The School of Play Curriculum
Primary School Foundation - Grade Two
This bonus activity section is packed with 24 game-based learning ideas designed to help educators transform everyday lessons into experiences that students genuinely look forward to. Drawing inspiration from board games, sports, and video games, each activity introduces simple yet powerful mechanics that turn learning into an active, engaging, and energetic experience. These are not just one-off ideas; they’re tried-and-tested approaches that bring subjects to life, encourage participation, and create an environment where students feel excited to be involved.
What makes this collection especially powerful is its flexibility. Alongside each structured activity are blank versions, allowing educators to adapt the core idea to any topic, age group, or learning goal. This opens the door for creativity, allowing teachers to experiment, take risks, and design lessons that truly connect with their students. At its heart, this section is about empowering educators to amplify both learning and well-being, creating classrooms where joy, curiosity, and meaningful engagement are at the centre of every experience.
Weekly Lessons
Pokémon Challenge
Pokémon Challenge is a fast-paced movement and team-building game where students work in pairs or small groups to complete random physical and social challenges. Each team selects a Pokémon character as their identity, then rotates through two types of challenges: movement tasks and team missions. Every time a team successfully completes a challenge, they earn a Pokémon ball, with the goal of collecting as many as possible within the set time limit (10–20 minutes).
The game thrives on randomness and decision-making, as some challenges are more difficult or uncomfortable than others. Teams can choose to skip a challenge, but must complete a 400m run and forfeit the chance to earn a Pokémon ball. Bonus and penalty cards add another layer of strategy, allowing teams to steal points, double rewards, or support others. The result is a high-energy, engaging activity that blends fitness, teamwork, and social interaction in a competitive but fun environment.
Prison Break
Prison Break: Riddle Extraordinaire is an immersive problem-solving game where students must work together to escape “jail” by solving a series of riddles and brain teasers. Played in small teams or as a whole class, each correct answer earns a clue in the form of a number or letter. These clues must then be decoded into a secret message, which ultimately unlocks their escape. The game can be run as a race, with the first team to crack the code crowned the winners, adding urgency and excitement to the experience.
The challenge blends critical thinking with movement, as each riddle is paired with a physical task that must also be completed before earning the clue. Incorrect answers trigger additional exercise penalties, keeping energy levels high while reinforcing persistence. With customizable riddles and codes, the game is highly adaptable across subjects and ability levels, making it a powerful mix of teamwork, logic, and active learning that keeps students fully engaged from start to finish.
Puzzle Mystery
Puzzle Mystery is an engaging, story-driven challenge where students work in teams to solve a sequence of eight interconnected tasks in order to uncover a secret code. Framed around a missing student named Dale, the activity builds suspense as teams answer questions across literacy, numeracy, general knowledge, and creativity. Each correct answer earns a puzzle piece, and once all pieces are collected, teams must piece together the final clue to determine Dale’s hiding spot and “solve the mystery.”
The game blends thinking with movement and creativity, requiring teams to complete physical challenges, collaborate on tasks like jingles and handshakes, and solve riddles under pressure. It encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and communication, while maintaining high engagement through its narrative and progressive difficulty. The first team to correctly solve the code and locate Dale wins, making it a dynamic and immersive learning experience that can be adapted across multiple subject areas.
Rubix Cube Classroom
Rubix Cube Classroom is a fast-paced team challenge inspired by the classic puzzle, where students work together to organise coloured cones into a correct sequence. Set up in a 3x3 or 4x4 grid, the goal is to get matching colours in a straight line. However, every time a team swaps two cones, they must complete a corresponding exercise and answer a question linked to the cone colours. This adds a physical and cognitive layer to what would otherwise be a simple puzzle-solving task.
The game blends movement, strategy, and learning, as teams must think ahead while managing the physical demands of each move. Different game modes allow teachers to focus on general knowledge, health, or any custom subject area using blank templates. With quick rounds and constant decision-making, it keeps students active, engaged, and collaborating under pressure, making it an effective energiser that reinforces both thinking and teamwork.
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