The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Grade 5 & 6
Week Twenty Six celebrates the life skill of gratitude, inspired by Saturn and its shimmering rings, which remind us that thankfulness radiates outward and brings people closer together. Across this week, students explore gratitude through joyful play, creative expression, and mindful movement. From sharing thankful thoughts in Gratitude Balloon Toss to reflecting on meaningful moments in My Thankful Hand, children learn that appreciation can be spoken, drawn, felt, and shared. Each activity invites students to pause, notice the good around them, and experience the warm connection that comes with acknowledging the people, places, and things that make life special.
This week also nurtures calmness, kindness, and emotional awareness. Stretch and Say Thanks blends gentle physical movement with reflective gratitude, helping students connect their bodies with positive thoughts. Thank You Space Power Cubes allow students to turn gratitude into action by creating thoughtful tokens for someone they appreciate. Together, these experiences build confidence, strengthen relationships, and remind students that gratitude is more than a feeling, it’s something we can practise and express every day. Like Saturn’s rings, gratitude circles outwards, creating harmony, connection, and joy throughout the classroom community.
Courses
Gratitude Balloon Toss
Gratitude Balloon Toss invites students to playfully explore what they are thankful for while working together to keep a balloon floating through the air. Each time a child taps the balloon, they name something that brings them joy, a person, a moment, a favourite place, or something simple that made them smile that day. This light and energetic activity helps students understand gratitude as an active, shared experience rather than something silent or private. As the balloon moves around the group, appreciation spreads from one student to another, creating a lively circle of connection and positive emotion.
Hearing classmates share their thankful thoughts builds empathy and encourages students to notice the good in their own lives and in the lives of others. Whether played with one balloon or several, the game quickly fills the room with laughter, teamwork, and uplifting words. A reflection at the end helps students recognise how gratitude can ripple outward, just like Saturn’s beautiful rings, bringing people closer and brightening the whole space. Gratitude Balloon Toss leaves students energised, connected, and more aware of the many things that make their world wonderful.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Students identify positive emotions associated with gratitude, joy, comfort, appreciation, and belonging.
- Sharing things they’re thankful for helps students name and articulate emotional experiences.
- Hearing others’ gratitude responses broadens emotional understanding and perspective.
2. Personal Strengths
- Students reflect on what brings them joy or pride, reinforcing awareness of what matters most to them.
- Sharing gratitude builds confidence and encourages self-recognition of positive experiences.
- Students demonstrate strengths such as kindness, optimism, and thoughtfulness.
3. Positive Coping
- Practising gratitude strengthens emotional resilience and supports positive thinking.
- Expressing appreciation shifts focus from stress toward positive aspects of life, enhancing well-being.
- Movement and play provide a fun, supportive context for coping through connection and joy.
4. Problem-Solving
- Students practise turn-taking, timing, and coordination to keep the balloon in the air.
- They learn to communicate clearly and adapt to group rhythm and pace.
- Optional challenges (additional balloons, music stops) require quick thinking and teamwork.
5. Stress Management
- Playful movement releases tension and elevates mood.
- Gratitude is a proven stress reducer, helping students feel calm, grounded, and happier.
- Listening to others’ gratitude statements enhances a sense of collective calm and connection.
6. Gender and Identity
- Students express gratitude based on personal lived experiences, celebrating individuality.
- The activity is inclusive; any student can share anything meaningful to them, without stereotypes.
- Everyone’s gratitude is valued equally, reinforcing belonging and identity.
7. Positive Relationships
- Passing the balloon and sharing thanks builds trust, teamwork, and social bonding.
- Hearing what others are grateful for fosters empathy and strengthens relationships.
- Students practise kindness through attentive listening and encouraging one another.
8. Help-Seeking
- Students may ask for prompts or support if they feel stuck, reinforcing that help-seeking is welcomed.
- They learn that expressing appreciation to others is a form of connection that strengthens their support network.
- Gratitude discussions remind students of the people who care for them, trusted adults, friends, and family, which builds help-seeking confidence.
My Thankful Hand
My Thankful Hand invites students to pause and appreciate the meaningful parts of their lives by turning their traced handprint into a colourful display of gratitude. Each finger becomes a space to draw or write something they are thankful for, family, friends, pets, favourite places, special moments, or anything that brings joy to their day. This process encourages children to slow down, reflect, and recognise the many small but important things that make their lives brighter. As they decorate their handprints with colours and symbols, students connect creativity with emotional awareness, transforming simple lines on paper into a powerful gratitude reminder.
