The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 5 & 6
Week Nineteen brings a mix of creativity, fitness, and meaningful reflection to help students strengthen their connections and deepen their sense of gratitude. The session begins with Moving & Shaking, a fun handshake-building challenge that boosts creativity, memory, and social confidence as students build and recall sequences with multiple partners. The energy continues with Full Deck Flip, a high-intensity fitness challenge where students push their physical limits through card-based exercises, working together, encouraging each other, and practising perseverance. These activities help students stay active, engaged, and connected while building teamwork and endurance.
The second half of the lesson supports self-reflection, emotional growth, and appreciation for oneself and others. Through Get Fanatical, students write their own PAL (Proud–Admire–Love) letter, helping them recognise their strengths and celebrate what makes them unique. The lesson finishes with Gratitude Monopoly, a playful and collaborative board-game experience where students share gratitude, complete positive challenges, and build a supportive team environment. Together, these activities help students increase their self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and walk away with a greater sense of confidence, gratitude, and connection.
Courses
Moving and Shaking
Moving & Shaking is a fast-paced, memory-boosting icebreaker that gets everyone laughing, connecting, and thinking creatively. Participants design unique handshake sequences with multiple partners, gradually building more complex routines as they move around the room. Each new partner adds another creative step, encouraging students to collaborate, communicate, and express themselves through fun physical movements.
As the handshake sequences grow, so does the challenge, students must listen carefully, remember each partner’s unique routine, and respond quickly when different partners are called. The game fosters strong interpersonal connections, sparks creativity, and energises the group with constant movement and shared fun. Moving & Shaking is the perfect opener for any session, breaking down barriers, building relationships, and engaging participants in a joyful, memorable way.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to express positive emotions through playful interaction, laughter, and connection.
- Builds awareness of how movement and non-verbal gestures can communicate friendliness, respect, and inclusion.
- Develops emotional recognition as students observe and respond to peers’ enthusiasm, comfort, and creativity during the activity.
2. Personal Strengths
- Promotes confidence, creativity, and memory as students design and perform unique handshake sequences.
- Encourages perseverance and focus as students remember and execute increasingly complex patterns.
- Builds self-assurance by giving students ownership of their creative ideas and actions.
3. Positive Coping
- Provides a fun, light-hearted outlet for releasing energy and stress through laughter and play.
- Helps students manage nervousness or shyness by engaging in a non-threatening, cooperative activity.
- Reinforces the value of movement and social play as healthy ways to build emotional resilience.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages collaboration and creativity in designing handshakes, requiring negotiation, compromise, and teamwork.
- Builds strategic thinking and adaptability as students modify and remember multi-step patterns.
- Promotes communication and cooperation to overcome challenges and synchronise actions with partners.
5. Stress Management
- Uses movement, rhythm, and humour to reduce anxiety and create a joyful, relaxed learning atmosphere.
- Encourages mindfulness and presence, as students must stay focused and engaged with each partner.
- Builds social confidence by transforming physical activity into a tool for connection and calm.
6. Help-Seeking
- Reinforces that asking for clarification or support from a partner is a normal part of teamwork and learning.
- Promotes mutual support, as students help each other remember sequences and celebrate success together.
- Encourages peer collaboration as a source of reassurance and fun, normalising cooperative learning.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity by ensuring all students interact respectfully and equally across a range of partners.
- Allows freedom of expression and creativity, supporting individuality and self-identity.
- Challenges gendered norms around touch and play by modelling safe, positive, and friendly physical interaction.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds respectful, kind, and friendly interactions across genders through cooperative participation.
- Reinforces fair play, encouragement, and shared laughter as foundations for healthy peer relationships.
- Fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone’s creativity is valued and celebrated.
Get Fanatical
Get Fanatical is a powerful self-reflection activity where students become their own biggest fans by writing a heartfelt PAL letter, exploring what they are Proud of, what they Admire in themselves, and what they Love about who they are. This uplifting process encourages deep personal reflection, helping students recognise their unique strengths, qualities, and achievements. It’s a moment to pause, look inward, and celebrate the incredible human they already are, building confidence and fostering a strong sense of self-worth.
