The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
This week invites students into a dynamic blend of quick thinking, mindfulness, physical energy, and teamwork. Through activities like Seven Eleven and Dance Monkey, students strengthen their coordination, reflexes, and ability to make fast decisions while having fun. These high-energy games promote friendly competition, resilience, and the confidence to respond quickly and positively under pressure. At the same time, reflective activities help students pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present moment, balancing the excitement of movement with calm self-awareness.
Mindful reflection and teamwork take centre stage as students explore what it means to be present, supportive, and emotionally aware. Mindful Moments encourages students to reflect on experiences where they felt calm and connected, while Escape Room – The Four Elements helps them practise collaboration, empathy, and adaptability as they work together to overcome challenges. By the end of the week, students have strengthened their communication skills, deepened their self-awareness, and developed a greater appreciation for how their strengths contribute to the success of the team.
Weekly Lessons
Seven Eleven
Seven Eleven is a fast-paced, high-energy partner game that challenges students to think quickly, work collaboratively, and communicate without speaking. Players must simultaneously show a number of fingers and try to hit the “magic totals” of 7 (one-hand round) and 11 (two-hand round). Because partners cannot talk or plan beforehand, the game becomes a fun test of intuition, timing, and teamwork. This creates plenty of laughter, surprises, and friendly competition as students try to synchronise their choices.
The game rotates partners after each round, helping students build connections with many different peers in a short amount of time. With the option to add playful penalties or fitness exercises, Seven Eleven becomes an engaging way to blend movement, cooperation, and quick thinking. It’s simple, energetic, and perfect for breaking the ice, boosting group morale, and bringing students together through shared fun and challenge. Let me know if you’d like this turned into a printable summary or added to a full booklet!
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Seven Eleven supports students to:
- Practise active listening and attention by focusing on the countdown and responding at the same time as their partner.
- Use respectful, non-verbal communication (since talking isn’t allowed) through gestures, timing, and awareness of their partner’s actions.
- Understand different viewpoints by recognising that their partner may choose different finger combinations and that success comes from working in sync.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This game encourages students to:
- Cooperate with different partners as they rotate between rounds, developing flexibility, patience, and positive interactions.
- Show fairness and kindness by celebrating successes, respecting differences in how partners play, and accepting outcomes without frustration.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging when a partner helps them score a point or shows great teamwork.
Safety and Acceptance
Seven Eleven helps students to:
- Feel safe and included by participating in a simple, low-pressure activity where everyone has equal opportunity to succeed.
- Accept others as they are, recognising that everyone thinks and reacts differently, which is part of the fun and learning.
- Promote equality because every player has the same rules, chances, and role, regardless of ability, age, or confidence level.
Mindful Moments
Mindful Moments is a calm and reflective activity designed to help students become more aware of the present moment. By thinking about a time when they felt completely focused and fully engaged, whether drawing, playing, eating, or talking with someone, they begin to understand what mindfulness feels like and why it matters. Students explore how being present helps them enjoy experiences more deeply, feel grounded, and positively connect with their emotions.
Through gentle reflection and simple writing or drawing, students learn how to bring mindfulness into their everyday routine. They consider moments where they can pause, breathe, and focus on the task at hand, building habits that promote calmness, clarity, and emotional well-being. Mindful Moments encourages students to appreciate the small things, recognise what helps them feel centred, and practise strategies that support focus and stress management throughout their day.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Mindful Moments supports students to:
- Practise active listening by attentively sharing and listening to mindful experiences with partners or the class.
- Express their feelings respectfully, describing how being present made them feel calm, focused, or happy.
- Understand different viewpoints by hearing how classmates experience mindfulness differently and respecting those perspectives.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity encourages students to:
- Share personal reflections in a safe, cooperative environment, helping build trust and social connection.
- Show fairness and kindness by listening patiently, acknowledging others’ experiences, and responding respectfully.
- Show appreciation by recognising the value in classmates’ mindful moments, encouraging a supportive environment.
Safety and Acceptance
Mindful Moments helps students to:
- Feel safe and valued by offering a calm, low-pressure activity where all reflections are accepted and respected.
- Accept others as they are, understanding that everyone experiences mindfulness differently and that all experiences are valid.
