The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 5 & 6
Week Seventeen brings together movement, reflection, creativity, and teamwork to energise students and strengthen classroom connection. The session begins with Yay, Nay, Let’s Stay, a high-energy coordination game that sparks laughter while challenging students’ focus and quick thinking. The physical excitement continues with Spring Carnival Racing, where students move through fitness stations based on dice rolls, building endurance while cheering each other on through the playful unpredictability of the race. These activities promote agility, collaboration, and positive social interaction, helping students stay active while deepening their sense of connection.
This week also encourages meaningful reflection and creative gratitude. In Get Excited, students shift their focus toward the future, identifying upcoming moments, events, and personal goals that bring them joy and motivation. They then explore gratitude in a fun, expressive way through Gratitude Charades, using movement and non-verbal communication to celebrate the people, experiences, and moments they appreciate. Through this blend of movement and reflection, students strengthen self-awareness, practise expressing gratitude, and build a more hopeful, connected, and positive mindset.
Courses
Yay Nay Lets Stay
Yay Nay Let’s Stay is a high-energy, laughter-filled connection game that gets everyone moving, focused, and working together. Using three simple commands, Yay (jump forward), Nay (jump backward), and Let’s Stay (spin 180 degrees), participants follow rapid instructions that challenge their coordination, concentration, and ability to stay in sync with the group. Played in a circle with hands on the shoulders of the person in front, the game becomes a joyful mix of movement, chaos, and teamwork as the commands get faster and more complex.
Perfect as a warm-up or icebreaker, this game brings instant energy and smiles to any group. As participants progress through fun sequence levels, they build connection, sharpen their focus, and embrace the playful challenge of staying together without overthinking mistakes. Yay Nay Let’s Stay is an uplifting way to start any session, promoting fun, collaboration, and a positive group vibe right from the first jump.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise and manage emotions such as excitement, surprise, and joy through play.
- Promotes awareness of emotional regulation by learning to respond calmly and confidently when mistakes occur.
- Builds social-emotional awareness through shared laughter and group energy, fostering positive emotional connections.
2. Personal Strengths
- Reinforces persistence, concentration, and coordination as valuable personal strengths.
- Builds confidence as students master increasingly complex movement sequences.
- Encourages students to celebrate their abilities and contributions within a team setting.
3. Positive Coping
- Promotes a playful, low-pressure environment where mistakes are normalised and viewed as part of learning.
- Helps students release stress through movement, laughter, and collective engagement.
- Fosters a mindset of resilience, humour, and flexibility when faced with challenges or errors.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages listening, focus, and strategic thinking as students recall and execute sequences accurately.
- Reinforces teamwork and communication as key components of overcoming group challenges.
- Builds adaptability as students respond quickly to changing instructions and patterns.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a light-hearted physical outlet that promotes joy, movement, and mindfulness.
- Enhances overall wellbeing by combining laughter, coordination, and play.
- Encourages students to stay present, focusing their energy and attention on the moment.
6. Help-Seeking
- Reinforces the importance of collaboration and mutual support by having students rely on one another for correct movement cues.
- Encourages open communication and positive reinforcement between peers.
- Normalises asking for help or clarification during shared learning experiences.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and belonging by creating a shared experience where all participants contribute equally.
- Encourages self-expression and confidence through movement and play, free from judgment or stereotype.
- Builds acceptance and connection across diverse groups through shared laughter and participation.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respect, cooperation, and care within group physical interactions.
- Encourages teamwork and mutual encouragement regardless of gender or ability.
- Strengthens positive group culture through supportive communication and collective enjoyment.
Get Excited
Get Excited is a positive reflection activity that encourages students to shift their focus toward the future and the moments, events, and goals they’re genuinely excited about. By listing upcoming plans, from weekend activities to long-term dreams, students tap into anticipation, motivation, and hope. This simple process helps them recognise how powerful it can be to have things to look forward to, creating a sense of balance, direction, and purpose in their everyday lives.
