The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 5 & 6
Week Fourteen brings a vibrant mix of creativity, humour, strategic thinking, and positive reflection to energise the group and strengthen social bonds. Students begin with playful, light-hearted activities like Drawing Animals On Your Head, encouraging laughter, connection, and creative self-expression in an intentionally relaxed environment. They then move into the Respectful Collaboration Challenge, where groups create posters that explore what respect looks like for themselves and others, building communication, shared understanding, and teamwork through discussion and collective creativity. These opening activities set a positive tone, helping students feel comfortable, connected, and ready to engage in meaningful group work.
The week then shifts into strategic, mentally engaging, and emotionally reflective games that blend movement with positive interaction. Through Fibbers Dice, students practise strategic decision-making, bluffing, risk assessment, and physical fitness in a competitive but friendly environment. Positive Reflection Battleships transforms a classic game into a powerful relationship-building experience, where compliments, positive reflections, and thoughtful questions replace traditional gameplay outcomes. Together, these activities strengthen teamwork, communication, emotional well-being, and resilience, helping students develop essential social and personal skills while reinforcing a supportive, uplifting group culture.
Courses
Drawing Animals On Your Head
Drawing Animals On Your Head is a hilarious and highly engaging icebreaker that sparks instant laughter and creativity. Participants attempt to draw their favourite animal while holding their paper on top of their head, without looking, resulting in wonderfully unpredictable masterpieces. The challenge of creating something recognisable under silly conditions encourages playful self-expression and sets a relaxed, enjoyable tone for any session.
Once the drawing time is up, the real fun begins as the group reveals their creations and attempts to guess each other's animals. This shared moment of humour promotes connection, communication, and positive group interaction, making it a perfect warm-up for workshops, classrooms, or team activities. Simple, light-hearted, and guaranteed to get everyone smiling, Drawing Animals On Your Head is a joyful way to break down barriers and bring people together.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages expression of joy, humour, and creativity in a light-hearted and supportive environment.
- Builds empathy through shared laughter and appreciation of others’ creative attempts.
- Promotes emotional awareness as students recognise how playfulness and fun enhance connection and belonging.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights creativity, confidence, and courage as strengths through spontaneous artistic expression.
- Encourages students to embrace imperfection and enjoy the process rather than focusing on outcomes.
- Builds self-assurance by allowing participants to share their individuality in a non-judgmental context.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces laughter and play as effective strategies for relieving stress and boosting mood.
- Encourages positive self-talk and resilience when drawings turn out differently than expected.
- Promotes the ability to laugh at oneself and find joy in shared experiences.
4. Problem Solving
- Develops communication and interpretation skills as students describe and guess each other’s drawings.
- Encourages flexible thinking and creativity in identifying unexpected or abstract shapes.
- Promotes collaboration and humour-based problem-solving in group discussion.
5. Stress Management
- Provides an opportunity for relaxation and tension release through laughter and playful engagement.
- Encourages mindfulness by focusing on the present moment in a creative, light-hearted activity.
- Reinforces the value of fun and connection as tools for managing stress and supporting wellbeing.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises asking for clarification or support in a relaxed, low-pressure environment.
- Encourages collaboration and friendly guidance when peers describe or interpret drawings.
- Strengthens trust and openness within the group through shared humour and encouragement.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equality through a creative task that allows everyone to participate equally.
- Supports authentic self-expression by allowing individuality and imagination to shine without judgement.
- Challenges stereotypes by showing that creativity, humour, and vulnerability are universal strengths.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds positive connections through shared laughter, encouragement, and collective fun.
- Reinforces fairness, respect, and appreciation of all participants’ efforts and creativity.
- Strengthens group cohesion and mutual respect by fostering kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.
Respectful Collaboration Challenge
Respectful Collaboration Challenge is a creative team-building activity designed to help students understand the importance of working together while showing respect for themselves and others. In small groups, students collaboratively design a poster that represents what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. The short, timed challenge encourages groups to communicate clearly, listen to one another, and ensure everyone’s ideas are valued and included.
Once completed, groups present their posters to the class, sharing their collective ideas and reflecting on how they collaborated respectfully during the activity. This simple but powerful challenge promotes inclusion, positive group dynamics, and thoughtful communication. Respectful Collaboration Challenge is an engaging way to help students practise teamwork, express their understanding of respect, and build stronger, more supportive relationships within the classroom.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise and express feelings related to teamwork, respect, and inclusion.
- Builds empathy by helping students understand how their actions and communication affect others in a group.
- Promotes self-awareness through reflection on how they contribute to positive and respectful collaboration.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights teamwork, communication, and leadership as key personal strengths in collaborative environments.
- Encourages students to identify their own strengths and how these contribute to group success.
- Builds confidence as students see their ideas valued and included in the collective outcome.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces respectful communication and problem-solving as effective ways to handle differences in groups.
- Promotes patience, compromise, and emotional regulation when opinions or ideas conflict.
- Encourages the use of gratitude and kindness as tools for maintaining a positive group atmosphere.
4. Problem Solving
- Develops decision-making and consensus-building skills as students discuss and plan their posters together.
- Encourages active listening, negotiation, and creative thinking to combine diverse ideas.
- Reinforces collaborative problem-solving by demonstrating how respectful communication leads to shared success.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a structured, cooperative activity that helps students practise staying calm and focused in group work.
- Reinforces mindfulness and empathy by encouraging students to be considerate of others’ feelings and ideas.
- Promotes enjoyment and laughter as positive outlets that strengthen group bonds and reduce social tension.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises asking for help and clarification when navigating group challenges.
- Reinforces that teamwork and open communication build trust and support among peers.
- Encourages students to seek feedback and assistance respectfully within the group dynamic.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equality by ensuring every voice is valued and heard during the collaboration process.