Once completed, the PAL letter becomes a personal keepsake, a reminder students can return to during challenging times to reconnect with their strengths, resilience, and growth. Get Fanatical is more than an activity; it’s a lifelong tool for emotional well-being, positive self-talk, and inner confidence. It helps participants develop a healthy habit of self-appreciation while nurturing a mindset that acknowledges and celebrates personal progress. A simple, meaningful, and transformative exercise to boost self-esteem and emotional resilience.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to identify, name, and articulate positive emotions such as pride, love, and self-acceptance.
- Builds emotional awareness by helping students reflect on their feelings toward themselves and their personal growth.
- Strengthens the ability to express self-compassion and recognise the emotional impact of self-affirmation.
2. Personal Strengths
- Promotes self-awareness by guiding students to identify and celebrate their skills, values, and unique qualities.
- Builds confidence and self-worth by encouraging reflection on achievements, character traits, and areas of personal pride.
- Reinforces a growth mindset, showing that recognising personal strengths supports resilience and future success.
3. Positive Coping
- Provides a tool for emotional resilience, the PAL letter serves as a personal anchor during difficult times.
- Encourages self-affirmation as a positive coping strategy to counter negative self-talk or low confidence.
- Teaches students to practise gratitude and self-compassion as powerful ways to restore balance and optimism.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages reflection as a method for problem-solving by identifying personal strengths that can be applied to challenges.
- Develops critical self-reflection, helping students think about how their traits and experiences can guide future decisions.
- Reinforces ownership of personal growth through thoughtful evaluation of what helps them succeed.
5. Stress Management
- Promotes calm and positivity through reflective journaling and gratitude-based writing.
- Provides a personal strategy for managing emotional stress by revisiting the PAL letter in times of self-doubt.
- Encourages mindfulness and self-compassion, reducing negative self-comparison and promoting self-acceptance.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises self-reflection as an important step in self-care and emotional regulation.
- Encourages students to recognise when they need reassurance and to use healthy self-support strategies.
- Reinforces that caring for oneself and acknowledging personal worth are essential foundations for seeking and offering help to others.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity by affirming that all students have individual strengths, regardless of gender or background.
- Builds a strong sense of identity by encouraging authentic self-reflection and self-expression.
- Challenges stereotypes by valuing inner strengths, kindness, and creativity equally across all identities.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respect for self and others as part of building healthy relationships.
- Encourages students to appreciate their own qualities, which supports valuing those in others.
- Fosters a culture of mutual respect and positivity by teaching that self-love contributes to kindness and empathy in relationships.
Full Deck Flip
Full Deck Flip is an energetic fitness challenge that turns an ordinary deck of cards into a fun, unpredictable workout. Each card flipped reveals a new exercise, with suits representing movements like squats, star jumps, push-ups, and sit-ups. The element of chance keeps participants fully engaged as they race through their cards, never knowing which exercise is coming next. With the added surprise of Joker cards, bringing bonus challenges such as squat jumps or a short run, the game keeps energy high and motivation strong from start to finish.
Whether played individually, in pairs, or in teams, Full Deck Flip encourages speed, stamina, and determination. Participants push themselves to complete their allocated cards as quickly as possible while maintaining positive energy and supporting others. The simplicity and adaptability of the game make it perfect for PE classes, fitness sessions, or warm-ups, transforming traditional exercise into a dynamic, enjoyable, and highly effective workout.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise and manage emotions associated with challenge, perseverance, and achievement.
- Builds emotional awareness through reflection on effort, focus, and motivation during physical activity.
- Promotes self-regulation by maintaining composure and determination when faced with demanding exercises.
2. Personal Strengths
- Reinforces perseverance, resilience, and self-motivation as students push through a full physical challenge.
- Encourages students to identify and celebrate their physical and mental strengths, such as endurance and determination.
- Builds confidence through goal completion and personal achievement, helping students see effort as success.
3. Positive Coping
- Teaches persistence and a positive mindset when faced with physically demanding or unpredictable challenges.
- Encourages students to use self-talk and teamwork as coping tools for maintaining motivation.
- Promotes stress relief through physical movement, laughter, and healthy competition.
4. Problem Solving
- Builds strategic thinking as students plan their pace, approach exercises efficiently, and adapt to random card draws.
