The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
This week’s activities blend strategic thinking, physical fitness, teamwork, and emotional reflection to support the whole learner. Students participate in fast-paced games that challenge their prediction skills and encourage healthy competition, while also engaging in deeper exercises that develop self-awareness, goal setting, empathy, and communication. Whether guessing totals in Bam Bam Bam, planning future steps in Goal Setting for Success, analysing dice rolls in Duck Duck Dice, or sharing proud moments in Positive Reflection Bingo, students are supported to think critically, collaborate effectively, and respond with kindness and confidence.
Across the week, students practise estimating outcomes, breaking down goals, managing challenges, celebrating strengths, and engaging in respectful dialogue with peers. Physical activities woven throughout the games help build coordination, fitness, and resilience, while reflection-based tasks strengthen emotional intelligence and positive self-talk. By combining movement, strategy, and connection, this week empowers students to grow both socially and personally, recognising that success comes not just from winning games, but from trying new things, supporting others, and understanding themselves more deeply.
Weekly Lessons
Bam Bam Bam
Bam Bam Bam is a fast, energetic prediction game that gets students thinking, laughing, and working together. Players sit in a circle with their fists in the centre, quietly estimating how many total fingers the group will reveal. On the caller’s signal, “Bam Bam Bam!”, everyone taps their fists three times and then shows either one or two fingers. The excitement builds as players reveal their guesses and calculate the final total, sharpening their strategic thinking and estimation skills in a playful, low-pressure way.
The heart of the game is connection through communication and friendly competition. Players take turns being the caller, learn to read group patterns, and practice respectful interactions as they celebrate wins or handle close calls. Bam Bam Bam creates a high-energy atmosphere that strengthens prediction skills, teamwork, and quick mental maths, while also promoting positive social dynamics and making sure every player feels included, engaged, and ready for more.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Bam Bam Bam supports students to:
- Practise active listening as they pay attention to the caller’s voice, the countdown, and their peers’ guesses to stay in sync with the group.
- Express themselves respectfully when sharing their predictions, discussing outcomes, and communicating their reasoning with others.
- Understand different viewpoints by recognising that others may make different predictions based on their thinking, helping students appreciate perspective-taking.
Cooperation and Social Skills
The game helps students to:
- Work collaboratively by participating as a group, predicting totals together, and supporting each other through turns.
- Show fairness and kindness by congratulating the caller, accepting round outcomes respectfully, and showing good sportsmanship, win or lose.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging clever guesses, encouraging peers, and celebrating each other’s efforts in a positive and supportive way.
Safety and Acceptance
Bam Bam Bam encourages students to:
- Help others feel safe through respectful behaviour, fair turn-taking, and ensuring everyone gets the chance to participate.
- Accept others by recognising that each person brings their own strategic thinking and that all guesses are valued equally.
- Promote equality as every player takes turns being the caller, ensuring equal roles and contributions across the group.
Goal Setting for Success
Goal Setting for Success is a reflective activity designed to help students think intentionally about their future and the actions required to achieve meaningful outcomes. Students begin by choosing one realistic goal they want to accomplish within the next month, ensuring it is specific, achievable, and personally important. They then break it down into smaller, manageable steps, learning that big goals become far more achievable when turned into simple, bite-sized actions. This process encourages clarity, confidence, and a sense of purpose, helping students understand exactly how to move forward in a structured and motivating way.
As students plan their steps, they also reflect on the challenges they may face and how they can overcome them. This builds resilience, foresight, and problem-solving skills, key components of long-term success. The activity is empowering, positive, and practical, giving students a roadmap they can use not only for this goal but for any goal in the future. Whether done individually or shared in pairs or groups, Goal Setting for Success helps students take ownership of their aspirations and feel proud of the progress they can create for themselves through commitment and thoughtful planning.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
This activity supports students to:
- Practise active listening when discussing goals, challenges, or plans with a partner or class, showing interest and asking questions where needed.
- Express their needs respectfully by clearly articulating what they want to achieve and what support they may need from others.
- Understand different viewpoints as students hear how peers set goals, overcome challenges, and approach problems differently.
Cooperation and Social Skills
Goal Setting for Success encourages students to:
- Work collaboratively when sharing goals or brainstorming challenges in pairs or small groups, learning from each other’s thinking.
