The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
Week Twelve brings together social interaction, personal growth, physical activity, and gratitude to create a balanced, uplifting, and engaging learning experience. Through high-energy games like Mingle Mingle Mingle and Rolling with Luck, students strengthen social bonds, stay active, and practise quick decision-making in fun and supportive ways. These activities give students the chance to discover shared interests, communicate confidently, and experience the joy of moving their bodies while working with others. As students participate in physical challenges alongside group-based games, they develop teamwork, sportsmanship, and a sense of belonging in the classroom community.
Alongside the active games, students deepen their emotional awareness through reflective tasks such as Goal Mapping and the Gratitude & Giving Puzzle. These activities encourage students to think intentionally about their goals, celebrate progress, and practise empathy by recognising the positive aspects of their own lives and the lives of others. By expressing gratitude, supporting teammates, and articulating what matters most to them, students strengthen their emotional skills and sense of purpose. Week Twelve ultimately blends movement, connection, kindness, and reflection to help students grow physically, socially, and emotionally, setting them up for continued well-being and positive relationships.
Weekly Lessons
Mingle Mingle Mingle
Mingle Mingle Mingle is a lively and engaging connection starter designed to help students discover common interests, learn more about their peers, and build confidence in social situations. As students move around the room singing “mingle, mingle, mingle,” they shake off nerves and open themselves up to new interactions. Each cue from the teacher prompts students to form quick groups based on shared preferences, whether it's favourite foods, colours, sports, or anything else, creating instant moments of recognition, belonging, and fun. The game encourages students to notice both similarities and differences, building empathy and appreciation for individuality.
Throughout the activity, students communicate, listen, and share openly, strengthening their ability to engage with others in a respectful and positive way. The fast-paced nature of the game keeps energy high, while the reflective moments after each grouping help students understand the power of connection. Mingle Mingle Mingle is an excellent way to break down social barriers, spark friendships, and set a joyful tone at the beginning of any class, workshop, or team session. It’s simple, playful, and incredibly effective at helping students feel seen, heard, and part of something bigger.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
This activity supports students to:
- Initiate and respond to social interactions, building confidence when meeting new people and learning about their peers.
- Listen actively and respectfully, showing interest in others' preferences, experiences, and personal choices.
- Recognise similarities and differences, understanding that everyone has unique likes and interests while appreciating those commonalities that bring people together.
Cooperation and Social Skills
Through this activity, students practise:
- Working cooperatively, moving into groups smoothly and ensuring everyone feels included.
- Respecting others’ contributions, acknowledging different answers and celebrating individuality.
- Building rapport, strengthening relationships by discovering shared interests and forming connections in a supportive environment.
Safety and Help-Seeking
This game reinforces that:
- Everyone deserves to feel included and valued, regardless of whether they share popular or unique answers.
- Differences are to be celebrated, encouraging students to feel safe expressing their preferences without judgment.
- Inclusive behaviour creates safe spaces, helping students develop environments where peers feel respected, accepted, and connected.
Goal Mapping
Goal Mapping is a reflective and motivating activity that helps students think intentionally about their future by choosing one meaningful goal to work toward over the next month. By breaking their goal into small, achievable steps, students learn that big dreams become possible when they are approached with structure, planning, and persistence. The process encourages ownership, responsibility, and clarity, helping students see that progress happens one small step at a time. As students map out their journey visually or through simple written steps, they begin to understand the power of focus and how planning can support their growth.
The activity also supports emotional awareness by asking students to reflect on how achieving their goal will make them feel and why the goal matters to them. As they track their progress across the weeks, students experience the rewarding feeling of working toward something meaningful and recognising their own effort along the way. Goal Mapping not only teaches practical goal-setting skills but also builds confidence, motivation, and a stronger belief in their own ability to succeed.
Respectful Relationships
Personal Strengths & Emotional Literacy
This activity helps students to:
- Identify their personal strengths and motivations, recognising what they want to achieve and why it matters.
- Understand the emotional benefits of achievement, linking goal completion with feelings such as pride, satisfaction, confidence, and joy.
- Build emotional awareness, noticing how planning, progressing, and achieving makes them feel.
Positive Coping & Help-Seeking
Through this activity, students practise:
- Breaking down challenges into manageable steps, learning positive coping strategies for working toward goals.
- Reflecting on barriers and problem-solving, understanding what to do when progress is difficult.
