The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 3 & 4
Week Twenty Seven centres on the powerful life skill of resilience, teaching students that mistakes, falls, and setbacks are simply part of learning and growth. Through playful construction, reflective creativity, and energetic movement, students discover that persistence can be fun and rewarding. Activities like Try Again Towers and the “I Can Try” Booklet help children celebrate effort over perfection, encouraging them to see challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles. The focus on personal reflection reinforces that everyone learns at their own pace, and that courage often shows up in the small moments when we choose to try again.
As students progress through movement-based play and supportive group activities, they experience resilience in action, falling and bouncing back with smiles, cheering each other on, and sharing their own stories of perseverance. Bounce Back Race and My Cheer Squad foster a classroom culture where encouragement, empathy, and determination thrive. Inspired by Uranus and its unique sideways spin, students learn that being different, trying again, and embracing challenges are what make them brave, strong, and wonderfully unique. This week empowers children with the emotional tools and confidence to keep going, no matter the wobble.
Weekly Lessons
Try Again Towers
Try Again Towers gives students a playful, hands-on way to explore resilience by building structures that might wobble, lean, or tumble down. Using blocks, cups, LEGO®, or recycled materials, children work together to create towers of all shapes and sizes, knowing that part of the challenge is watching them fall and choosing to rebuild with a smile. This light-hearted experience helps students understand that mistakes aren’t failures, they’re opportunities to learn, adjust, and strengthen both their ideas and their confidence. Just like Uranus, which tilts and spins in its own unique way, the activity celebrates trying again even when things feel unexpected or tricky.
As students laugh, rebuild, and cheer one another on, the classroom becomes a supportive space where effort is valued more than the final result. Group reflection at the end helps them recognise what they learned about persistence, teamwork, and staying calm when challenges arise. When students share how it felt to keep trying, they begin to see resilience as a personal strength they can use anywhere, not just during tower building. Try Again Towers leaves students feeling proud, capable, and ready to face new challenges with a confident “let’s try again!” spirit.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
Try Again Towers supports students to:
- Talk about their feelings when something doesn’t go to plan, building emotional understanding and honest communication.
- Encourage peers with kind words like “Let’s try again!” or “You did great!”, strengthening empathy and supportive relationships.
- Recognise that everyone feels frustrated sometimes, helping them develop compassion for themselves and others.
Cooperation and Social Skills
Try Again Towers helps students to:
- Work together in pairs or groups to build towers, practising teamwork, turn-taking, and shared problem-solving.
- Celebrate each other’s efforts, not just the finished product, strengthening positive social interactions.
- Practise staying calm and patient with peers, even when the tower falls or plans change.
Safety and Acceptance
Try Again Towers encourages students to:
- Feel safe making mistakes and learning from them, knowing the classroom is a place where trying again is celebrated.
- Accept that everyone learns at a different pace and in different ways, promoting inclusiveness and respect.
- Build confidence by understanding that setbacks are normal and resilience grows when they keep going, just like Uranus teaches us to embrace unexpected challenges.
"I Can Try" Booklet
The “I Can Try” Booklet gives students a thoughtful and creative way to recognise the things they are still learning and to celebrate the courage it takes to keep trying. As children fill each page with drawings or simple words, tying shoes, sharing toys, writing their name, or mastering a tricky new skill, they begin to see that learning is a journey, not a race. This gentle reflection helps students understand that challenges don’t mean they’re “not good” at something; instead, they show where they are growing. Just like Uranus, spinning proudly in its own unique way, the booklet reminds students that doing things differently and persisting through challenges is a form of strength.
Decorating and sharing their booklets helps students feel proud of their efforts and connected to classmates who are practising resilience, too. When a child chooses to share a page, they model bravery and openness, while the group celebrates the power of effort rather than perfection. The activity builds a classroom culture where trying again is valued and mistakes are simply part of learning something new. The “I Can Try” Booklet leaves students feeling encouraged, motivated, and confident in their ability to grow, one small, determined step at a time.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
The “I Can Try” Booklet supports students to:
- Express their feelings about things that are tricky, helping them communicate honestly about challenges.
- Understand that everyone is learning something and that it’s normal for tasks to take time, nurturing empathy for themselves and others.
- Share their goals and efforts with peers, promoting supportive conversations and emotional connection.
Cooperation and Social Skills
The “I Can Try” Booklet helps students to:
- Celebrate effort alongside classmates by listening respectfully when others share something they are working on.
- Encourage peers by saying kind words such as “Keep trying!” or “You can do it!”, strengthening positive social support.