Sharing their Thankful Hands with classmates helps students build confidence while deepening connections across the group. Hearing what others appreciate broadens their perspective and reinforces that gratitude can be found in many different places. This activity beautifully reflects Saturn’s lesson in The Playful Astronauts journey: that many small pieces, like fingers or rings, can come together to create something strong and meaningful. My Thankful Hand leaves students feeling grounded, joyful, and more aware of the good that surrounds them every day.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Students identify and name things, people, and experiences that make them feel happy, safe, or cared for.
- Reflecting on what they are thankful for deepens emotional awareness and recognition of positive feelings.
- Sharing their choices helps students verbalise emotions linked to gratitude.
2. Personal Strengths
- Students often choose strengths-based items, relationships, achievements, and talents that contribute to their well-being.
- Reflecting on what matters to them supports identity development and self-understanding.
- Sharing their Thankful Hand builds confidence and highlights students’ values.
3. Positive Coping
- Gratitude is a proven well-being strategy that improves mood and emotional resilience.
- Students learn to shift attention toward positive aspects of their lives, which supports coping with stress and challenges.
- The completed hand becomes a visual reminder of things that help them feel calm, happy, and supported.
4. Problem-Solving
- Students make choices about what to include and how to represent their ideas visually.
- Explaining their choices requires clear thinking and communication skills.
- Sharing gratitude examples helps classmates learn new perspectives and ways to reframe challenges.
5. Stress Management
- Creative drawing and colouring provide a calming, mindful sensory experience.
- Focusing on gratitude reduces stress and increases feelings of safety and contentment.
- Students can revisit their Thankful Hand during difficult moments to help regulate emotions.
6. Gender and Identity
- Students choose their own meaningful gratitude items, free from stereotypes or expectations.
- The activity validates diverse backgrounds, families, interests, and personal experiences.
- Every Thankful Hand is unique, reinforcing that each student’s identity and experiences are valued.
7. Positive Relationships
- Students reflect on the people who support them, strengthening appreciation for friendships and trusted adults.
- Sharing in a circle promotes respectful listening, empathy, and understanding of others’ perspectives.
- Celebrating gratitude together builds a warm, connected classroom culture.
8. Help-Seeking
- Students identify people in their lives they are grateful for, many of whom are helpers, carers, or trusted adults.
- This naturally reinforces awareness of who they can turn to for help.
- Discussing gratitude reduces stigma around vulnerability and encourages students to lean on their support networks.
Stretch and Say Thanks
Stretch and Say Thanks blends gentle movement with heartfelt reflection, giving students a peaceful way to connect their bodies and emotions. As they reach tall, bend softly, flap butterfly wings, or wrap themselves in a warm self-hug, students practise moving with calm control while naming things they feel thankful for. This simple pairing of stretching and gratitude helps them slow down, breathe, and recognise the good things in their lives, from loved ones and favourite foods to special moments and friendships. Each stretch becomes a quiet celebration of something meaningful, nurturing both flexibility and emotional awareness.
Sharing gratitude aloud while moving together creates a soothing sense of unity in the group. Students hear what others appreciate, broadening their own sense of thankfulness and strengthening social bonds. The activity ends with a peaceful breath and a moment to reflect on how their bodies and hearts feel after practising mindful gratitude. Inspired by Saturn’s lessons of balance, calmness, and reflection, Stretch and Say Thanks leaves students feeling grounded, relaxed, and more connected to the positives that surround them every day.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Students connect physical movement with emotional awareness by identifying things they feel thankful for.
- Saying gratitude statements aloud helps students recognise and express positive emotions.
- Reflection prompts expand emotional vocabulary and awareness of how gratitude affects the body and mind.
2. Personal Strengths
- Students notice and articulate aspects of their lives that make them feel supported, happy, or proud.
- Linking stretches to gratitude builds confidence in speaking positively about their experiences.
- When paired or group sharing is used, students identify and affirm strengths or admirable qualities in others.
3. Positive Coping
- The combination of slow stretching and gratitude supports well-being and emotional regulation.
- Students learn a simple, practical strategy they can use when stressed: move gently and name something they appreciate.
- Positive thinking patterns are reinforced through repeated gratitude statements, helping students cope with challenge and anxiety.
4. Problem-Solving
- Students practise choosing appropriate stretches and matching them with meaningful gratitude statements.
