The School of Play Curriculum
Secondary School
Week Four brings together social interaction, creativity, and physical activity to create a lively, connected, and meaningful learning experience. Students dive into energetic group games that promote teamwork, coordination, and confidence while also engaging in reflective activities that invite them to express gratitude, kindness, and positive emotions. Through fast-paced movement, creative drawing, and connection-building conversations, students learn how fun and meaningful it can be to interact, communicate, and support their peers.
This week also helps students explore emotional expression and appreciation in a playful yet thoughtful way. By sharing gratitude, identifying meaningful relationships, and expressing emotions creatively, students strengthen empathy and deepen their understanding of those around them. Combined with active games that build coordination and social bonding, Week Four nurtures a positive group atmosphere where students feel energised, encouraged, and connected, supporting their physical, social, and emotional well-being in equal measure.
Weekly Lessons
Head Shoulder Knee Toe Add Up
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up is a high-energy, connection-driven icebreaker that gets participants laughing, moving, and mingling within minutes. The game combines simple physical gestures with rapid partner swapping, encouraging students to interact with as many people as possible in a fun and non-competitive way. With each quick round, partners turning to face each other and choosing a gesture without planning, players practise coordination, focus, and spontaneity. When gestures match, both players score a point, celebrating the moment before sprinting off to find someone new, keeping the atmosphere vibrant and full of momentum.
What makes this game so effective is its ability to build community through movement and shared enjoyment. Whether played with a group of 20 or a crowd of 200, participants naturally open up, laugh together, and feel comfortable connecting with others. Optional fitness add-ons bring an extra layer of energy, and variations allow it to be tailored for children, staff groups, or fitness-focused sessions. More than just an activity, Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up creates an inclusive, uplifting environment where everyone feels part of something fun, active, and social.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding & Promoting Equality
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up supports students to:
- Promote equal participation, ensuring every student engages with multiple partners and has the same opportunity to interact, connect, and score points.
- Remove hierarchy, as gestures rely on chance, spontaneity, and fun rather than physical strength, popularity, or skill level.
- Create an inclusive environment, where all students can succeed simply by participating enthusiastically, regardless of ability or confidence.
Building Healthy Relationships
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up helps students to:
- Strengthen social connections, as students rotate partners, interact widely, and build rapport with people beyond their usual friendship circles.
- Encourage cooperation, with pairs celebrating matches, sharing laughs, and supporting each other through each round.
- Build a sense of belonging, through shared movement, high energy, and collective participation that promotes unity and positive group culture.
Developing Communication Skills
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up encourages students to:
- Use positive non-verbal communication, expressing enthusiasm and friendliness through gestures, body language, and engagement.
- Practise quick interpersonal interactions, learning how to greet new partners, reset, and work together with ease.
- Develop social confidence, especially as they repeatedly approach and interact with new peers in a supportive, low-pressure environment.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up supports students to:
- Increase emotional awareness, noticing how it feels to engage with many partners, experience wins, and enjoy spontaneous group fun.
- Develop resilience, as missed matches or coordination slips are simply part of the experience and met with laughter.
- Strengthen self-regulation, especially while maintaining focus and coordination during fast-paced rounds.
- Boost overall well-being, combining movement, connection, and joy to elevate mood and foster a positive emotional climate.
Challenging Stereotypes
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up helps students to:
- Challenge stereotypes around physical ability, reinforcing that coordination-based games are accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
- Break down gendered assumptions about who should participate enthusiastically in active, playful games.
- Promote inclusive expression, showing that play, movement, and laughter are universal, not tied to specific personality types or social identities.
Recognising Rights
Head, Shoulder, Knee, Toe Add Up empowers students to:
- Understand their right to feel safe and included, as the game’s structure ensures ongoing partner rotation and positive interactions.
- Exercise their right to participate fully, engaging physically, socially, and emotionally at their own pace.
- Feel respected, knowing every round begins fresh, with new opportunities for connection and success.
- Experience joy without judgment, reinforcing their right to have fun, express themselves, and be part of a positive shared experience.
The Happiness Boomerang
The Happiness Boomerang is a powerful kindness challenge designed to deepen relationships and elevate emotional well-being through heartfelt communication. Over ten days, participants choose one person each day and send a sincere message sharing why they admire them, what makes them proud, or how much they appreciate them. Whether delivered as a handwritten note or later as a text message, each message becomes an intentional act of vulnerability and positivity. This daily practice not only strengthens emotional expression but also allows students to reflect on the important people in their lives and articulate feelings they may not usually voice.
