The School of Play Curriculum
Secondary School
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.
Weekly Lessons
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
Understanding & Promoting Equality
- Ensures every participant completes the same movements at the same time, creating an equal and inclusive experience where no one is left out due to ability or skill.
- Promotes fairness by having all players follow shared commands and sequences, reinforcing that everyone contributes to the group’s success.
- Removes hierarchy and competition, every participant has equal opportunity to engage, laugh, make mistakes, and participate fully.
Building Healthy Relationships
- Strengthens connection as students stand in a circle, share physical space, and work together to follow coordinated movement sequences.
- Builds trust as students place their hands on peers’ shoulders and rely on group cooperation to keep movements safe and enjoyable.
- Encourages positive relationship-building through shared laughter, fun challenges, and a collectively uplifting experience.
Developing Communication Skills
- Strengthens active listening as students must listen closely to the facilitator’s commands and respond instantly.
- Promotes clear verbal communication when students help peers remember moves, practise together, or create new sequences.
- Supports non-verbal communication through coordinated group movement, timing, and awareness of others.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
- Builds emotional regulation as students learn to laugh off mistakes and keep participating with positivity and resilience.
- Encourages empathy and awareness as participants adjust their movements to maintain group safety and comfort.
- Fosters self-awareness as students notice their ability to focus, follow commands, cope with increasing difficulty, and stay calm under pressure.
Challenging Stereotypes
- Breaks down stereotypes about who is “good” at physical games, demonstrating that coordination-based activities can be fun, inclusive, and for everyone.
- Encourages full participation from all genders equally, challenging outdated beliefs about physical confidence or leadership roles.
- Reinforces that playfulness, silliness, and joy are universal, not tied to age, personality type, or social status.
Recognising Rights
- Reinforces students’ right to feel safe, respected, and supported in shared physical activities that involve movement and personal space.
- Encourages respectful interactions by reminding students to maintain safe spacing, avoid pushing, and look out for others while moving.
- Highlights each participant’s responsibility to contribute positively to the group environment through kindness, cooperation, and encouragement.
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
Understanding & Promoting Equality
- Ensures every student has an equal opportunity to reflect on their future, regardless of background, interests, or personal circumstances.
- Promotes fairness by giving all students the same framework and time to explore their hopes, goals, and upcoming events.
- Encourages equal expression by validating all types of future excitement, big or small, as meaningful and worth sharing.
Building Healthy Relationships
- Supports relationship building as students share what they are looking forward to, creating deeper understanding and empathy within the group.
- Strengthens connections by giving students insight into each other’s goals, interests, and life events, fostering supportive peer relationships.
- Encourages positive conversations centred around encouragement, curiosity, and celebration of one another’s future plans.
Developing Communication Skills
- Promotes clear communication as students articulate their future goals and why those events matter to them.
- Strengthens listening skills as peers engage respectfully with others’ reflections and respond with interest or supportive comments.
- Encourages expressive language as students explain feelings of excitement, motivation, and anticipation.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
- Builds self-awareness as students reflect on what excites and motivates them, identifying personal values and priorities.
- Enhances emotional regulation by helping students balance present challenges with positive future thinking, building resilience.
- Fosters empathy as students recognise and appreciate the diverse hopes and goals of their peers.
Challenging Stereotypes
- Challenges stereotypes about what students “should” be excited about, showing that interests, dreams, and motivations vary widely and should all be respected.
- Encourages students to share future aspirations free from judgment, promoting acceptance of diverse goals and pathways.
- Reinforces that emotional expression, including excitement, is healthy for everyone, regardless of gender or personality type.
Recognising Rights
- Reinforces students’ right to express their dreams, feelings, and goals in a safe, supportive environment.
- Highlights the responsibility to respect others’ hopes and future plans without criticism or comparison.
- Encourages students to take ownership of their well-being by identifying positive events and goals that motivate and uplift them.
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
Understanding & Promoting Equality
- Ensures all students participate in the same race structure and station challenges, creating an equal opportunity for success regardless of fitness level or ability.
- Promotes fairness by incorporating both effort and chance, meaning progression is not determined solely by athletic skill or speed.
- Encourages inclusive participation where every student experiences the same excitement, setbacks, and opportunities to progress.
Building Healthy Relationships
- Strengthens peer relationships as students encourage each other through challenging stations and celebrate small wins together.
- Promotes supportive behaviour when classmates experience setbacks due to dice rolls, reinforcing empathy and understanding.
- Builds a shared sense of accomplishment as participants move through the race alongside one another, fostering connection.
Developing Communication Skills
- Encourages positive communication as students motivate peers and share strategies for completing exercises effectively.
- Reinforces active listening when students receive instructions, understand station expectations, and respond to game updates.
- Provides opportunities for students to practise respectful expressions of encouragement, congratulations, and support.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
- Helps students manage emotions such as frustration, excitement, or disappointment when dice rolls impact their progress.
- Builds resilience as students must continue moving forward despite random setbacks in the race.
- Fosters self-awareness as students reflect on how they respond to unpredictable challenges and physical effort.
Challenging Stereotypes
- Breaks stereotypes that only the "fittest" or "fastest" succeed by incorporating chance, giving everyone a genuine opportunity to win.
- Encourages all genders and abilities to participate equally in physical activity, reinforcing that fitness is for everyone.
- Challenges assumptions about competition by emphasising fun, fairness, and shared participation rather than pure performance.
Recognising Rights
- Reinforces the right for every student to feel safe, supported, and included during physical activity.
- Promotes respect for personal limits and the responsibility to communicate discomfort or request support when needed.
- Highlights the responsibility to treat others with kindness, fairness, and respect throughout competitive play.
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
Understanding & Promoting Equality
- Ensures all students participate equally, as every player has the same opportunity to act, guess, and contribute regardless of confidence level or communication style.
- Removes barriers to success by focusing on non-verbal expression, making the activity accessible for students of diverse language abilities.
- Promotes an inclusive environment where all contributions, big or small, are valued and celebrated.
Building Healthy Relationships
- Strengthens peer relationships as students appreciate one another’s creative efforts and engage in positive, uplifting interactions.
- Encourages empathy as students act out and recognise moments of gratitude, deepening understanding of what others value.
- Creates shared joyful experiences that help build trust, connection, and genuine rapport within the group.
Developing Communication Skills
- Enhances non-verbal communication skills through gestures, facial expressions, and creative movement.
- Promotes active listening and observation as students pay close attention to classmates’ performances to guess accurately.
- Fosters clear and positive communication when discussing guesses, offering encouragement, and celebrating correct answers.
Enhancing Social & Emotional Intelligence
- Helps students recognise and reflect on their own emotions and positive experiences through gratitude-based prompts.
- Encourages appreciation of others, building empathy and awareness of the good happening in peers’ lives.
- Supports emotional regulation by promoting a fun, low-pressure environment where mistakes are embraced and laughter is encouraged.
Challenging Stereotypes
- Breaks down stereotypes around who is “creative” or “expressive” by allowing every student to shine in their own way through movement and imagination.
- Encourages both boys and girls to engage in emotional expression, gratitude, and play, areas traditionally gendered in limiting ways.
- Shows that gratitude and emotional reflection are strengths for everyone, not tied to personality type or social group.
Recognising Rights
- Reinforces the right for all students to feel valued, heard, and included in group activities.
- Encourages respectful behaviour, ensuring no one’s acting, ideas, or attempts are laughed at in a hurtful way.
- Highlights each student’s responsibility to contribute positively to a safe, supportive, and joyful classroom culture.
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