‘Gratitude Showdown’

The game ‘Gratitude Showdown’ is an alternative to a simple gratitude reflection.

Here's how it goes:

• At any stage during the school day, call out ‘Gratitude Showdown’. Students should organise themselves into pairs or small groups.
• Ask students a specific question, such as ‘What do we have in our classroom that you are grateful for?’
• Then say, ‘Go!’ Students go back and forth for 1 minute reflecting on what they're grateful for.
• One student might say, ‘I am grateful for the aircon in the room’; another might say, ‘I am grateful for the smartboard we learn from’. Students take it in turns to come up with as many answers as possible.
• You could create a challenge to see who comes up with the most answers over a certain number of minutes.

Of course, you'll need to make sure everyone is clear on how you play the game before you begin. This could be done prior to the first time you play, so that as soon as you say ‘Gratitude Showdown’ students will know what to do.

‘Gratitude Yahtzee’

‘Gratitude Yahtzee’ is played in a similar way to traditional Yahtzee, but this version includes gratitude, positive reflection and kindness repetitions, as well as physical activity challenges.

It can be played as a fun competitive game or as a fun individual activity (keep in mind, the larger the group, the longer the game will be).

Each player will need:

• a player sheet (you'll find a template in the Resource Pack; see figure 5.1)
• a pencil or pen
• five dice (between the pair/group, or five dice each if playing individually)
• a dice cup (to roll the dice from)
• a clipboard (for something to lean on, if playing on a soft surface such as carpet).

How to play:

Players roll one dice each and the player with the highest number goes first.

1. First roll: Roll all five dice. For example, if you roll Yahtzee (all numbers the same), mark your player sheet right away. Otherwise, continue with your second roll.
2. Second roll: Set aside any keepers and re-roll the rest. Don't like any of them? Re-roll them all. If you get the exact combo you need, mark your player sheet. Otherwise, continue with your third roll.
3. Third and final roll: If you still haven't created a combo, or just want to maximise your score, roll some or all of your dice (as above) — even any keepers you might have set aside. You must enter a score at the end of this roll, whether or not you like your dice. If your roll doesn't suit any of your empty boxes, you have to enter a zero somewhere. But remember: scoring even a single dice value is better than a zero.

   
   

4. Activity: Once a player enters their score for the round, they must immediately complete an activity. Alongside where players enter each score on the player sheet you will find an instruction. Some activities will require a written response (e.g. gratitude activities) and some will be a physical activity (e.g. do five push-ups). The activity must be completed before the next player has their turn.

Players add up their player sheets once they have completed each box. Add up section 1 and section 2 separately and then add up the total score.

‘Gratitude Skittles’

‘Gratitude Skittles’ (the confectionary type) is a fun and engaging way to practise gratitude in the classroom, in a staff meeting or at home.

You will need:

• a fun-size pack of Skittles per player (a set of coloured counters for each player will also work — the colours need to match the five coloured dots on the Gratitude Skittles game sheet: see figure 5.2, overleaf)
• one Gratitude Skittles game sheet per player (you'll find a template in the Resource Pack)
• a pen or pencil for each player.

How to play:

• Print off a Gratitude Skittles game sheet for each player.
• Hand out the fun-size packs of Skittles (or counters) to the players and have them open their packet. Instruct them to leave the skittles in the packet.
• Like a lucky dip, players take one skittle at a time from the pack. For example, if a player picks an orange skittle, they write the answer to the question next to the orange dot on the game sheet.

  

• Repeat the process until all players have answered all five questions.
• If a player picks a colour skittle that they have already answered the question for, they can eat the skittle and then pick again.
• Once the game is finished, have students share their responses. You could do this by going around the room, asking people to share, or sharing in small groups.

Variations

• Have players create questions, or create your own questions, that match with each skittle colour.
• Play as a group, with groups of students sitting in circles. Print out and place a Gratitude Skittles game sheet in the middle of the group. Instead of writing answers down, players call their response to each question out loud to their group.

Conclude the game by highlighting that gratitude can be practised in many ways, and that it can be fun to practise gratitude. Then ask students, ‘What happens the more we practise?’

Go on to explain, ‘The more you practise gratitude, the better you will get at it. And you may just start to see things from a more positive point of view, especially if you are having a bad day. But it does take practice’.

It's important to be consistent with gratitude and other positive habit-forming practices such as kindness, empathy, positive reflection and serving others. And, as educators and family members, it's important we provide the opportunity for people to practise.

‘Gratitude Cards’

Playing cards is a fantastic way to engage kids in games and learning simultaneously. Cards can be played as a fun competitive game or as an individual activity. Best of all, it's yet another way you can practise gratitude in a game situation.

You will need:

• a pack of playing cards per group/pair/student
• ‘Gratitude Cards’ game sheets — one per player (you'll find a template in the Resource Pack; see figure 5.3).
• a pencil or pen for each player
• a clipboard (for something to lean on, if playing on a soft surface such as carpet).

