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The lead-up to a new term is a chance to reimagine what’s possible for your classroom. Lesson plans are important, but the real magic happens when you set the tone for connection and energy from day one.
Because let’s face it, students don’t just come back from holidays with fresh pencils. They also bring a mix of distraction and sluggishness that makes the first weeks feel like organised chaos!
This is where play changes everything. With a few simple, intentional activities built into your plan, you transform those tricky first days into moments of laughter and connection.
This week, we’re sharing high-impact activities you can weave into your Term 4 prep to reawaken focus and create a safe, connected culture where learning takes root. With these tools in your back pocket, you’ll set the stage for a thriving term ahead!
Giveaway
The first weeks back can be messy as students' attention is all over the place. It's not that they don't care. They just need anchors to help them reset.
With the 30 Days of Motivation Cards, you can start each day with a simple moment of reflection. A student draws a card, the class reads it together, and that thought carries through the day as a reminder. At the end of the day, take two minutes to reflect on how it resonated: what it meant, where it showed up, and how it shaped choices.
It's a small habit, but it builds consistency and calm right when routines feel hardest to hold.
Claim your FREE 30 Days of Motivation Cards and give your class a positive rhythm to start the term!
Daily Mission Cards
Momentum builds in small, fun bursts. A mission like Speed Writer gives students a quick challenge that wakes up their brains for a little healthy competition without the mess of moving around the room.
Here’s how it works: Students are seated at their desks. Set a one-minute timer and have them write the word Jugar as many times as they can. At the end, hands go up, scores are shared, and you’ve got instant energy in the room.
Change the word each day, maybe it’s a positive value like kindness or focus, so students carry that word into the rest of the day.
Grab a set of Creative Play & Movement Cards and start building energy from the very first minute!
Gratitude Wall
As routines settle back in, the day could easily become a checklist of tasks. The Gratitude Wall is a way to slow things down and invite students to notice the good around them.
With a dice, sticky notes, and a few prompts, they capture small but meaningful moments and post them on the wall: a proud achievement, a kind gesture, or something they’re excited about.
Over time, the wall grows into a colourful display of positivity and connection. And at the end of the term, you can gather the notes in a jar, pick them out one by one, and let the authors stand, creating a powerful moment of reflection and celebration.
Sign up HERE to introduce the Gratitude Wall as part of your class routine this term and watch how it builds connection and optimism!
Emotional Agility – The Key to Building Confidence
One of the biggest hurdles for students is understanding how they learn and how emotions shape that process. Helping them recognise these makes all the difference in long-term growth.
In this session, Gilda Scarfe, CEO and Founder of Positive Action UK, unpacks practical ways to build metacognitive awareness, strengthen mental toughness, and help students (and teachers!) approach challenges with more clarity and balance.
With over 15 years of experience designing wellbeing and resilience programs for schools, Gilda has worked at the intersection of research and practice to show how Positive Psychology can be woven into everyday teaching.
Watch Gilda’s webinar here and discover how small shifts in awareness create lasting change in both learning and wellbeing!
Wrapping Up Term 3 with Energy & Leadership
Term 3, you have been incredible! We’ve travelled all over this magical state of ours and worked with so many incredible schools, businesses and organisations.
Last week, we wrapped up term 3 with a Student Agency and Leadership program at Neerim South Primary School, working with 35 of their grade 5 and 6 student leaders.
A 4-hour session filled with energy, connection, play and laughter (and some leadership development thrown in for a good mix).
Super cool way to wrap up the term. We had a ball working with a seriously impressive group of young emerging leaders, and we look forward to seeing them implement our play-based FunShops across their school community in term 4 and in 2026.
Happy Holidays to all of our partner schools with whom we’ve worked throughout 2025!
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