The School of Play
Student Agency & Leadership
Well-being Program
Weekly Introduction
Watch this video to start the week where we explain each activity and the top tips to make them incredible and fun.
Fun fact of the week - There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on earth's beaches: The universe is vast, with billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars.
Weekly Lessons
Moving & Shaking
Objective:
This is a memory and icebreaker game aimed at fostering creativity, building relationships, and getting to know each other in a fun and interactive way. Participants create and remember multiple handshakes with different partners.
Players:
Suitable for any group size, as participants will be pairing up multiple times.
Materials:
No materials are needed, just enough space for participants to move around and interact.
Setup:
Inform participants they will be creating and remembering various handshakes with different partners.
Gameplay:
- Partner One: Participants find their first partner and create a unique two-step handshake. Encourage creativity (e.g., fist bump to explode hand, high five, and reverse high five).
- Partner Two: Find a new partner and share the first handshake. Then, combine the first handshake with the new partner's handshake to create a sequence.
- Recall Practice: Call out "partner one" or "partner two," and participants find the corresponding partner to perform the respective handshake.
- Partner Three: Participants pair with a third person, teaching each other their combined handshakes and then creating a four-step handshake together.
- Dynamic Recall: As the instructor, randomly call out "partner one," "two," or "three." Participants find that partner and perform the handshake created with them.
- Demonstration: Optionally, invite pairs to demonstrate their final four-step handshake to the group.
Option for Partner Four:
For an added challenge, participants can create a "partner four," combining all previous handshakes into an eight-step handshake.
Winning the Game:
The focus is not on winning but on building connections, creativity, and having fun.
Variations for Different Settings:
- Children's Edition: Simplify the handshakes and add playful elements.
- Corporate Edition: Focus on team-building and collaboration, using the handshakes to break down barriers.
- Large Group Edition: Adapt the game for bigger groups, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to interact with various partners.
Additional Notes:
- "Moving & Shaking" is an excellent way to energise a group and encourage interaction in a light-hearted manner.
- It challenges participants' memory and creativity, making it both a fun and mentally stimulating activity.
- The game is adaptable to the group's energy level and can be a fantastic way to break the ice or re-energise a session.
Card Golf
Objective:
It is a fun and engaging game that combines elements of golf with playing cards, challenging players to predict card values and calculate score differences. The goal is to achieve the lowest score over nine or eighteen 'holes' (card turns), with a physical exercise corresponding to each stroke.
Players:
Playable individually, in pairs, or groups of four.
Materials:
- A deck of playing cards.
- A space for physical activities.
Setup:
Decide whether to play nine or eighteen holes. Distribute the deck of playing cards among players or teams.
Gameplay:
- Guessing Card Values: Players predict the value of the top card on the deck and then flip it over.
- Scoring:
- If the guess is correct, the player scores zero for that hole.
- If incorrect, the score is the numerical difference between the guessed value and the actual card value.
- Aces count as one, picture cards as eleven, and others are at face value.
- Physical Exercise: After each turn, players perform one burpee (or a selected exercise) for each stroke counted in their score.
- Game Progression: Continue the process for the determined number of holes.
Winning the Game:
After completing the set number of holes, the player or team with the lowest total score wins.
Variations for Different Settings:
- Fitness Edition: Vary the exercises for each hole, including squats, lunges, push-ups, etc., to provide a full-body workout.
- Children's Edition: Simplify the scoring system and use fun, kid-friendly exercises.
- Team Building Edition: Encourage team strategies in guessing and support during exercises.
Additional Notes:
- Card Golf is a unique blend of mental and physical challenges, encouraging strategic thinking and physical fitness.
- It's a versatile game that can be adapted for different group sizes, ages, and fitness levels.
- The game adds a playful competitive element to fitness routines, making it a fun choice for various settings.
Dice Cricket
Objective:
A fun, cricket-themed dice game where pairs compete to score runs. Players take turns rolling the dice to accumulate runs, with each roll corresponding to a number of runs or an 'out'. The game combines chance with physical activity, as players perform exercises based on their rolls.
Players:
Played in pairs, each with a dice and paper for scoring.
Materials:
- A six-sided dice for each pair.
- Paper and pen for keeping score.
Setup:
Pairs sit together with their dice and PDF scoring sheet.
Gameplay:
- Batting and Scoring: Players take turns to 'bat' by rolling the dice. Rolls of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 are added to their batting score, and the player performs the assigned exercise for that many reps.
- Getting 'Out': If a player rolls a 5, their batsman is 'out', and they record their score before moving to the next batsman.
- Exercise Challenge: Each batsman (roll) is associated with a different exercise.
- Game Progression: The game continues until all ten batsmen are out.
Winning the Game:
The winner is the player with the highest total score for all their batters.
Variations for Different Settings:
- Fitness Edition: Tailor exercises for each number to provide a full-body workout.
- Educational Edition: Incorporate math or strategy elements into scoring.
- Team Building Edition: Emphasise encouragement and strategy discussion between partners.
Additional Notes:
- Dice Cricket is an engaging game that combines elements of fitness with the fun of a dice game.
- It's suitable for players of all ages and can be easily adapted for different group sizes and fitness levels.
- The game is a physical challenge and encourages strategic thinking and numeracy skills.
Three Acts of Kindness for the WIN
Objective:
To enhance mental well-being and spread positivity by performing weekly acts of kindness for oneself, a known individual, and a stranger.
Players:
Individuals participating in personal growth and community building.
Materials:
- Paper for writing down names.
- A journal for reflection (optional).
Setup:
Write down three names at the start of the week: your own, a friend or family member's, and leave space for a stranger.
Gameplay:
- Perform a kind act for yourself, like a relaxing activity or treating yourself to something enjoyable.
- Do something thoughtful for the friend or family member whose name you've written.
- Engage in an act of kindness for a stranger, such as a small gesture of help or generosity.
- Reflect on these acts at the end of the week, noting how they made you feel. A journal can be used for this purpose.
- Each week, choose new names and acts of kindness to perform.
Winning the Game:
Focusing on the joy and fulfilment derived from acts of kindness and the positive impact on yourself and others.
Additional Notes:
Three Acts of Kindness for the WIN emphasises the importance of kindness in promoting personal and communal well-being, encouraging creativity and empathy in daily life.
Download the video to share HERE.
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