How to play:

‘Gratitude Cards’ can be played in small groups, in pairs or individually (keep in mind, the larger the group, the longer the game will be). I recommend groups of three to five.

To see who goes first, each player picks a card randomly from the pack. The player with the highest card goes first (place those cards back into the pack).

1. Each player has a game sheet and pen/pencil in front of them, ready to play. Groups of students sit in circles.
2. The cards are placed face down, mixed up, in the middle of the group.
3. Player 1 randomly picks a card from the mixed-up pile and flips the card. For example, if the card is a 4 of any suit, the player looks at the game sheet, reads the instruction beside the number 4 and completes the activity. Note: it doesn't matter what suit is picked up; it's the number that counts.

   

4. Once player 1 has completed their short activity, it's player 2's turn to pick up a card and do their activity (move clockwise around the group), then player 3's turn, and so on.
5. If a player picks up a card and they've already completed that activity, the card goes straight to the used pile and it's the next player's turn.
6. The game continues until a player has filled up their game sheet.

‘Rapid Fire’

The purpose of this game is to practise self-awareness via a fun and fast-paced game. With very little time to think, players are challenged to respond to statements/questions.

This is a fantastic way to get in touch with your thoughts and feelings, as well as to get to know other people.

The game is best played in pairs (you can have players switch partners during the game).

How to play:

• Open the ‘Rapid Fire — Self-Awareness Game’ PowerPoint (you can download this for free from the Resource Pack) and display it on a screen so all players can see. See figure 5.4.
• PowerPoint slides 2 to 17 each feature a statement or a question participants need to respond to, as well as a 30-second countdown clock (press ‘enter’ or ‘next’ on your clicker to start the 30-second countdown timer).
• As soon as the countdown timer begins, player 1 has 15 seconds to respond to the statement or question. Once 15 seconds is up, player 2 responds to the same statement/question (note: the timer will continue for 30 seconds without stopping).
• Once the first slide is complete, immediately click through to the next slide and repeat. The 30-second countdown timer will automatically start again when you press ‘enter’ or ‘next’ on your clicker.

‘Flipper’

The purpose of ‘Flipper’ is for players to work together to achieve a goal, demonstrate self-control/emotional regulation skills in a frustrating situation and understand they can work through challenging situations to achieve goals. The game is super fun and engaging.

You will need:

• masking tape (or markers)
• A5 cards labelled 1–20 (one set for each group).

Goal:

• In teams of 3–4, players work together to flip over the cards labelled 1–20 in the correct order as quickly as possible.

How to play:

1. On one side of each card write a number: 1–20. Write only one number on each card and don't repeat any numbers.
2. Place the cards numbered-side down randomly on the floor.
3. Mark a line with the masking tape. This is ‘home’. Students stand behind the line next to each other (see figures 5.5 and 5.6).
4. One player at a time takes turns flipping a card over. The catch? They must be flipped over in order from 1–20 as fast as possible.
   • Example 1. Player 1 flips over the number 8. All students are allowed to see the number, but because it's not number 1, the 8 must be flipped back over, face down. The idea is players observe where the 8 was, so when it comes to finding number 8, they have an idea where it is.
   • Example 2. Player 1 flips over the number 1. Great: that's the first number in the sequence. It stays facing up. Player 1 has another turn and aims to flip number 2. If the next number is not 2, they flip the card back over and the next person has a turn.

Rules:

1. One student at a time crosses the line to take a turn.
2. If the number on the card they flip over is not the next one in the sequence, the card must be flipped back over in the same place to hide the number.

   

   

3. If the number on the card is in the correct order, the student flips another card. If the next card is not the next consecutive number, the student returns back to home base.
4. Ensure each student has a turn before starting second turns.
5. No talking. It's a silent game. No hand signals are allowed from classmates.
6. If a rule is broken the teacher can choose to give a warning or reshuffle the cards.

This game is designed to be frustrating. Try to debrief, highlighting the fact that sometimes we take on goals/challenges that are frustrating and hard. It's important to be patient with each other and control emotions. Aim to keep the game light hearted, as sometimes anger towards others can come into play.

Adjust the rules as you see fit. You could do a time challenge, allow non-verbal communication or make it really challenging: even if the numbers are in the correct order, they stay facing down.

The game is about self-control and emotional regulation skills, often key factors in achieving goals. You could have the class set a time target goal.

‘Badges I can earn’

Here's an example of a reward system I've developed called ‘Badges I can earn’. Students work towards being a ‘Wellbeing Warrior’. It has been designed as a fun, yet important, way to practise wellbeing skills in the classroom or at home. Students earn the badges by completing all of these 12 tasks:

1. I told someone I appreciate them
2. I helped someone
3. I did something kind
4. I did something hard
5. I forgave someone
6. I kept going even though it was hard
7. I showed empathy
8. I wrote something I am grateful for
9. I exercised
10. I tried something new
11. I invited someone to join in
12. I started a conversation with someone new.