- Encourages self-expression and authenticity in contributing personal ideas and perspectives.
- Challenges stereotypes by creating a space where all students can demonstrate creativity, leadership, and empathy equally.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds respect and understanding through cooperative teamwork and mutual encouragement.
- Reinforces equality, fairness, and kindness as essential principles of positive group interactions.
- Strengthens school and class culture by fostering collaboration rooted in respect, empathy, and shared achievement.
Fibbers Dice
Fibbers Dice is a lively combination of strategy, bluffing, and physical activity that keeps teams thinking and moving. Working in two groups, players roll their dice in secret and must decide whether to report their total honestly or bluff to gain an advantage. The opposing team then chooses to accept the total or call out a possible fib, creating a fun tension between truth and deception. The reveal adds excitement, as teams discover whether their strategic choices and instincts were correct.
The physical element adds another layer of engagement, with teams completing exercises based on the outcomes of each round, winners performing lighter reps and losers facing a more challenging set. This fusion of mental strategy and movement keeps energy high while strengthening teamwork and communication. Fibbers Dice is an unpredictable and entertaining activity that works beautifully as a warm-up, team challenge, or classroom energiser, making it ideal for building connection, strategy, and laughter in any group.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise and regulate emotions such as excitement, nervousness, and anticipation during gameplay.
- Builds awareness of how honesty, trust, and playfulness influence emotional reactions and relationships.
- Promotes empathy as students learn to read body language and respond respectfully during bluffing and team interaction.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights strategic thinking, confidence, and self-control as personal strengths during high-energy play.
- Encourages courage and decisiveness in choosing whether to bluff or tell the truth.
- Builds teamwork, communication, and composure as students navigate trust-based decisions.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces that mistakes or misjudgments are opportunities to learn resilience and maintain positivity.
- Promotes humour and perspective-taking as healthy ways to handle wins and losses.
- Encourages staying calm and cooperative under pressure, modelling emotional balance in competitive situations.
4. Problem Solving
- Develops logical reasoning and quick decision-making as students assess risk, probability, and strategy.
- Encourages collaborative problem-solving through team discussion and shared decision-making.
- Strengthens critical thinking by analysing opponents’ behaviour and adapting strategies accordingly.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a playful, movement-based outlet to reduce tension and build confidence through active participation.
- Encourages mindfulness and focus during decision-making, helping students manage competition-related stress.
- Reinforces self-regulation through laughter, activity, and respectful communication.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises collaboration and support-seeking through teamwork and shared problem-solving.
- Encourages open communication and feedback within teams, fostering trust and cooperation.
- Reinforces that working together respectfully leads to stronger outcomes and relationships.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity by creating a level playing field where all students contribute equally through strategy and participation.
- Encourages authentic self-expression and confidence within group dynamics.
- Challenges stereotypes by blending mental agility, social awareness, and physical activity in an inclusive, playful context.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds respect and fairness through teamwork, honesty, and positive competition.
- Reinforces empathy, respect, and good sportsmanship in responding to both success and failure.
- Strengthens classroom culture by promoting integrity, encouragement, and collective enjoyment.
Positive Reflection Battleships
Positive Reflection Battleships blends the strategy and suspense of the classic game with meaningful, uplifting interactions that strengthen connection between players. As participants take turns rolling dice and calling out coordinates, each “hit” invites an opportunity to share a compliment or positive remark, while each “miss” sparks a reflective question. This structure ensures that no matter the outcome of a turn, players engage in rich conversation, thoughtful exchange, and moments of appreciation.
The combination of strategic play and emotional reflection creates a balanced, engaging experience that builds both social and interpersonal skills. Students strategise where to place their ships while also practising communication, empathy, and positive acknowledgment. Positive Reflection Battleships transforms a familiar game into a relationship-building activity, leaving players feeling more connected, supported, and valued, all while enjoying the fun of tactical gameplay.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise, articulate, and express positive emotions such as appreciation, joy, and gratitude.
- Builds empathy and understanding as students reflect on their experiences and share compliments with peers.
- Promotes emotional awareness by linking strategic play with genuine emotional expression and connection.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights kindness, empathy, and reflection as key personal strengths.
- Encourages students to recognise both their own and others’ positive traits through shared compliments and dialogue.
- Builds self-confidence and emotional resilience by reinforcing positive feedback and mutual appreciation.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces gratitude and positive communication as tools for managing stress and maintaining optimism.
- Encourages humour, reflection, and connection as healthy coping strategies during gameplay.
- Promotes emotional flexibility by helping students balance competition with empathy and kindness.
4. Problem Solving
- Develops strategic thinking as students plan moves, analyse outcomes, and adapt their gameplay.
- Encourages reflective problem-solving as students think about how compliments and feedback can strengthen relationships.
- Promotes balance between logical reasoning and emotional intelligence within a fun, structured context.
5. Stress Management
- Combines calm, mindful conversation with playful competition to reduce tension and encourage enjoyment.
- Reinforces that laughter, reflection, and connection help create a positive mindset.
- Provides a structured, light-hearted environment for social engagement and relaxation.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises sharing personal reflections and seeking understanding through positive dialogue.
- Encourages supportive communication that strengthens trust and connection between peers.
- Reinforces that kindness and appreciation foster safe spaces where people feel valued and heard.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equality by creating opportunities for all students to express appreciation and reflection.
- Encourages authentic self-expression through both strategic and emotional engagement.
- Challenges stereotypes by combining emotional intelligence with strategic thinking in an inclusive game format.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds respectful relationships through empathy, listening, and affirmation.
- Reinforces fairness, compassion, and kindness during playful competition.
- Strengthens social cohesion and trust by creating a safe, positive space for communication and connection.
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