- Encourages decision-making and teamwork when dividing exercises in team variations.
- Reinforces problem-solving through self-monitoring, adjusting effort to complete the deck successfully.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a high-energy, engaging outlet for managing physical and emotional stress through movement.
- Enhances focus and mindfulness by keeping attention on the task, breath, and physical rhythm.
- Promotes relaxation and positive mood post-activity through laughter, teamwork, and endorphin release.
6. Help-Seeking
- Encourages peer encouragement and support during challenging moments, normalising asking for help or motivation.
- Reinforces the importance of teamwork, helping others complete their exercises fosters collective success.
- Builds trust and connection through shared physical challenges and encouragement.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity by valuing effort, teamwork, and determination equally for all students, regardless of gender or ability.
- Builds body confidence by focusing on personal growth and participation over performance comparison.
- Encourages students to express individuality through their energy, pace, and attitude.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces fairness, teamwork, and mutual encouragement across genders in a cooperative physical environment.
- Promotes empathy and respect by celebrating everyone’s contributions to group goals.
- Fosters a culture of support and collective achievement where success is shared rather than individualised.
Gratitude Monopoly
Gratitude Monopoly is an uplifting twist on the classic board game, designed to get students moving, thinking, and reflecting on the positive aspects of their lives. As teams travel around the life-sized board, they encounter a mix of gratitude questions, reflective challenges, and fun activities that encourage self-appreciation and emotional awareness. Every square prompts meaningful conversation or movement, helping students build a deeper understanding of what they value and why. Passing GO earns teams points, and the “Star Jump Option” ensures everyone can participate, even when a question feels tricky.
Whether used indoors or outdoors, Gratitude Monopoly brings collaboration, communication, and well-being together in one engaging experience. Students work in pairs or teams, supporting each other as they navigate the board, complete gratitude tasks, and discuss real-life moments that matter. This playful format creates a powerful mix of learning and connection, making it ideal for classrooms focused on well-being, team-building, or social-emotional learning. With flexible options for competitive or non-competitive play, it’s a dynamic and memorable way to embed gratitude into any session.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to identify and express emotions related to gratitude, appreciation, and self-worth.
- Builds emotional awareness by reflecting on experiences that bring joy, pride, or thankfulness.
- Promotes positive emotional expression through discussion and teamwork in a playful, safe environment.
2. Personal Strengths
- Reinforces self-awareness by guiding students to recognise their strengths and what makes them proud.
- Encourages reflection on personal growth and achievements while acknowledging the support of others.
- Builds confidence as students share positive insights about themselves and their peers during gameplay.
3. Positive Coping
- Fosters resilience by helping students focus on the positives and develop gratitude as a coping mechanism.
- Encourages students to reframe challenges through gratitude-focused questions and discussions.
- Provides a fun, stress-free environment that nurtures optimism and wellbeing through movement and laughter.
4. Problem Solving
- Promotes critical thinking as teams strategise their moves and work together to answer gratitude-based challenges.
- Encourages creative thinking through open-ended gratitude prompts that invite reflection and storytelling.
- Develops communication and compromise skills as teams discuss, decide, and support one another’s ideas.
5. Stress Management
- Combines physical movement, play, and positive discussion to reduce stress and enhance focus.
- Reinforces that reflection, laughter, and gratitude are powerful tools for emotional balance.
- Provides opportunities for mindfulness and appreciation in a high-energy, collaborative format.
6. Help-Seeking
- Builds comfort in sharing thoughts and emotions with others, normalising openness and vulnerability.
- Encourages supportive communication and mutual encouragement within teams.
- Reinforces that gratitude and kindness strengthen social support networks, promoting collective wellbeing.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equality by celebrating every student’s contribution and unique perspective.
- Affirms individuality by valuing diverse experiences of gratitude, pride, and personal growth.
- Encourages self-expression and confidence across all identities, challenging stereotypes through shared appreciation.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respect, empathy, and cooperation through positive, team-based interactions.
- Builds a culture of fairness, support, and appreciation where all players are valued equally.
- Promotes kindness, laughter, and connection across genders, strengthening group trust and cohesion.
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