What makes this activity so transformative is the ripple effect it creates, both for the sender and the recipient. As participants express admiration, respect, and love, they experience the uplifting emotions tied to kindness, gratitude, and connection. Many will receive emotional, unexpected responses from the people they reach out to, reinforcing the power of genuine positive communication. The Happiness Boomerang encourages a culture of warmth, empathy, and appreciation, making it an ideal activity for classrooms, leadership programs, well-being sessions, or anyone wanting to build deeper human connections.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding & Promoting Equality
The Happiness Boomerang supports students to:
- Recognise the equal worth of every person, as each daily message honours someone in their life, friends, family, teachers, teammates, without ranking relationships or valuing some people above others.
- Promote emotional equality, reinforcing that expressing admiration, pride, and love is something everyone deserves and is capable of giving.
- Create an inclusive culture of appreciation, where kindness is shared broadly and sincerely, rather than limited to particular groups or social circles.
Building Healthy Relationships
The Happiness Boomerang helps students to:
- Strengthen their personal relationships, expressing heartfelt gratitude and admiration that deepens trust and emotional closeness.
- Build relational confidence, as daily messaging encourages expressing vulnerable, positive emotions that students often feel but rarely say out loud.
- Foster a supportive network, with each message contributing to stronger, more meaningful connections across their social world.
Developing Communication Skills
The Happiness Boomerang encourages students to:
- Practise heartfelt communication, using clear, honest language to express admiration, respect, and appreciation.
- Develop emotional vocabulary, learning how to articulate pride, gratitude, love, and respect in ways that feel genuine and personal.
- Strengthen written expression, especially when crafting thoughtful handwritten letters or messages that require depth and clarity.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
The Happiness Boomerang supports students to:
- Build emotional awareness, identifying the qualities in others that inspire gratitude, admiration, or pride.
- Develop empathy, recognising the emotional impact their words can have on others and appreciating the positive responses they may receive.
- Strengthen vulnerability and courage, as expressing heartfelt emotions often requires stepping outside comfort zones.
- Reflect on relational impact, noticing how giving kindness positively influences their own well-being and the well-being of others.
Challenging Stereotypes
The Happiness Boomerang helps students to:
- Challenge stereotypes around emotional expression, particularly those suggesting young people, especially boys or certain peer groups, shouldn’t express affection or praise openly.
- Break down social barriers, normalising heartfelt communication across different genders, cultures, and social groups.
- Promote kindness as strength, countering the belief that vulnerability is a weakness and instead celebrating emotional openness as brave and powerful.
Recognising Rights
The Happiness Boomerang empowers students to:
- Understand their right to meaningful relationships, grounded in honesty, appreciation, and emotional safety.
- Recognise their right to express emotions, knowing that feelings of admiration and love can be communicated without judgement.
- Feel valued and impactful, as the task highlights that their words and actions matter deeply to others.
- Exercise their right to be kind and to receive kindness, contributing to a positive, supportive relational environment.
Space Invaders
Space Invaders is a fast-paced, movement-based team challenge that blends classic arcade nostalgia with active play, strategy, and teamwork. Working in pairs or small teams, players roll dice to target invader icons on their game card, earning points based on colour and completing fitness challenges after each successful hit. With every roll, teams must communicate quickly, add numbers fast, and choose the smartest targets to maximise points, especially when doubles allow them to eliminate two invaders in the same turn. The game runs for 10–15 minutes, keeping players moving, thinking, and collaborating throughout.
What makes Space Invaders so powerful is how it integrates teamwork, quick decision-making, and physical movement to create a thrilling, high-energy experience. Teams must strategise together, support one another, and stay focused as they tackle both invaders and fitness tasks. The combination of competition, exercise, and rapid problem-solving builds connection, boosts engagement, and energises the entire group. Adaptable for younger students, fitness sessions, or team-building environments, Space Invaders Dice Battle is an exciting way to promote activity, collaboration, and fun.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding & Promoting Equality
Space Invaders supports students to:
- Promote equal contribution, as every team member plays an essential role in rolling dice, making decisions, completing fitness tasks, and contributing to the team score.
- Ensure fairness and shared opportunity, with gameplay designed so that all participants have equal chances to influence outcomes regardless of physical ability, speed, or confidence.
- Create an inclusive environment, where teamwork and cooperation matter far more than individual skill, making success accessible to everyone.
Building Healthy Relationships
Space Invaders helps students to:
- Strengthen teamwork, requiring communication, turn-taking, problem-solving, and group decision-making.
- Develop trust and cooperation, as players rely on one another to perform tasks, complete fitness movements, and maximise team points.
- Build social connection, sharing laughter, energy, celebration, and even frustration in a healthy, team-oriented context.
Developing Communication Skills
Space Invaders encourages students to:
- Practise clear and purposeful communication, discussing strategies, interpreting dice outcomes, and planning next steps.
