The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 5 & 6
Week Six brings together quick-thinking challenges, physical games, and gratitude-based reflection to create a balanced and energising learning experience. Students engage in activities that sharpen their mental agility, improve their coordination, and help them respond quickly under pressure. Through fun and dynamic partner and group games, they learn to focus, calculate, react, and adapt, all while moving their bodies, working together, and staying fully engaged.
This week also strengthens emotional well-being by weaving in gratitude and positive reflection. Students explore happiness, share meaningful moments, and express appreciation for the good things in their lives. Combined with activities that build coordination, teamwork, and social connection, Week Six nurtures a positive mindset and helps students understand the value of staying active, staying grateful, and staying connected, supporting both their individual growth and the overall cohesion of the group.
Courses
Set Go
Set Go is a fast-paced warm-up game that blends quick thinking, physical energy, and social interaction to instantly elevate the mood of any group. Players hide their hands on the cue “set,” reveal a number of fingers on “go,” and race to be the first to correctly call out the total. Whether played in pairs or in a large rotating square format, the game keeps everyone moving, laughing, and mentally switched on. Its simplicity makes it accessible, while its speed and unpredictability make it exciting for all ages, from young students to adults in professional workshops.
The activity also encourages constant connection as players switch partners, cheer each other on, and celebrate quick wins. Set Go naturally fosters good sportsmanship, confidence, and friendly competition, all while building mental agility through rapid-fire calculations. The group play option ramps up the intensity with running, movement, and continuous engagement, making it an excellent warm-up for physical sessions or energetic events. With easy variations and room for playful twists, Set Go is a reliable go-to for creating a positive, energetic, and connected atmosphere right from the start.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages awareness of emotions such as excitement, anticipation, and focus during fast-paced play.
- Builds empathy and social connection as students share laughter, quick reactions, and mutual enjoyment.
- Promotes emotional regulation as students manage competitiveness and react calmly to wins or losses.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights strengths such as mental agility, focus, and positive attitude under pressure.
- Encourages recognition of personal growth in quick thinking, resilience, and fair play.
- Builds self-confidence through participation, friendly competition, and shared enjoyment.
3. Positive Coping
- Teaches students to handle mistakes or losses with humour and positivity.
- Reinforces perseverance and quick recovery when outcomes don’t go as planned.
- Promotes supportive peer interaction that helps maintain motivation and emotional balance.
4. Problem Solving
- Strengthens cognitive speed and numerical reasoning through instant calculation of totals.
- Encourages flexible thinking and quick decision-making when facing new partners and rounds.
- Builds awareness of strategy and reaction as students aim to improve their accuracy and timing.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a lively and energetic outlet that helps reduce tension and increase alertness.
- Encourages students to regulate excitement, focus their energy, and remain composed during gameplay.
- Promotes physical movement as a healthy, proactive way to manage stress and re-energise the mind.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises asking for clarification about rules or gameplay before and during rounds.
- Encourages peer support and shared understanding through observation and modelling.
- Reinforces cooperation and respectful communication, particularly when resolving differences in scores or play.
7. Gender and Identity
- Provides an inclusive, non-gendered environment where all students can participate equally.
- Breaks down barriers through randomised pairings and movement-based interaction.
- Promotes individuality and expression through body language, movement, and play without stereotypes.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces fairness, mutual respect, and good sportsmanship through playful competition.
- Builds positive peer relationships through kindness, encouragement, and shared laughter.
- Encourages collaboration and inclusion, helping to strengthen group cohesion and respect for others.
The Happiness Alphabet
The Happiness Alphabet is a beautifully simple gratitude activity that encourages participants to reflect on the positive aspects of their lives, one letter at a time. By choosing something meaningful for each letter, from people to places, moments, or memories, students tap into creativity, emotional awareness, and mindfulness. This gentle structure helps them identify the everyday joys they may otherwise overlook, building a habit of appreciation that supports emotional well-being. Whether done individually or in a group, the alphabet format keeps the activity engaging, playful, and filled with discovery.
