The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
Week Twenty brings together a vibrant mix of teamwork, empathy, communication, and joyful physical activity. Students work collaboratively in Lines and Blobs, a fast-paced challenge that strengthens communication and group problem-solving as they organise themselves based on different criteria. Sharing with Friends encourages students to reflect on the emotional impact of kindness, helping them understand how small acts, like sharing, can deepen friendships and build trust. These activities create a supportive space for social connection and self-expression while helping students recognise the importance of kindness in their everyday interactions.
The week also supports physical and emotional well-being through active and reflective experiences. Scavenger Hunt Sprint boosts fitness, agility, and problem-solving as students race to complete tasks and uncover hidden items, fostering perseverance and teamwork. Walk in My Shoes Day brings empathy to life, allowing students to step into someone else’s experience and understand the challenges others face. Together, these activities cultivate emotional intelligence, teamwork, and compassion, helping students learn to care for themselves, connect deeply with others, and appreciate diverse perspectives in a fun, engaging, and meaningful way.
Weekly Lessons
Lines and Blobs
Lines and Blobs is a fast-paced, high-energy activity where students work together to organise themselves into lines or groups (“blobs”) based on fun, shared characteristics. Whether they’re lining up by birthday, forming blobs of students with the same favourite colour, or silently arranging themselves using only gestures, students must collaborate quickly and communicate clearly to complete each challenge. The game encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and social connection as students discover commonalities and learn to rely on one another to meet the criteria.
As the prompts change, students practise verbal and non-verbal communication, adapt their strategies, and experience the importance of working efficiently as part of a team. After the activity, reflecting on the strategies they used and the challenges they encountered helps deepen their understanding of collaboration and group problem-solving. Lines and Blobs is an engaging way to build community, boost energy, and strengthen communication skills in any classroom or group setting.
Respectful Relationships
Respect, Empathy & Positive Relationships
This activity encourages students to:
- Recognise shared characteristics with classmates, helping build empathy and a sense of belonging.
- Understand and appreciate similarities and differences within the group.
- Strengthen positive relationships by working cooperatively in fast-paced, team-focused tasks.
Emotional Literacy, Self-Awareness & Understanding Others
Students learn to:
- Notice how they feel when they collaborate under time pressure or when communication becomes challenging.
- Understand how their behaviour and communication style can influence others.
- Build awareness of how group dynamics shift as teams form, reorganise, and solve problems together.
Social Skills, Cooperation & Communication
This activity supports students to:
- Use clear verbal and non-verbal communication to organise themselves effectively.
- Listen to others, interpret instructions, and negotiate group decisions quickly.
- Collaborate respectfully, adapting to different communication methods such as silent or gesture-only challenges.
Help-Seeking, Helping Others & Community Support
Students develop the ability to:
- Support classmates who may be unsure where to stand or how to interpret the criteria.
- Offer guidance and encouragement to peers to ensure everyone feels included in the group formation.
- Recognise the value of collective effort and how working together leads to successful outcomes.
Identity, Agency & Positive Contribution
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Contribute their personal information (e.g., favourite colour, birth date, house number) confidently to help the group succeed.
- Take initiative in guiding or organising peers, showing leadership in a collaborative context.
- Understand how their unique characteristics add value to the group and help shape the team’s success.
Sharing with Friends
Sharing with Friends invites students to pause and reflect on the simple but powerful act of sharing. By thinking about a moment when they offered something to a friend, whether a favourite toy, a snack, or even a meaningful experience, students begin to recognise how sharing strengthens relationships and helps friendships grow. Through writing or drawing, they explore not just what they shared, but how it felt for both people, building awareness of the emotional ripple effect kindness creates.
As students express their experiences creatively, they develop a deeper appreciation for how small acts of generosity can make others feel valued and included. The activity encourages empathy, communication, and reflection, helping students understand that sharing is more than giving something away, it’s about connection. Sharing with Friends is a gentle, meaningful way to spark conversations about kindness and celebrate the positive moments that strengthen friendships.
Respectful Relationships
Respect, Empathy & Positive Relationships
This activity encourages students to:
- Understand how sharing strengthens friendships and builds trust.
- Recognise how their actions impact others’ feelings in positive ways.
- Develop empathy by considering how their friend felt during the shared moment.
Emotional Literacy, Self-Awareness & Understanding Others
Students learn to:
- Identify and name the emotions they experienced when sharing (e.g., happiness, pride, connection).
- Reflect on how sharing changes the emotional tone within friendships.
- Understand the link between kind actions and positive emotional outcomes for themselves and others.
Social Skills, Cooperation & Communication
This activity supports students to:
- Communicate about past social interactions in a clear and thoughtful way.
- Strengthen cooperation by discussing shared experiences and understanding their role in positive social interactions.
- Practise verbal and non-verbal communication when discussing or drawing moments of sharing.
Help-Seeking, Helping Others & Community Support
Students develop the ability to:
- Recognise sharing as a form of supporting and caring for others.
- Understand that offering something (time, objects, kindness) can make others feel valued and included.