The badges can be used in a few different ways:

• Create a chart with all student or family names on it and print and cut out multiple badges. When a student completes a skill/activity associated with a badge, the appropriate badge gets placed next to the student's name. The aim is to achieve all 12.
• Print and cut out multiple badges. When a student completes a skill/activity associated with a badge, the appropriate badge gets placed in a student health and wellbeing workbook (or similar). The aim is to achieve all 12.
• Display the GWG ‘Badges I can earn’ poster in the classroom or at home (you'll find the poster in the Resource Pack; see figure 5.7, overleaf). When a student completes a skill/activity associated with a badge, the student has their name entered alongside the badge. The aim is to achieve all 12.
• Create your own ideas.

The great thing about rewards is that they are also really easy to use at home. This can be done in two ways:

1. Create your own rewards system for the family home. Again, the ‘Badges I can earn’ challenge is a great place to start.
2. When your child comes home with the reward (sticker, badge or certificate), start a dinner-table conversation about what they did to receive that award.

Be mindful of not overdoing the reward system. As educator Cassie touched on earlier, rewards can be awarded with the aim of being phased out. To avoid overdoing it, you could use the reward system when you are starting out building your wellbeing culture or you could use it as more of an ongoing activity that encourages students to practise wellbeing skills.

The buddy system

One example is through buddy classes. Most schools I have worked with have a buddy class system, where a class in junior primary will be paired with a class in upper primary. This form of interaction lends itself to a perfect opportunity for older students to teach/guide their younger counterparts through some wellbeing practice. And games are a brilliant way to do this.

Some schools use buddy class time to practise wellbeing skills. For example, a year-6 class can be split into small groups. Each group then teaches six to eight year-2 students. The lesson focus is provided (e.g. self/social awareness) but students can be instructed to plan and deliver a 10–15-minute lesson themselves.

This is a great example of wellbeing in action in a buddy class system, but also a great way for the older students to embed their learning, because as we know, one of the best ways to learn is to teach others. Is there a way you could embed wellbeing into your buddy class system?

Interoception rooms

Interoception rooms are becoming more and more popular. These are dedicated rooms where students participate in activities designed to help them connect with their bodies and emotions. Interoception is our eighth sense. It can broadly be defined as our conscious perception of our internal body signals, which let us know how to respond to human needs or relate to our emotional experiences.

To explain how it works and why it's so effective, let's look at the story of Two Wells Primary School, which created an interoception room in 2021. The purpose of the room is to assist students to build self-awareness and self-regulation skills in a fun and engaging way through games and activities. Kurt Ferguson is the Wellbeing for Learning & Engagement Coordinator, and he explains:

Interoception is the pre-requisite for self-regulation. The activities take less than two minutes to complete and they help students to identify their body signals, recognise when their body signals change and act or respond to these body signals for their self-regulation.

Kurt goes on to explain the process:

We start by building understanding of the basic interoceptive skills such as knowing when you're hot and cold, when you need the toilet, tensed vs relaxed muscles; then about the cues for these things in our own body, such as clenched fists and feeling warm may be cues for when you're getting frustrated. Further along in these sessions it does turn to more acting on our self-awareness and regulatory ability and we turn to relationships and interpersonal interactions learning. We do also run some more basic sessions where we teach social skills such as turn-taking, sharing, by-standing behaviours, bullying behaviours, etc. The room is set up for parents to access with their child and the room also doubles up as a space for social and emotional learning.

Two Wells Primary School has now made interoception a part of classroom daily practice. The teacher will start off the day with an interoception activity that doesn't require any equipment. However, if a student is finding it hard to regulate their emotions during the day, they are free to take themselves to the interoception room, which is supervised all the time. Kurt proudly told me that since the room was created they have gone from 320 callouts (the class teacher calling the front office for assistance with behavioural issues) in the first year of the interoception room to just 140 (close to a 70 per cent reduction). This suggests the room is having a tremendous impact on teaching self-awareness and emotional regulation skills. Best of all is that interoception is relevant for everyone. In the resources section at the back of the book, I share a link that provides further detail on interoception rooms and the practice of interoception (see Lean & Leslie 2020).

The South Australian Department for Education describes the benefits of interoception rooms as follows:

• To help children connect to and learn to understand their own bodies and emotions
• To provide children with the tools to know when they are developing emotional reactions and the skills to be in control of those reactions
• Classrooms where interoception is being taught have decreasing behavioural challenges and increased positive wellbeing and prosocial behaviours.

An example of an interoception activity that can be practised in this room goes like this:

• Sitting down with your hands resting on your lap, notice how your hands feel when they are relaxed.
• Now stretch your fingers as wide apart as possible and hold them tense like that for 30 seconds.
• In what part of your hand could you feel the stretch?
• We are going to repeat the activity again and when we stretch our fingers, this time we are going to focus on the webs of our fingers.
• Repeat the activity for the second time.
• How did the webs of your fingers feel? What did you notice?

Interoception rooms are fun and engaging, particularly for students who struggle with social and emotional learning. The room may not be for all students, but it's highly effective for students who could really use the extra social and emotional skills practice.