The School of Play Curriculum
Special Education
Week 3 centres on listening, names, and noticing feelings, keeping the energy high and the climate warm. You’ll launch with Walk, Stop, Name, Clap, a brisk whole-group game that sharpens attention and reaction while building confidence with names and shared actions (with easy swaps like “Move” or taps/claps for accessibility). Next, My Empathy Tree slows the pace for gentle reflection: students recall a time they helped, choose how it made them and others feel, and “grow” a class tree with leaves or stickers. Expect clear wins in focus, voice/gesture use, and early empathy language, with multiple ways to respond (verbal, visual, AAC, or modelling).
To re-energise, Roll & Move uses a giant die and whole-class actions to practise coordination, turn-taking, and joy in moving together. It is simple to set up, highly adaptable, and fully wheelchair-friendly with mirrored alternatives. You’ll close with Emotions Match-Up, linking feelings to everyday scenarios through acting, drawing, pointing, or short sentences; peers guess, discuss, and celebrate that there’s no single “right” way to feel. Educators can expect minimal equipment, clear visual prompts, non-eliminating play, and embedded adaptations for Levels A–D and F–3. Across the week, look for growth in listening accuracy, reaction control, social confidence (using names, cheering others), physical literacy, and richer emotion and empathy vocabulary, setting up a calm, connected platform for Week 4.
Weekly Lessons
Walk, Stop, Name, Clap
Walk, Stop, Name, Clap is a high-energy, easy-to-learn movement game that builds listening skills, confidence, and social connection. With four simple commands, students move, freeze, call out names, and clap together, turning the classroom or hall into a lively space full of focus, laughter, and interaction. It’s quick, engaging, and ideal for helping students warm up their bodies and brains. As the leader calls out the commands in random order, students practise reacting quickly, using their voices, recognising peer names, and celebrating each other’s efforts. The game strengthens attention and coordination while also making space for joy and positive relationships. Because the instructions are simple and repetitive, even very young learners can join in confidently.
Designed for early learners in Levels A–D and adaptable for Levels F–3, this activity works beautifully in both small groups and whole classes. It is fully inclusive, with movement options and gesture-based alternatives to ensure every student can participate, whether walking, rolling, pointing, clapping, or using adapted actions. After watching the short demonstration video, choose the version below that best suits your learners, then download the full printable. A playful burst of listening, movement, and connection, Walk, Stop, Name, Clap brings the whole class together in just a few joyful minutes.
Please note: For students with sensory learning needs, or those who utilise a AAC device, please refer to the levels A-B PDF for these activity variation ideas and strategies.
Levels A & B download HERE
Levels C & D download HERE
Levels F to 3 download HERE
My Empathy Tree
My Empathy Tree is a meaningful, hands-on activity that helps students explore kindness, feelings, and the impact their actions have on others. Through simple prompts, drawing, stickers, and emotion cards, students reflect on times they helped someone and how that made both themselves and the other person feel. Each act of kindness becomes a “leaf” or “fruit” added to the class empathy tree, visually showing how caring actions help the community grow. Students practise identifying emotions, linking actions to feelings, and recognising that helping others creates positive moments for everyone involved. Whether they respond by pointing, drawing, choosing an emoji, or using assistive technology, every student contributes to something bigger: a shared display of kindness, connection, and empathy.
Perfect for early learners in Levels A–D and wonderfully extendable for Levels F–3, the activity supports emotional literacy, perspective-taking, and social development. It is fully adaptable for one-on-one sessions, small groups, or whole-class experiences and includes a wide range of accessibility options to ensure every child can participate confidently and proudly. After watching the short demonstration video, simply choose the version below that best matches your learners and download the full printable. A beautiful way to grow kindness, recognise feelings, and build empathy, one leaf at a time.
Please note: For students with sensory learning needs, or those who utilise a AAC device, please refer to the levels A-B PDF for these activity variation ideas and strategies.
Levels A & B download HERE
Levels C & D download HERE
Levels F to 3 download HERE
Roll & Move
Roll & Move is a playful whole-group movement game that brings numbers and actions together in a simple, high-energy way. Students take turns rolling a large foam dice, and whatever number appears becomes the movement the whole group performs, clapping, stomping, stretching, spinning, tapping, or smiling. It’s fast, fun, and a brilliant way to build coordination, confidence, and social connection in just a few minutes. This activity encourages turn-taking, patience, and shared enjoyment as students wait for their turn to roll and cheer for their classmates. With everyone performing the same action together, the game promotes a strong sense of group belonging and offers endless opportunities for laughter and positive participation.
Designed for early learners in Levels A & D and easily adapted for Levels F–3, Roll & Move is flexible, inclusive, and works beautifully as a warm-up, energiser, or transition activity. Movements can be adapted for wheelchair users and diverse abilities, and picture-based or simplified versions can be used for additional support. After watching the quick demonstration video, simply choose the version below that matches your learners and download the full printable. Simple dice, big energy, Roll & Move gets everyone active, connected, and smiling together.
Please note: For students with sensory learning needs, or those who utilise a AAC device, please refer to the levels A-B PDF for these activity variation ideas and strategies.
Levels A & B download HERE
Levels C & D download HERE
Levels F to 3 download HERE
Emotions Match-Up
Emotions Match-Up is a fun, flexible activity that helps students explore how different situations can make us feel, and how those feelings can look, sound, or be expressed. By pairing emotion cards with simple real-life scenarios, students act out, describe, draw, or point to the feeling they believe matches the situation. This builds emotional awareness, empathy, and communication skills in a way that feels playful, supportive, and expressive. As students flip two cards, one emotion, one scenario, they bring the moment to life through facial expressions, gestures, movement, voice, or visuals. Classmates guess the emotion, share different perspectives, and celebrate each contribution with claps, cheers, or thumbs up. The activity also teaches an important social-emotional lesson: the same situation can make people feel differently, and that’s okay.
Perfect for early learners in Levels A & D and easily extended for Levels F–3, Emotions Match-Up adapts beautifully to different abilities, communication styles, and classroom environments. Whether students express emotions through acting, drawing, AAC devices, or simple gestures, every response is valued and included. After watching the short demonstration video, simply choose the version below that suits your learners and download the full printable. Where feelings meet real life, Emotions Match-Up builds empathy, expression, and emotional confidence through play.
Please note: For students with sensory learning needs, or those who utilise a AAC device, please refer to the levels A-B PDF for these activity variation ideas and strategies.
Levels A & B download HERE
Levels C & D download HERE
Levels F to 3 download HERE
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