- Build confidence in group settings by choosing to share their booklet pages and recognising effort as a shared value in the classroom.
Safety and Acceptance
The “I Can Try” Booklet encourages students to:
- Feel safe admitting when something is difficult, knowing that the learning environment values effort and growth.
- Accept that everyone learns at their own pace, promoting inclusion, understanding, and respect for individual differences.
- Recognise that trying, even when things feel hard, is brave and important, reflecting Uranus’ lesson that growing through challenges makes us strong and unique.
Bounce Back Race
Bounce Back Race turns resilience into a playful, energetic movement game where students practise the life skill of getting back up when things don’t go as planned. As children hop forward, gently fall, and spring back up with a smile or a superhero pose, they learn that “falling” is not a failure, it’s part of the fun. This simple sequence helps students explore physical confidence while building emotional strength, showing them that even when something feels tricky, they can reset, try again, and feel proud of their effort. Inspired by Uranus and its unique ability to stay steady despite spinning differently, the game celebrates persistence and the courage to keep moving.
Cheering each other on adds a powerful layer of connection. Whether racing alone or in teams, students discover that resilience grows when we support one another and celebrate each bounce back. Reflection at the end helps them notice how it felt to keep going, even when they stumbled. These conversations reinforce the idea that challenges build strength and that attitude matters more than speed. Bounce Back Race leaves students energised, confident, and ready to face obstacles, on the playground or in the classroom, with a brave “I can bounce back” mindset.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
The Bounce Back Race supports students to:
- Talk about feelings that arise when things don’t go to plan, helping them communicate openly about frustration and effort.
- Recognise that everyone falls or gets stuck sometimes, building empathy for classmates who are also learning resilience.
- Listen to and encourage peers, using positive words that help others feel supported when challenges arise.
Cooperation and Social Skills
The Bounce Back Race helps students to:
- Work together in a shared activity where cheering, encouragement, and positive teamwork strengthen group bonds.
- Practise taking turns and celebrating effort rather than speed, promoting fairness and inclusive play.
- Support each other through falls and “bounce back” moments, reinforcing kindness and collective motivation.
Safety and Acceptance
The Bounce Back Race encourages students to:
- Feel safe trying, falling, and trying again, knowing that mistakes are normal and part of learning.
- Accept their own and others’ different abilities, practising inclusion and respect for diverse ways of moving and coping.
- Build resilience by learning that bouncing back with a smile shows strength, just like Uranus teaches that uniqueness and persistence make us powerful.
My Cheer Squad
My Cheer Squad gives students a powerful opportunity to recognise their own resilience and feel celebrated for it. As each child shares a moment when they kept trying, even when something felt hard, they begin to see that persistence comes in many shapes and sizes. Whether it’s zipping a jacket, rebuilding a fallen tower, or managing a tricky feeling, every effort is worth acknowledging. Hearing applause, cheers, and kind words from their classmates builds emotional bravery and helps students feel proud of themselves. Just like Uranus, spinning differently yet staying steady and strong, this activity shows learners that their unique challenges and successes are part of what makes them remarkable.
Cheering for others strengthens the classroom community and helps students understand that resilience grows in connection, not isolation. When children clap, smile, and offer encouragement, they practise empathy and gratitude while learning the joy of lifting others up. Sharing optional stories gives students a safe way to step into vulnerability, while passing is always respected. By the end, the group feels united, each child recognising their own courage and the support they can offer others. My Cheer Squad reminds students that no one overcomes challenges alone; together, they create an atmosphere where every small victory shines brightly.
Respectful Relationships
Communication and Empathy
My Cheer Squad supports students to:
- Share personal experiences about challenges they faced and how they kept trying, helping them communicate feelings with honesty and bravery.
- Listen to classmates’ stories and understand how others feel when things are difficult, building empathy and emotional awareness.
- Use kind, encouraging words to respond to peers, reinforcing a supportive environment where everyone feels valued.
Cooperation and Social Skills
My Cheer Squad helps students to:
- Take turns respectfully during circle sharing, practising patience and active listening.
- Participate in group cheering and celebrate others’ achievements, strengthening social bonds and positive group culture.
- Build a sense of belonging as they realise everyone in the class is part of a team that supports each other.
Safety and Acceptance
My Cheer Squad encourages students to:
- Feel safe sharing moments of struggle or growth, knowing they won’t be judged and that mistakes are normal.
- Accept that everyone finds different things challenging, promoting understanding and respect for individual differences.
- Celebrate effort rather than perfection, helping students see resilience as a strength, just like Uranus teaches that uniqueness and persistence make us powerful.
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