The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
Week Seven blends fast-paced physical play with gratitude, teamwork, and meaningful reflection. Students sharpen their reaction time and focus through Gotcha, an energetic group challenge that strengthens hand-eye coordination and encourages quick thinking. They also pause to connect emotionally in Happy Letter in the Post, reflecting on the important people in their lives and expressing appreciation through thoughtful, heartfelt writing. Together, these activities help students balance movement with mindfulness, giving space for both physical skill development and emotional growth.
The week continues with Running Dice, a lively fitness challenge that builds teamwork and endurance, followed by Dice Accumulator, where pairs tackle creative, reflective dice-based tasks that foster communication, empathy, and cooperation. Across all four activities, students practise gratitude, strengthen social bonds, and learn how working together makes challenges more enjoyable and meaningful. Week Seven reinforces the value of connection, physical, emotional, and social learning and reminds students that gratitude, teamwork, and quick thinking help them thrive both in play and in life.
Weekly Lessons
Gotcha
Gotcha is a fast, energetic reaction game that gets any group laughing, focused, and fully engaged. Standing in a circle, players must balance two actions at once, quickly lifting their own finger to avoid being caught, while simultaneously trying to grab the person’s finger next to them. The game creates instant excitement as everyone listens closely for the call of “Gotcha!” and reacts in a split second. It’s a brilliant way to sharpen reflexes, boost coordination, and build awareness, all while having heaps of fun.
At its heart, Gotcha is about connection, focus, and shared enjoyment. The simple setup makes it perfect for classrooms, teams, or family groups, and the fast-paced rounds encourage laughter, friendly competition, and positive interaction. Students stay fully present, working on self-control and timing, while enjoying the playful challenge of catching (or not getting caught!) by their peers. Gotcha is quick to learn, endlessly fun to replay, and a guaranteed mood-booster for any group.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Gotcha supports students to:
- Practise awareness of others by responding to movement cues and staying tuned in to those around them.
- Regulate emotions after winning or losing a round, showing empathy toward others who may feel disappointed or excited.
- Interact respectfully by celebrating successes, laughing together, and maintaining a positive tone throughout the game.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity encourages students to:
- Work together in a shared rhythm, requiring collective focus and cooperation during each round.
- Show fairness and kindness, resetting calmly, supporting peers, and ensuring everyone understands the game.
- Develop social confidence, engaging in a high-energy activity that builds rapport, comfort, and connectedness within the group.
Safety and Acceptance
Gotcha helps students to:
- Feel safe to participate, as success doesn’t depend on physical strength but on focus and timing, allowing all abilities to join equally.
- Accept different reactions and abilities, recognising that everyone has varying reflexes and speeds.
- Promote inclusiveness, ensuring every student can take part, laugh, and experience success regardless of their skill level.
Happy Letter in the Post
Happy Letter in the Post is a reflective and heart-warming activity where students choose someone who has positively influenced their life and write them a personal letter of gratitude. Through this simple but powerful act, students pause to recognise kindness, support, and meaningful relationships, strengthening their ability to express appreciation in a genuine and thoughtful way. The activity encourages students to use writing as a tool for emotional expression, helping them articulate why they value the person they’ve chosen and how that individual has made a difference in their life.
Once the letter is written, students spend time reflecting on how it feels to express gratitude and consider the emotional impact their words will have on the recipient. Whether the letter is hand-delivered, posted, or kept as a personal reminder, the activity promotes empathy, connection, and emotional well-being. Happy Letter in the Post helps foster a culture of kindness by showing students that expressing appreciation not only strengthens relationships but also boosts their own sense of happiness and connectedness.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Happy Letter in the Post supports students to:
- Practise expressing emotions respectfully through written communication, explaining clearly why they appreciate someone.
- Understand different viewpoints by reflecting on how the recipient may feel when receiving their letter.
- Develop empathy by considering the emotional impact of gratitude on others.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity encourages students to:
- Show kindness and appreciation, strengthening relationships through thoughtful communication.
- Share positive messages that help build a supportive, caring classroom culture.
