The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
Week Fourteen brings together creativity, gratitude, teamwork, and physical engagement to create a vibrant and energising learning experience. Students begin with playful, imaginative social interaction through Knock Knock, where animal and object noises spark laughter, curiosity, and connection. The week then shifts into deeper personal reflection with Three Things I Love About Me, giving students the chance to recognise their strengths and build confidence in a supportive space. These activities not only promote fun and creativity but also strengthen students’ emotional awareness and capacity to appreciate themselves and others.
The week continues with active, strategic challenges like Dice Risk and Gratitude Maze, blending fitness with teamwork and mindful reflection. These games encourage students to make thoughtful decisions, collaborate effectively, and express gratitude for the people and experiences that matter most. Together, the activities create a rich balance of movement, creativity, and meaningful reflection, helping students build physical confidence, emotional resilience, and stronger social bonds within their classroom community.
Weekly Lessons
Knock Knock
Knock Knock is a lively, imaginative group warm-up game where creativity and quick thinking take centre stage. Players form a circle while one person stands blindfolded in the middle. The group completes simple exercises while the blindfolded player is spun gently, then points to someone in the circle and assigns them an animal or object to imitate. The chosen player must make the corresponding sound, while the blindfolded player listens closely and tries to guess who it is. The mix of silly noises, physical movement, and surprise moments keeps the energy high and laughter flowing.
This game strengthens social bonds by encouraging students to be playful, expressive, and supportive of one another. It develops active listening, observation, and confidence as students take turns guessing and performing. Whether used as an energiser, a connection starter, or a fun brain break, Knock Knock is designed to create a positive, inclusive atmosphere where creativity is celebrated and everyone feels free to join in the fun.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Listening & Respectful Interaction
This activity helps students:
- Practise active listening by tuning into sounds, voices, and clues while respecting others during gameplay.
- Communicate and interact respectfully, taking turns, encouraging others, and participating with positive energy.
- Follow instructions and respond appropriately, supporting a safe and inclusive play environment.
Empathy, Understanding & Social Awareness
Through the game, students learn to:
- Recognise and appreciate others’ efforts as peers use creativity to mimic animals or objects.
- Develop perspective-taking, understanding how others express themselves through sound and movement.
- Respond kindly and respectfully, acknowledging classmates’ contributions while enjoying the playful challenge.
Positive Group Participation & Building Belonging
This warm-up encourages students to:
- Collaborate as a group, ensuring the game runs smoothly and everyone has a turn or role.
- Celebrate creativity, boosting confidence and belonging through supportive group dynamics.
- Contribute to a fun, safe atmosphere, strengthening classroom relationships and promoting connection.
Three Things I Love About Me
Three Things I Love About Me is a reflective and confidence-building activity designed to help students recognise and celebrate their own strengths and positive qualities. Through writing and gentle self-reflection, students pause to acknowledge the traits, talents, and accomplishments that make them proud. The activity encourages them to shift their focus toward what they do well, promoting a strong sense of self-worth, personal identity, and emotional resilience.
By identifying three things they love about themselves and reflecting on why those qualities matter, students develop self-awareness and the ability to speak kindly about themselves. The task reinforces the importance of self-love and helps students understand how returning to their strengths can lift their mood during challenging moments. This simple but powerful reflection fosters a positive mindset, boosts emotional well-being, and supports the development of healthy self-esteem.
Respectful Relationships
Personal Strengths, Self-Awareness & Identity
This activity helps students:
- Identify and celebrate their personal strengths, recognising qualities, talents, and achievements that make them unique.
- Build a positive sense of identity, reflecting on what they value about themselves.
- Develop confidence and self-esteem, learning to appreciate who they are and what they bring to their world.
Emotional Literacy & Well-being
Through reflection, students learn to:
- Understand the emotional benefits of self-love, recognising how strengths can support them during challenging moments.
- Practise positive self-talk and mindset, using their identified strengths to boost resilience and emotional regulation.
- Connect their feelings to their self-perception, understanding how acknowledging strengths impacts their mood and well-being.
Respect for Self & Others
This activity encourages students to:
- Respect themselves by acknowledging qualities they are proud of and valuing their own uniqueness.
- Share positively and respectfully with peers, creating a safe classroom environment where everyone feels valued.