- Promote equality, ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to speak, reflect, and share without judgment.
Dance Monkey by Tones & I
The Dance Monkey Workout is a high-energy, music-driven fitness challenge where students move their bodies in sync with the rhythm and lyrics of Tones & I’s global hit Dance Monkey. Each time they hear one of the key trigger words, see, make, dance, or move, they complete three repetitions of a specific exercise, creating an exciting mix of squats, sit-ups, squat thrusters, and plank movements. The song becomes the coach, setting the pace and guiding the workout, while students build strength, coordination, and endurance in a playful and highly engaging way.
More than just physical fitness, this activity helps students sharpen their timing, focus, and listening skills as they react quickly to the musical cues. The combination of upbeat music and movement encourages a sense of fun and connection, keeping students motivated from start to finish. With no winners or losers, the emphasis is on doing your best, staying in sync, and enjoying the experience, making the Dance Monkey Workout a brilliant way to bring energy, laughter, and physical activity into any classroom or group setting.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Dance Monkey supports students to:
- Practise active listening as they tune into the music, follow cues, and stay aware of instructions and timing.
- Express their feelings respectfully by sharing how the workout made them feel, energised, proud, challenged, or excited.
- Understand different viewpoints by recognising that classmates may respond differently to exercise, rhythm, or pace, and showing empathy for those who may find it harder.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity encourages students to:
- Cooperate positively by sharing space, respecting others’ movement zones, and supporting peers during the workout.
- Show fairness and kindness by encouraging effort, celebrating participation, and respecting different fitness levels.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging classmates who stay committed, try their best, or help the group stay in sync.
Safety and Acceptance
Dance Monkey helps students to:
- Feel safe and included, no matter their fitness level, as the workout is non-competitive and focuses on fun and participation.
- Accept others as they are, recognising that everyone’s coordination, timing, and strength levels vary, and that’s completely okay.
- Promote equality, giving every student the same opportunity to participate, move, enjoy, and succeed in the workout.
Escape Room - The Four Elements
Escape Room – The Four Elements is an immersive teamwork adventure where students rotate through four elemental stations, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, each designed to build an essential well-being skill. Students reflect on their personal strengths, practice empathy and deep listening, persevere through physical and mental challenges, and exercise creativity and adaptability as a team. At every station, teams earn emoji clue cards by completing tasks such as building towers, sharing personal stories, performing relay activities, creating human letters, and collaborating on artwork and storytelling. Each element represents a different strength, grounding, connection, resilience, and flow, encouraging students to discover the unique qualities they bring to their group.
The experience concludes with a final challenge where teams use the emoji clues collected during the adventure to create a story that demonstrates teamwork, creativity, and shared understanding. Once their story is complete, the team “escapes” the elemental realm and completes the quest. Designed to promote self-awareness, collaboration, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, Escape Room – The Four Elements offers a fun, engaging way for students to develop important life skills while working towards a common goal. It creates a positive learning environment where each student’s voice matters and teamwork is essential for success.
Download the full resource HERE.
Download the Emoji Cards HERE.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
The Four Elements supports students to:
- Practise active listening by paying close attention to teammates’ stories, strengths, and reflections during the Earth and Air challenges.
- Express needs, ideas, and feelings respectfully, particularly when sharing strengths, discussing problems, and contributing to the final story.
- Understand different viewpoints by hearing teammates’ experiences, challenges, and emotions, fostering empathy and deeper social awareness.
Cooperation and Social Skills
This activity encourages students to:
- Work as a team to complete towers, obstacle courses, relays, alphabet challenges, drawings, and story-building.
- Show fairness and kindness by supporting teammates, taking turns, rebuilding when things fall apart, and celebrating group success.
- Show appreciation by acknowledging others’ strengths, effort, creativity, and resilience throughout each elemental station.
Safety and Acceptance
The Four Elements helps students to:
- Feel safe and valued through inclusive, low-pressure tasks that allow every student to contribute in their own way.
- Accept others as they are, recognising that each team member brings different strengths, ideas, and personalities to the challenge.
- Promote equality, as every role in the escape room is essential, from builder to storyteller, and all students have equal opportunities to succeed and shine.
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