- Show fairness and kindness by encouraging peers, offering supportive ideas, and celebrating each other’s progress.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging the efforts of others and recognising the strengths and qualities their classmates bring to achieving their goals.
Safety and Acceptance
This activity helps students to:
- Feel safe sharing personal goals in a supportive and respectful environment where everyone’s ideas are valued.
- Accept others by recognising that goals, challenges, and strengths will look different for each person, and that is completely okay.
- Promote equality as every student has an equal opportunity to set a goal, plan steps, share ideas, and reflect on challenges in their own way.
Duck Duck Dice
Duck Duck Dice is a fast-paced, strategic dice game that blends maths, chance, and physical movement into one energetic experience. Players roll their five dice each round to try and match, or add up to, the value of the group’s “Boss Dice.” Any dice that successfully match or total the Boss number get promoted into the player’s “bucket,” helping them avoid exercises and keeping their score low. The excitement comes from thinking tactically about combinations, working quickly, and celebrating the triumphs and near-misses that unfold with every roll.
At the end of each round, players tally the dice that didn’t make it into their bucket, adding a fun fitness twist where everyone completes short exercises chosen by the round’s winner. This keeps energy high, bodies moving, and players fully engaged from start to finish. Duck Duck Dice encourages strategic thinking, teamwork, sportsmanship, and joyful movement, making it the perfect blend of learning, fitness, and fun for classrooms, families, or small groups.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Duck Duck Dice supports students to:
- Practise active listening by paying attention to the Boss Dice value, other players' decisions, and instructions for exercises.
- Express themselves respectfully when discussing strategies, asking questions, and celebrating others’ successful rounds.
- Understand different viewpoints as they consider how others choose to match or add dice and make strategic decisions differently.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This game encourages students to:
- Work collaboratively by playing in a shared space, taking turns, and supporting each other’s decisions throughout the game.
- Show fairness and kindness by respecting each player’s turn, following the rules, and demonstrating good sportsmanship, especially when fitness challenges are assigned.
- Show appreciation by celebrating peers’ clever strategies or low scores, and encouraging others during the physical movement challenges.
Safety and Acceptance
Duck Duck Dice helps students to:
- Make others feel safe by creating a respectful environment where everyone feels comfortable rolling, strategising, and participating in movement.
- Accept others by recognising that everyone plays differently and that strategies and outcomes will vary from player to player.
- Promote equality as each student has equal opportunities to roll the Boss Dice, make decisions, call out fitness exercises, and influence the game.
Dice Bingo Positive Reflection
Dice Bingo Positive Reflection is a warm, engaging partner activity that blends the fun of rolling dice with meaningful personal reflection. Players take turns rolling two dice to locate a question on the bingo grid and then share their positive memories, achievements, or experiences with their partner. Each response encourages students to reflect on the good moments in their lives, fostering self-awareness and reinforcing a growth-focused mindset. The game creates a comfortable space for students to communicate openly, express pride, and relive positive experiences.
As players mark their answers on the bingo grid, they also strengthen their listening skills and build deeper connections with their partner. The goal is to get five marked squares in a row, creating a playful sense of challenge while keeping the focus on positivity and connection. Dice Bingo Positive Reflection is a simple but powerful tool for boosting emotional well-being, fostering meaningful conversations, and helping students recognise the strengths and joyful moments that make them who they are.
Download the Dice Bingo PDF HERE.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Dice Bingo Positive Reflection supports students to:
- Practise active listening as they listen carefully to their partner’s reflective answers and respond respectfully.
- Express their own ideas clearly and kindly when sharing personal reflections and answering the bingo questions.
- Understand different viewpoints by hearing peers’ experiences and recognising that everyone has unique memories and feelings.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This game encourages students to:
- Work collaboratively with a partner to complete the bingo grid and celebrate each other’s progress.
- Show fairness and kindness by taking turns, sharing squares when needed, and respecting their partner’s contributions.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging their partner’s reflections and offering positive comments or encouragement.
Safety and Acceptance
Dice Bingo Positive Reflection helps students to:
- Feel safe to share by providing a calm, structured activity that promotes emotional safety and trust between partners.
- Accept others as they are by understanding that everyone has different experiences, challenges, and things they are proud of.
- Promote equality as all students have equal opportunities to participate, answer questions, and achieve bingo in a supportive, balanced environment.
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