When played with others, The Happiness Alphabet becomes a powerful connector, inviting participants to share meaningful reflections and learn more about what brings joy to those around them. As each person contributes their A-to-Z moments of gratitude, the group builds empathy, communication, and a stronger sense of community. The activity can be used at school, at home around the dinner table, or in any setting where positivity and connection are valued. By the end, everyone feels lighter, more grateful, and more connected, proving how powerful simple moments of reflection can be in boosting happiness and strengthening relationships.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages students to recognise, express, and share emotions related to joy, gratitude, and appreciation.
- Builds emotional awareness through reflection on what makes them happy and why.
- Promotes empathy and understanding as students listen to and connect with the emotions and experiences of others.
2. Personal Strengths
- Helps students identify personal values and sources of happiness that reflect their unique strengths and interests.
- Encourages self-awareness and pride in the positive aspects of their lives and relationships.
- Builds confidence through creative expression and sharing individual reflections in a supportive environment.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces gratitude and positive thinking as effective coping strategies for managing stress or negative emotions.
- Encourages students to focus on uplifting thoughts and experiences, promoting emotional balance.
- Provides a constructive way to reframe challenges by recognising everyday moments of joy and thankfulness.
4. Problem Solving
- Develops reflective thinking as students consider how to find happiness and gratitude in simple or challenging circumstances.
- Encourages creative problem-solving through associating abstract letters with meaningful, positive concepts.
- Promotes mindful reflection that strengthens decision-making grounded in positivity and wellbeing.
5. Stress Management
- Provides a calming, reflective activity that supports relaxation and mindfulness.
- Encourages focusing attention on positive emotions and gratitude, which can reduce stress levels.
- Builds emotional resilience by reinforcing awareness of supportive people, experiences, and environments.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises sharing emotions and personal reflections in a safe, supportive setting.
- Promotes open communication and connection, helping students feel more comfortable expressing gratitude or seeking help.
- Reinforces the idea that happiness often grows through connection and supportive relationships.
7. Gender and Identity
- Creates an inclusive environment where all perspectives and experiences are valued equally.
- Encourages students to express themselves authentically, free from stereotypes or judgment.
- Promotes respect for diversity by celebrating the different things that bring happiness to each person.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Builds positive and respectful relationships through listening, appreciation, and kindness during group sharing.
- Reinforces fairness, empathy, and encouragement as essential aspects of healthy social interaction.
- Strengthens class or group unity through shared joy and gratitude, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect.
Get Seven Bounces
Get Seven Bounces is a fast-paced coordination challenge that combines precision, timing, and focus in a fun partner-based format. Players take turns bouncing a table tennis ball along a flat surface, gradually increasing the required number of bounces with each round. The aim is to reach exactly seven bounces without going over or under, which pushes students to stay focused, control their movements, and anticipate the ball’s trajectory. This simple structure creates a steady progression in difficulty, helping participants improve their hand-eye coordination and patience while keeping the game engaging and enjoyable.
The social element of the game adds an energetic, connection-building layer, as students rotate partners after reaching five wins, encouraging teamwork, encouragement, and positive sportsmanship. Whether played in classrooms, sports sessions, or team-building activities, the game creates a friendly atmosphere where players support one another and celebrate accurate attempts. Highly adaptable, Get Seven Bounces can be modified for younger children, made more competitive with timed rounds, or adjusted for accessibility. It’s a playful, skill-building activity that strengthens coordination, concentration, and social interaction, all wrapped in a simple yet addictive challenge.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Builds awareness of emotions such as anticipation, excitement, and pride during the challenge.
- Encourages self-regulation when mistakes occur, helping students manage frustration and maintain a positive attitude.
- Fosters empathy and connection through shared encouragement, laughter, and celebration of success with rotating partners.
2. Personal Strengths
- Highlights persistence, focus, and coordination as personal strengths that lead to improvement.
- Encourages students to recognise their own and others’ patience, determination, and precision.
- Builds confidence through skill progression and successful execution of increasingly difficult challenges.
3. Positive Coping
- Reinforces resilience when errors happen by encouraging calm resets and continued effort.
- Promotes positive self-talk and a growth mindset as students aim to improve each round.
- Provides a playful environment where effort and perseverance are valued more than outcome.
4. Problem Solving
- Encourages students to think critically about force, timing, and coordination to achieve the correct number of bounces.