- Develop active listening skills, paying attention to teammates’ ideas, instructions, and feedback during fast-paced rounds.
- Engage in respectful dialogue, negotiating decisions and adjusting strategies in a way that values all voices within the team.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
Space Invaders supports students to:
- Build emotional awareness, recognising how excitement, pressure, and competition influence their reactions and behaviours.
- Develop resilience, as teams must bounce back from mistakes, missed opportunities, or challenging fitness tasks.
- Strengthen collective problem-solving, working together to decide the best targets, manage time pressure, and adapt strategy based on dice rolls.
- Promote joy and well-being, integrating movement, teamwork, and play to reduce stress and elevate positive mood.
Challenging Stereotypes
Space Invaders helps students to:
- Challenge assumptions about physical fitness, demonstrating that fitness-based games can be fun, collaborative, and accessible to all students.
- Break down gender stereotypes around teamwork and strategy, as all participants contribute equally to communication, planning, and scoring.
- Promote inclusive movement, showing that anyone can enjoy physical activity when it’s embedded in playful, supportive group challenges.
Recognising Rights
Space Invaders empowers students to:
- Understand their right to participate fully and safely, engaging in teamwork and physical activity without fear of judgment.
- Recognise their right to be included, as the game’s structure ensures everyone has a meaningful role.
- Feel respected and valued, with team decision-making processes that highlight each participant’s contributions.
- Exercise their right to fun, movement, and connection, experiencing positive physical activity within a supportive social environment.
Gratitude Pictionary
Gratitude Pictionary is a creative and meaningful activity that encourages participants to express what they are grateful for through simple drawings rather than words. In just one minute, players sketch something that represents a moment, person, or experience they appreciate, and the group takes turns guessing the meaning behind each drawing. This non-verbal expression allows participants to tap into creative thinking while reflecting on the positive aspects of their lives, making the experience both playful and deeply reflective.
What makes Gratitude Pictionary powerful is the connection that comes from sharing and interpreting each other’s artwork. As participants reveal the stories behind their drawings, they build empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging within the group. When all drawings are combined to form a Gratitude Wall, it becomes a visual celebration of the collective joys, values, and meaningful moments shared by everyone. This simple but heartfelt activity strengthens relationships and fosters a positive, appreciative culture in any classroom, team, or family setting.
Respectful Relationships
Understanding & Promoting Equality
Gratitude Pictionary supports students to:
- Promote equal opportunity for expression, as every participant creates and shares a drawing that holds equal value, regardless of artistic skill or confidence.
- Reinforce that everyone’s gratitude is meaningful, with drawings representing diverse experiences, perspectives, and emotional connections.
- Create an inclusive environment, where no form of gratitude is considered “better” or “more important,” ensuring all voices are acknowledged.
Building Healthy Relationships
Gratitude Pictionary helps students to:
- Strengthen peer understanding, as students learn what matters to their classmates through drawings and shared explanations.
- Deepen empathy and connection, listening to the personal stories behind each drawing and appreciating the emotional significance.
- Foster a positive group culture, where shared gratitude builds warmth, trust, and a sense of belonging among participants.
Developing Communication Skills
Gratitude Pictionary encourages students to:
- Communicate through creative, non-verbal expression, translating emotions and gratitude into symbolic or abstract drawings.
- Practise active listening, especially as they engage in guessing and hearing others’ shared stories.
- Express reflections clearly, articulating the meaning behind their drawings once guesses are made, enhancing verbal and emotional communication.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
Gratitude Pictionary supports students to:
- Develop emotional awareness, identifying meaningful people, moments, or experiences they feel grateful for and representing them visually.
- Build empathy, recognising and appreciating the emotional experiences of others through the art and stories shared.
- Strengthen reflective thinking, connecting personal feelings with creative expression.
- Boost wellbeing, as gratitude-focused activities promote positivity, calmness, and emotional resilience.
Challenging Stereotypes
Gratitude Pictionary helps students to:
- Challenge stereotypes about artistic ability, reinforcing that drawings are a form of expression, not a measure of skill, and every contribution is valued.
- Break down social expectations around emotional expression, showing that gratitude can be shared creatively and openly by all students.
- Promote diverse viewpoints, highlighting that people express gratitude differently and appreciate different aspects of life.
Recognising Rights
Gratitude Pictionary empowers students to:
- Understand their right to feel and express gratitude, in a safe, supportive environment that values personal reflection.
- Feel respected and heard, as their drawings are displayed and appreciated by the group.
- Express themselves authentically, choosing drawings that reflect their true feelings without judgment.
- Belong to a community that values kindness and positivity, reinforced through the creation of a shared gratitude wall.
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