- Build empathy and appreciation for others as they listen to their classmates’ strengths and celebrate differences.
Dice Risk
Dice Risk is an energetic, strategy-based dice game that blends probability, decision-making, and physical activity. Players or teams make predictions before each roll, such as whether the total will be even or odd, higher or lower, doubles, or the exact total, and earn points when their guesses are correct. With multiple prediction options offering different levels of risk and reward, the game encourages players to think strategically about which choice will maximise their score.
When predictions miss the mark, players complete quick fitness exercises before returning to the game, adding a fun physical challenge that keeps everyone moving and engaged. Dice Risk promotes teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking while maintaining a fast-paced, competitive environment. The goal is simple: earn as many points as possible before time runs out, balancing risk, movement, and smart decision-making along the way.
Respectful Relationships
Communication, Cooperation & Teamwork
This activity supports students to:
- Work collaboratively to make shared decisions, listening to teammates and agreeing on predictions together.
- Communicate respectfully and strategically, discussing ideas, weighing options, and supporting each other’s choices.
- Strengthen cooperation, especially when completing exercises as a team after an incorrect prediction.
Emotional Literacy & Managing Reactions
Through decision-making, students learn to:
- Recognise and manage emotions linked to risk, such as excitement, disappointment, or frustration.
- Respond respectfully when outcomes don’t go their way, practising calm reactions and resilience.
- Reflect on the consequences of decisions, understanding how choices lead to different emotional and physical outcomes.
Problem-Solving, Decision-Making & Safety
This activity helps students:
- Make informed decisions, using probability and clues to guide their guesses.
- Understand that choices carry outcomes, both positive and negative, and that learning from mistakes is part of growth.
- Stay safe and responsible during movement, completing exercises with care while encouraging peers to do the same.
Gratitude Maze
Gratitude Maze is an interactive team-based challenge that blends problem-solving, movement, and meaningful reflection. Players work together to navigate a 5×5 maze filled with gratitude questions, using teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking to move from square to square. Each step requires players to answer a gratitude-focused question, encouraging them to reflect on the people, experiences, and moments they appreciate in their lives. With only “yes” or “no” guidance from their team leader holding the secret map, players must think carefully, collaborate, and help one another stay on the correct path.
If a player answers incorrectly, they complete a short fitness challenge before returning to the back of the line, adding energy, movement, and fun to the experience. The whole team stays engaged by observing, remembering previous moves, and supporting each player’s turn in the maze. The game ends when teams successfully navigate the pathway and complete all gratitude reflections. Gratitude Maze is a powerful blend of mindfulness, collaboration, and physical activity, making it perfect for building connection, promoting well-being, and helping students practise gratitude in a memorable and playful way.
Download the gratitude questions and three different maze codes HERE.
Respectful Relationships
Emotional Literacy & Gratitude Awareness
This activity helps students to:
- Recognise positive emotions connected to gratitude, identifying events, people, and experiences that make them feel thankful.
- Express gratitude clearly and confidently, answering reflection prompts that help them understand their emotional world.
- Understand the impact of gratitude on well-being, linking thankfulness with improved mood, connection, and resilience.
Social Awareness, Empathy & Perspective-Taking
Through team collaboration, students learn to:
- Listen to teammates’ gratitude reflections, demonstrating empathy and appreciation for others’ experiences.
- Respect different perspectives, acknowledging that peers may value different people, experiences, or memories.
- Support classmates through challenges, encouraging and guiding teammates as they navigate the maze.
Collaboration, Cooperation & Team Problem-Solving
Gratitude Maze strengthens students’ ability to:
- Work together effectively, using teamwork to navigate the maze using yes/no clues from their Leader.
- Follow group processes and take turns responsibly, contributing positively to the team’s progress.
- Communicate respectfully, sharing ideas, remembering correct pathways, and supporting others’ movements and answers.
Help-Seeking, Community & Relationships
Students begin to recognise:
- The importance of supportive relationships, as they reflect on people they appreciate and why those relationships matter.
- How gratitude strengthens connections, understanding that expressing thanks improves friendships and group belonging.
- When and how to offer help, as they assist teammates through wrong turns, fitness challenges, or repeated questions.
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