps students build emotional awareness by tuning into each other’s facial expressions and body language. As one partner displays an emotion and the other mirrors it back, students practise recognising emotional cues and responding with understanding. This playful mirroring helps them slow down, observe closely, and appreciate the feelings behind someone else’s expression, making empathy a lived, felt experience rather than just an abstract idea.
Through switching roles, sharing reflections, and exploring a range of emotions, students strengthen their ability to connect with peers in a compassionate and supportive way. Empathy Mirrors creates a safe space for students to explore emotions, communicate without words, and deepen their emotional intelligence. It’s a gentle, low-pressure activity that builds trust, connection, and empathy, essential ingredients for a positive and emotionally aware classroom community.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding Emotions, Empathy & Perspective-Taking
Empathy Mirrors helps students to:
- Recognise emotional cues in others by observing facial expressions and body language closely.
- Practise identifying a wide range of emotions, building emotional vocabulary and awareness.
- Strengthen empathy by mirroring a partner’s feelings, helping them understand what others may be experiencing internally.
Communication, Active Listening & Non-Verbal Expression
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Use non-verbal communication, eye contact, expressions, posture, to connect with their partner.
- Pay focused attention to small emotional signals, improving listening and observation skills.
- Respond with understanding rather than judgement, demonstrating care and emotional responsiveness.
Respect, Safety & Supportive Interactions
Empathy Mirrors supports students to:
- Treat their partner’s emotions respectfully, creating a safe space for sharing and expressing feelings.
- Show kindness and gentleness when engaging with someone who might be expressing a difficult emotion.
- Develop trust by responding thoughtfully, helping peers feel seen, valued, and understood.
Self-Regulation, Emotional Awareness & Reflection
This activity encourages students to:
- Notice how different emotions feel in their own bodies as they act them out.
- Reflect on their personal emotional responses, increasing emotional self-awareness.
- Build confidence expressing emotions in a controlled, playful setting, supporting emotional regulation.
Positive Peer Connections, Cooperation & Shared Understanding
Empathy Mirrors allows students to:
- Strengthen peer relationships through meaningful, emotionally attuned interaction.
- Work cooperatively in pairs, taking turns and supporting each other with care.
- Build a more compassionate classroom culture where students feel comfortable expressing how they feel.
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