- Reflect on how they might continue helping and sharing in future interactions with peers.
Identity, Agency & Positive Contribution
Through this activity, students learn to:
- See themselves as capable of contributing positively to friendships through sharing.
- Build confidence in the kindness-based choices they make.
- Recognise sharing as part of who they are and the kind of friend they want to be.
Scavenger Hunt Sprint
Scavenger Hunt Sprint is a fast-paced, movement-packed activity that blends physical fitness with problem-solving fun. Students race to find hidden objects around a set area, completing a physical task each time they locate an item. Whether they’re sprinting, jumping, or tackling quick fitness challenges, students build strength, agility, coordination, and stamina in an exciting, game-style format that keeps them fully engaged. The scavenger-hunt clues and exercise tasks add an element of strategy and focus, encouraging students to move with purpose and think on their feet.
As students work individually or in teams, they practise cooperation, stay active, and challenge themselves to complete each item as quickly and efficiently as possible. The combination of searching, thinking, and exercising makes this game both mentally and physically stimulating, promoting teamwork, independence, and persistence. Scavenger Hunt Sprint is a brilliant way to build fitness, sharpen problem-solving skills, and keep students energised through play.
Respectful Relationships
Respect, Empathy & Positive Relationships
This activity supports students to:
- Cooperate with partners or teammates while completing shared tasks.
- Encourage and support others during physical challenges, building positive peer interactions.
- Recognise that teamwork, kindness, and encouragement help everyone experience success.
Emotional Literacy, Self-Awareness & Understanding Others
Students learn to:
- Notice their emotional responses to challenge, competition, success, and frustration.
- Reflect on how physical activity affects their mood and confidence.
- Develop self-awareness by recognising feelings of excitement, determination, or overwhelm during fast-paced tasks.
Social Skills, Cooperation & Communication
This activity strengthens students’ ability to:
- Communicate clearly and respectfully as they plan and complete tasks with a partner or team.
- Share responsibility when finding items and completing physical challenges.
- Practise positive teamwork behaviours such as turn-taking, encouragement, and listening.
Help-Seeking, Helping Others & Community Support
Students are encouraged to:
- Ask teammates for help when needed and offer support to others during difficult tasks.
- Recognise that working together can make challenges easier and more enjoyable.
- Understand that helping others contributes to a supportive and inclusive team environment.
Identity, Agency & Positive Contribution
Through this activity, students:
- Experience a sense of agency as they make decisions, solve problems, and choose strategies for completing tasks.
- Build confidence in their physical abilities and problem-solving skills.
- See themselves as capable contributors to shared goals, reinforcing pride, responsibility, and positive identity.
Dice Towers
Dice Towers is a fun, fast-paced game that blends strategy, number recognition, and turn-taking as students race to build a tower from 1 to 6. Players roll their dice in turns, using careful thinking and number order to construct their tower while also watching for chances to knock off their opponent’s top dice once they reach the later stages of the game. The mix of luck and strategy keeps students engaged, while the structured order of play helps develop numeracy, problem-solving, and fair gameplay habits.
Alongside the competitive element, Dice Towers includes a powerful gratitude reflection that encourages emotional awareness and positive connection. After each game, both players answer a gratitude question, turning a simple dice battle into a meaningful moment of reflection, appreciation, and friendship-building. This combination of playful challenge and thoughtful conversation makes Dice Towers an ideal activity for strengthening relationships, practising sportsmanship, and building a growth-minded classroom culture.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Following Directions
Dice Towers helps students to:
- Practise taking turns respectfully and listening carefully during structured gameplay.
- Follow clear rules and sequences (rolling numbers 1–6), reinforcing focus and attention.
- Communicate positively with their partner, especially during the gratitude reflection questions.
Cooperation, Teamwork & Positive Peer Interaction
This game supports students to:
- Engage in friendly competition while still showing encouragement and fairness toward their partner.
- Respond kindly whether they are in the lead or behind, strengthening supportive peer interactions.
- Celebrate each other’s efforts, using the end-game reflections to deepen connection and understanding.
Respect, Fair Play & Shared Rules
Through this activity, students learn to:
- Stick to the rules of sequential tower-building, promoting honesty and fair gameplay.
- Manage frustrations respectfully when their dice don’t roll the numbers they need, or when their tower gets knocked off.
- Show sportsmanship, accepting both winning and losing with gratitude and maturity.
Self-Regulation, Confidence & Managing Quick Decisions
Dice Towers encourages students to:
- Stay calm and patient as they wait for specific dice rolls and deal with unpredictability.
- Make quick strategic decisions during Knock-Off Mode, building confidence in their thinking under pressure.
- Regulate emotions throughout the game and express themselves positively during the gratitude questions.
Identity, Personal Strengths & Positive Mindset
This activity allows students to:
- Reflect on their strengths, experiences, and feelings during the gratitude element.
- Build self-esteem by expressing appreciation for what they value in themselves and others.
- Recognise how positive language, mindset, and gratitude shape healthy relationships.
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