- Knowing when to seek help, identifying the people (teachers, peers, family) who can support them when needed.
Building Relationships & Confidence
This game supports students to:
- Share their goals with others, building confidence and strengthening connections through accountability and encouragement.
- Celebrate each other’s progress, fostering a supportive and respectful environment where effort is acknowledged.
- Develop resilience, understanding that improvement comes from persistence, practice, and consistent effort.
Rolling with Luck
Rolling with Luck is an energetic dice game that blends quick decision-making with fun physical activity. Players roll their dice, predict whether the instructor’s roll will be higher, lower, or the same, and move to the designated area that matches their guess. Each correct prediction earns points, adding an exciting strategic element, while wrong guesses lead to short bursts of exercise such as squats, push-ups, or lunges. The constant movement, shifting positions, and rapid guessing create a lively atmosphere that keeps everyone engaged and thinking fast.
The game encourages teamwork, sportsmanship, and resilience as players compete to achieve the highest score while staying positive and active. With its simple setup, adaptable rules, and built-in fitness components, Rolling with Luck is perfect for classrooms, PE sessions, or group energisers. Whether students are working individually or in teams, the game promotes exercise, friendly competition, and a growth mindset, all while ensuring plenty of fun and high-energy moments.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Social Skills
This activity supports students to:
- Communicate clearly with peers, sharing guesses, strategies, and celebrating wins together.
- Show respect and encouragement, cheering for others and responding positively whether they win or lose.
- Engage in fair and friendly competition, understanding the importance of taking turns, listening, and cooperating.
Emotional Literacy & Help-Seeking
Through this game, students learn to:
- Recognise emotions linked to winning, losing, risk-taking, and chance, developing awareness of their reactions during gameplay.
- Manage feelings such as frustration or excitement, showing control and resilience throughout the game.
- Seek and offer support, by encouraging others when they complete exercises or don’t get the result they expected.
Positive Coping, Resilience & Teamwork
This activity helps students:
- Develop persistence, completing exercises even when predictions are incorrect, and trying again each round.
- Practice adapting to unpredictable outcomes, strengthening their ability to stay positive when things don’t go their way.
- Build teamwork and connection, especially when played in pairs or teams, where students motivate each other and share strategies.
Puzzle Gratitude
Puzzle Gratitude is a creative team-based game that blends gratitude, teamwork, and fun problem-solving. Players work together to complete a series of uplifting challenges, such as gratitude charades, sharing meaningful memories, creating team songs, or expressing self-love through drawings. Each challenge promotes emotional reflection, kindness, and appreciation for themselves and others. With every successfully completed activity, teams earn a puzzle piece that brings them closer to the final task. The game encourages students to communicate, support each other, and express gratitude in meaningful and playful ways.
Once teams have collected all their puzzle pieces, they work together to assemble the final puzzle and uncover the hidden “Magic Gratitude Word.” The first team to complete the puzzle becomes the Gratitude Champions, but every group wins by strengthening connection, practising gratitude, and celebrating one another. Puzzle Gratitude is a powerful activity for building emotional intelligence, teamwork, and positivity, perfect for classrooms, families, and community groups wanting to promote kindness and connection through play.
Download the Puzzle PDF for students to solve HERE.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Social Skills
This activity supports students to:
- Communicate respectfully and confidently, sharing gratitude, ideas, memories, and reflections within a team environment.
- Collaborate effectively, working with peers to create songs, handshakes, drawings, and discussions that require teamwork and clear communication.
- Listen actively and appreciatively, showing respect for each team member’s contributions, feelings, and experiences.
Emotional Literacy & Personal Strengths
Through this game, students learn to:
- Identify and express emotions, reflecting on gratitude, positive memories, personal strengths, and future aspirations.
- Recognise and celebrate strengths in themselves and others, especially through activities like Self-Love Pictionary and memory sharing.
- Build positive self-esteem, acknowledging the things they value about themselves and feeling supported by teammates.
Positive Coping, Empathy & Relationship Building
This activity helps students:
- Practice empathy, by listening to others’ stories, memories, and aspirations and responding with kindness and encouragement.
- Strengthen social connections, creating songs, greetings, and puzzle solutions that deepen their sense of belonging.
- Develop positive coping strategies, through gratitude-focused reflection that promotes well-being, optimism, and resilience.
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