The activity blends reflection with future planning, helping students better understand what inspires them and why. As they think about their next adventures, milestones, and personal goals, they build a mindset grounded in optimism and forward momentum. Get Excited is a wonderful way to boost motivation and happiness, reminding students that looking ahead with excitement can brighten even the busiest or toughest days.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to identify, understand, and express positive emotions such as excitement, anticipation, and joy.
- Promotes emotional awareness by linking feelings of excitement to motivation, balance, and well-being.
- Builds the ability to recognise how focusing on future positives can influence emotional health and mindset.
2. Personal Strengths
- Helps students recognise personal goals and aspirations as reflections of their inner strengths, values, and dreams.
- Fosters confidence and optimism by encouraging students to focus on what motivates them and gives them purpose.
- Reinforces goal-setting and perseverance as personal strengths that lead to growth and achievement.
3. Positive Coping
- Promotes healthy coping strategies by redirecting focus toward positive and motivating aspects of life.
- Encourages gratitude and forward thinking as ways to manage stress and maintain balance during challenging times.
- Reinforces the value of anticipation and planning as tools for emotional resilience and stability.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages reflection on how setting meaningful goals can help navigate challenges and stay motivated.
- Promotes proactive thinking by helping students identify steps toward achieving their future goals.
- Builds reflective decision-making skills by connecting emotions, actions, and desired outcomes.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a reflective outlet that promotes calmness, mindfulness, and positive anticipation.
- Encourages focusing on upcoming enjoyable events as a way to manage daily stress and sustain a hopeful outlook.
- Reinforces balance between present responsibilities and future aspirations, supporting emotional regulation.
6. Help-Seeking
- Promotes communication about goals and future aspirations, encouraging dialogue with peers, teachers, and family members.
- Reinforces that seeking guidance or sharing goals with others can help in achieving them.
- Builds a supportive environment where students can discuss hopes, seek feedback, and receive encouragement.
7. Gender and Identity
- Supports self-reflection and identity development by allowing students to explore goals, dreams, and future roles that align with their authentic selves.
- Promotes inclusivity by valuing each individual’s unique aspirations and life paths.
- Reinforces the idea that everyone’s journey is valid and worthy of excitement, regardless of gender or background.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Encourages respectful listening and celebration of others’ future goals and achievements.
- Builds empathy, understanding, and appreciation for the diversity of aspirations within a group.
- Fosters a positive classroom culture based on encouragement, mutual respect, and shared optimism.
Spring Carnival Racing
Spring Carnival Racing is a high-energy fitness challenge that transforms physical activity into an exciting race-day experience. Participants work their way through a series of exercise stations, each one building endurance, strength, and resilience. With dice rolls determining whether players surge forward, hold their ground, or slip back a station, the game blends physical effort with the thrill of unpredictability. This mix of fitness and chance keeps everyone engaged, making every lap feel exciting and fresh.
Designed to spark fun, movement, and friendly competition, Spring Carnival Racing encourages students to push themselves while cheering on their peers. The race-like structure brings a playful sense of urgency, while the element of luck ensures that anyone can take the lead at any time. Whether used as a warm-up, fitness circuit, or team-building challenge, this game is a lively and motivating way to get groups moving together with energy, laughter, and determination.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages awareness of emotions such as excitement, anticipation, and perseverance through both progress and setbacks.
- Helps students recognise and manage feelings of frustration or disappointment when dice rolls do not go their way.
- Builds emotional resilience by promoting positive self-talk and motivation during moments of challenge or unpredictability.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights strengths such as determination, focus, and physical endurance as students complete each station.
- Encourages perseverance and adaptability as students respond to both successes and setbacks in the race.
- Builds confidence and self-belief as students recognise their effort and fitness improvement throughout the challenge.
3. Positive Coping
- Teaches healthy coping strategies by encouraging students to manage emotions tied to chance, competition, and fatigue.
- Reinforces staying positive and solution-focused when facing setbacks, such as being sent back a station.