- Interact respectfully, especially if they choose to share their letters or discuss their feelings afterward.
Safety and Acceptance
Happy Letter in the Post helps students to:
- Feel safe expressing their feelings, knowing gratitude is welcomed and valued in the classroom.
- Accept and appreciate others, recognising the positive qualities and contributions of people in their lives.
- Promote equality, as every student has an equal opportunity to express gratitude to someone meaningful to them.
Running Dice
Running Dice is a fast, high-energy team fitness game where players roll a dice, sprint to exercise stations, and complete movements based on the number rolled. Each round adds one extra repetition, turning the game into an exciting challenge of endurance, teamwork, and determination. With stations spread across the space, each assigned to exercises like push-ups, squats, star jumps, or burpees, students stay constantly active as they run, move, and support one another. The simple dice mechanic keeps the game unpredictable and engaging, making every round feel fresh and motivating.
As the game progresses, teams must work together, manage their pace, and encourage each other to push through increasingly demanding reps. Running Dice strengthens cardiovascular fitness, builds muscular endurance, and promotes teamwork and communication, all wrapped up in a fun, fast-paced format. Whether played outdoors or adapted indoors, the game energises groups, boosts physical confidence, and creates a positive, collaborative atmosphere where students challenge themselves while having a blast.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Running Dice supports students to:
- Listen actively to their teammates to ensure everyone knows which station to run to and which exercise to complete.
- Express their needs respectfully, such as asking for help, suggesting pacing strategies, or communicating when they need a short rest.
- Understand different viewpoints, recognising that teammates may have different fitness levels and working together to support everyone.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity helps students to:
- Work as a team, supporting and encouraging each other to complete rounds and stay motivated.
- Demonstrate fairness and respect, taking turns with dice rolling and exercise leadership.
- Show appreciation, acknowledging teammates’ efforts and celebrating group success, not just speed or fitness.
Safety and Acceptance
Running Dice encourages students to:
- Ensure everyone feels safe and included, especially during physical activity where fitness levels and abilities may vary.
- Accept others as they are, understanding that all students bring different strengths to the team.
- Promote equality, as every student contributes equally to the team's progress regardless of skill or speed.
Dice Accumulator
Dice Accumulator is a fun, fast-paced partner game that blends creativity, teamwork, and reflection. Players roll three dice to determine which challenge they must complete, with each activity ranging from creative tasks, like making up a superhero or inventing a secret handshake, to meaningful reflection prompts that encourage storytelling, empathy, and sharing personal experiences. Each challenge is worth a set number of points, and players must collaborate, communicate, and use both verbal and non-verbal skills to complete them successfully.
The goal is to be the first team to accumulate 18 points, which keeps the game exciting and strategic. Students can choose to reduce the number of dice to improve their chances of landing on easier tasks, adding a light element of decision-making and planning to the game. Dice Accumulator strengthens social-emotional learning by encouraging active listening, empathy, teamwork, and creative thinking, all while building connection and positive interactions between partners in an enjoyable, movement-friendly format.
Download full game resource HERE.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Dice Accumulator helps students to:
- Listen actively as partners take turns sharing stories, ideas, memories, and reflections connected to each challenge.
- Express their needs and feelings respectfully, especially during creative and personal challenges.
- Understand different viewpoints, as many challenges involve sharing moments of pride, feelings, hopes, and reflections.
Cooperation and Social Skills
Throughout the game, students learn to:
- Work as a team, collaborating to complete creative tasks such as poems, drawings, stories, and performances.
- Demonstrate fairness and kindness, taking turns, sharing roles, and supporting each other's ideas.
- Show appreciation, particularly in challenges where they give compliments, share gratitude, or recognise each other's strengths.
Safety and Acceptance
Dice Accumulator encourages students to:
- Build a safe and supportive partnership, where both students feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings.
- Accept others as they are, recognising that creative ideas and personal reflections will differ from person to person.
- Promote equality, as both partners contribute equally to the completion of challenges and share responsibility for earning points.
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