- Develops strategic thinking as players adjust their technique after each attempt.
- Strengthens collaboration through joint troubleshooting and observation between partners.
5. Stress Management
- Teaches focus and calmness in moments of pressure as students try to achieve the precise bounce count.
- Encourages deep concentration and steady breathing as tools to maintain composure.
- Provides a healthy physical outlet for managing tension through repetitive, rhythmic movement.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises asking partners for tips or clarification to improve technique.
- Promotes peer coaching and positive communication as players support one another.
- Reinforces help-seeking as a shared process that strengthens connection and teamwork.
7. Gender and Identity
- Creates an inclusive, low-pressure environment where all students participate equally regardless of skill or background.
- Encourages appreciation for different play styles, abilities, and approaches.
- Breaks down stereotypes by focusing on precision, patience, and teamwork rather than strength or dominance.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respect, fairness, and encouragement through cooperative play and partner rotation.
- Promotes positive communication, patience, and kindness in competitive settings.
- Strengthens peer relationships through supportive feedback and shared success.
Gratitude Golf
Gratitude Golf is a joyful blend of movement, teamwork, and positive reflection that turns a simple rolling game into a meaningful well-being experience. Played in pairs across 11 creative “golf holes,” students roll a tennis ball underarm toward a hoop or bucket, aiming to complete each hole in the fewest rolls possible. The physical component builds coordination, focus, and gentle fitness while keeping the game fun and accessible for all ages. Because players move together from hole to hole, the game naturally strengthens social interaction, collaboration, and shared enjoyment.
What makes Gratitude Golf truly powerful is the reflection built into every hole, where players answer gratitude questions based on their score before moving on. This simple mechanism transforms each stop into a moment of mindfulness, appreciation, and connection, encouraging meaningful conversations between partners. Whether students reflect on positive memories, people they appreciate, or strengths they’re thankful for, each question deepens the emotional experience of the game. With adaptable difficulty, room for creativity, and a beautiful mix of play and gratitude, Gratitude Golf becomes much more than movement, it becomes a memorable, heartwarming celebration of connection, kindness, and the good in life.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Encourages recognition and expression of positive emotions such as gratitude, joy, and appreciation.
- Helps students identify how people, places, and experiences influence their feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
- Builds empathy and emotional awareness through listening to peers’ gratitude reflections and connecting to shared experiences.
2. Personal Strengths
- Encourages students to recognise and celebrate personal strengths, talents, and qualities they are grateful for.
- Promotes confidence by allowing students to reflect on personal successes and abilities both within the game and in life.
- Reinforces self-awareness as students identify what brings them pride, joy, and fulfilment.
3. Positive Coping
- Promotes gratitude as a powerful coping strategy that enhances optimism and resilience.
- Encourages positive reflection on meaningful experiences, helping students shift focus from challenges to appreciation.
- Reinforces the habit of finding positives in everyday moments, supporting emotional wellbeing and mental balance.
4. Problem Solving
- Builds strategic thinking as students plan and adjust their rolls to complete each hole in fewer attempts.
- Encourages reflective discussion about how challenges were overcome and what strategies worked best.
- Strengthens creative problem-solving through playful experimentation with distance, direction, and teamwork.
5. Stress Management
- Combines movement and mindfulness, providing a calming, joyful outlet for energy and focus.
- Helps students stay composed and patient during the game, balancing excitement with control.
- Encourages gratitude-focused reflection as a stress-reducing and mood-lifting practice.
6. Help-Seeking
- Normalises sharing emotions and reflections openly in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.
- Encourages peer connection and mutual encouragement, fostering trust and communication.
- Reinforces the importance of listening, empathy, and seeking connection when navigating emotions or challenges.
7. Gender and Identity
- Promotes inclusivity and equity through cooperative play and shared reflection.
- Allows all students to express gratitude in ways that reflect their unique identities and experiences.
- Encourages appreciation of diverse perspectives, recognising that different people find joy and meaning in different things.
8. Positive Gender Relations
- Reinforces respect, kindness, and encouragement through teamwork and paired reflection.
- Builds positive interactions through active listening, empathy, and shared appreciation.
- Strengthens group connection by fostering a supportive atmosphere grounded in fairness, positivity, and mutual respect.
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