- Promotes laughter, perspective, and enjoyment as ways to maintain emotional balance during competition.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages strategic decision-making as students adapt their approach to each exercise and station challenge.
- Builds quick thinking and flexibility as participants respond to random outcomes in real-time.
- Promotes resilience through trial and error, showing how adaptability leads to continued progress.
5. Stress Management
- Provides an energetic physical outlet that supports emotional regulation and reduces stress.
- Encourages mindfulness through movement, helping students focus on their breathing, rhythm, and presence during activity.
- Reinforces fun, laughter, and teamwork as powerful tools for managing stress and promoting well-being.
6. Help-Seeking
- Promotes teamwork and communication as students support, motivate, and cheer each other on.
- Reinforces that encouragement and collaboration are forms of seeking and offering help during group activities.
- Builds trust and belonging by normalising asking for guidance or clarification on rules or exercises.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equality by valuing participation, effort, and fun over physical dominance or competition.
- Encourages all students to contribute and celebrate diverse abilities and strengths.
- Fosters confidence and self-expression through physical participation in a safe, supportive environment.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces fairness, respect, and encouragement among peers, regardless of gender or ability level.
- Promotes positive communication and teamwork through cheering, motivation, and shared celebration.
- Builds a sense of unity and community by focusing on enjoyment, collaboration, and mutual support rather than winning alone.
Gratitude Charades
Gratitude Charades is a playful twist on the classic game of charades, encouraging participants to express and celebrate gratitude through imaginative, non-verbal acting. Players draw prompts that reflect positive moments, people, or experiences in their lives and bring them to life using only gestures and movement. This creative approach helps students reflect on what they are thankful for while adding a spark of humour, energy, and expression to the process.
The game naturally builds connection and positivity within any group. As players guess each other’s gratitude moments, they learn more about their peers, deepen their understanding of one another, and share in joyful, light-hearted moments together. Whether played competitively or just for fun, Gratitude Charades transforms gratitude into an engaging, interactive experience that leaves everyone feeling uplifted and more connected.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise, express, and interpret emotions associated with gratitude and appreciation.
- Builds emotional awareness through non-verbal communication, helping students understand and convey positive feelings.
- Develops empathy by observing and interpreting others’ expressions of gratitude and happiness.
2. Personal Strengths
- Promotes self-confidence as students creatively act out their gratitude prompts in front of others.
- Encourages students to identify what they value and appreciate, highlighting qualities such as kindness, joy, and connection.
- Builds a sense of pride and self-awareness by recognising the positive experiences and relationships in their lives.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces focusing on positive emotions as a tool for resilience and emotional regulation.
- Helps students redirect attention from negative thoughts to gratitude, play, and shared laughter.
- Fosters a mindset of optimism by engaging in fun, light-hearted reflection on what makes life meaningful.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages creative problem-solving as students think of new ways to act out gratitude concepts non-verbally.
- Promotes critical thinking through interpreting gestures, expressions, and physical cues during guessing rounds.
- Reinforces teamwork and communication as players strategise and adapt to convey ideas effectively.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a joyful, movement-based activity that reduces stress through laughter and play.
- Encourages mindfulness by focusing attention on gratitude and positive experiences.
- Builds a relaxed and uplifting environment that supports emotional well-being and connection.
6. Help-Seeking
- Encourages collaboration and reassurance as peers support each other in guessing and expressing gratitude.
- Normalises asking for hints or assistance, promoting a safe and supportive environment for participation.
- Reinforces that teamwork and openness enhance shared understanding and connection.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity by providing equal opportunities for all students to express gratitude creatively and confidently.
- Fosters self-expression and individuality through unique interpretations of gratitude themes.
- Builds appreciation for the diverse ways people experience and express thankfulness.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respectful interactions, teamwork, and encouragement among peers.
- Promotes kindness, empathy, and laughter as shared experiences that build strong relationships.
- Strengthens a culture of inclusion and mutual respect through playful, cooperative engagement.
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