- They adjust their movements and timing based on teacher cues and group rhythm.
- The optional circle variation encourages quick thinking, social decision-making, and expression of admiration in real time.
5. Stress Management
- Gentle stretching promotes relaxation, calm breathing, and physical release of tension.
- Gratitude is a scientifically backed strategy for reducing stress and increasing optimism.
- Students experience a calming routine they can apply throughout the school day or at home.
6. Gender and Identity
- Students choose gratitude statements that reflect their authentic experiences and identities.
- All forms of thankfulness, people, places, feelings, and achievements are welcomed and valid.
- The activity fosters an inclusive environment where each student’s experiences and preferences are honoured.
7. Positive Relationships
- Listening to peers’ gratitude statements strengthens classroom connection and empathy.
- The optional partner-admiration variation deepens peer relationships through meaningful, affirming interactions.
- Students practise kindness, respect, and supportive communication.
8. Help-Seeking
- Gratitude reflections often highlight people who provide care and support, reinforcing awareness of trusted adults and peers.
- Students recognise who they can turn to and why those relationships matter.
- The emotional safety developed through shared gratitude encourages confidence in reaching out for help when needed.
Thank You Space Power Cubes
Thank You Space Power Cubes give students a creative and meaningful way to express appreciation for someone who makes their school day brighter. By decorating each side of a small paper cube with pictures, colours, and simple thank-you messages, children reflect on the people who help them feel safe, happy, and supported, friends who play kindly, teachers who encourage them, or classmates who share and include them. As they design their cube, students think deeply about why they are thankful, turning their appreciation into a tangible gift filled with care and creativity. This hands-on activity helps them understand that gratitude grows stronger when it is expressed and shared.
Giving the finished cube becomes a powerful moment of connection. Whether delivered with a smile, a quiet “thank you,” or left as a surprise gift on someone’s desk, each Space Power Cube carries kindness outward, just like the gentle rings of Saturn surrounding and supporting the planet. When students share their creations, they learn that even small acts of giving can brighten someone else’s day and strengthen relationships across the classroom. Thank You Space Power Cubes leave students feeling proud, generous, and connected, with a deeper understanding that gratitude is a gift we can all give.
Respectful Relationships
1. Emotional Literacy
- Students reflect on who makes them feel happy, safe, or supported at school.
- Naming gratitude toward a specific person strengthens awareness of positive emotions and emotional connections.
- Giving their cube requires students to express appreciative feelings in a clear, meaningful way.
2. Personal Strengths
- Students identify qualities in others, kindness, helpfulness, support, which strengthens their ability to recognise strengths both in themselves and their community.
- Creating a cube develops personal strengths such as creativity, generosity, and thoughtful communication.
- Students practise confidence through expressing appreciation verbally or non-verbally.
3. Positive Coping
- Focusing on people who help them promotes emotional resilience and a sense of belonging.
- Gratitude is a positive coping strategy that improves well-being and supports students during challenging moments.
- The act of giving helps students feel empowered and valued, reinforcing prosocial coping behaviours.
4. Problem-Solving
- Students decide who they want to thank and why, requiring thoughtful decision-making and reflection.
- Designing each cube side encourages planning, organisation, and communicating meaning in a structured way.
- Giving the cube supports interpersonal problem-solving, such as knowing what to say or how to approach someone kindly.
5. Stress Management
- Creative colouring and building the cube provide a calming, mindful experience.
- Expressing gratitude reduces stress and boosts positive mood.
- Thinking about trusted people reinforces emotional safety and strengthens support networks.
6. Gender and Identity
- Students choose freely whom they appreciate at school, reinforcing inclusive relationships and diverse identities.
- No roles or stereotypes are linked to gratitude, every child’s experience and choice is equally valued.
- Students express appreciation in ways that reflect their own personality and cultural background.
7. Positive Relationships
- The activity directly builds and strengthens relationships through meaningful giving.
- Students practise kindness, eye contact, positive language, and respectful interpersonal interaction.
- Giving appreciation improves classroom culture and nurtures a sense of unity, trust, and belonging.
8. Help-Seeking
- Identifying someone they are thankful for helps students recognise the helpers in their life, teachers, peers, support staff, friends.
- This reinforces awareness of who they can turn to when they need emotional, social, or academic support.
- Showing gratitude lowers the emotional barrier for future help-seeking by nurturing trusted relationships.
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