Stay Active, Stay Happy!

Overview

In this Health lesson, students take part in short, simple physical activities and a game. They discuss how being active helps their body and their mind, connecting to self-care by noticing strengths and enjoyable activities.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify strengths and successes during physical play.
• WALT participate safely by following instructions and noticing space (not bumping into others).
• WALT explain how moving your body can help you feel happier and calmer.
• WALT practise a short warm-up and describe how the body gets warmer when exercising.

Success criteria

• I can join in an active game safely by following rules and using space.
• I can do a warm-up with the group and notice my body getting warmer.
• I can tell one way exercise helps my body.
• I can tell one way exercise helps my feelings.

Curriculum links

• Health Education — Bodies | Minds — Self-care: identifying strengths, successes, and enjoyable activities.
• Physical Education — Exercising safely / warm-up / exercise effects: warming up the body and understanding that the body gets warmer when exercising.
• Physical Education — Exercising safely: using spatial awareness and following instructions while interacting appropriately with others.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and wellbeing check-in. Teacher greets students and shows a “How am I feeling?” poster with 3 pictures (happy / okay / wiggly) for students to choose one. Students point to their feeling and share one word with a partner if ready.

2. 5–12 min · Warm-up: “Body is getting warmer.” Teacher leads mobility movements (big arms circles, marching in place, gentle side bends) and says, “When the body exercises it gets warmer.” Students copy the moves and do a quick self-check: “Can I feel my body getting warmer?”

3. 12–20 min · Safe space practise (teacher-led). Teacher sets clear instructions: walk/run to markers, “stop on my signal,” and “look where you’re going.” Students practise walking, then jogging, between floor markers without touching others; teacher gives reminders for safe moving.

4. 20–35 min · Game 1: “Rainbow Tag (Safe Touch).” Teacher explains rules: tags are gentle (hand tap on shoulder), students move in their own space, and students freeze when the teacher calls “Stop.” Students play in a small area, changing roles (tagger / runner) when the teacher signals.

5. 35–42 min · Quick debrief: strengths and successes. Teacher asks: “What did you do well today?” and “What made the game enjoyable?” Students turn-and-talk using sentence starters: “I was proud when…” and “I liked when…”

6. 42–52 min · Game 2: “Feelings after Moving.” Teacher runs a short activity cycle: 30 seconds of skipping or marching, then 30 seconds of stillness and breathing (“smell the flowers, blow the candles”). Students complete cycles and then choose one feeling card (calm / happy / okay) and place it near themselves.

7. 52–57 min · Class discussion: how exercise helps our wellbeing. Teacher records student ideas on a simple chart: “Exercise helps my body because…” and “Exercise helps my mind because…” Students contribute one idea each; teacher supports correct linking (moving helps body; moving can help feelings like happier or calmer).

8. 57–60 min · Exit ticket: self-care reflection. Teacher gives a one-question picture card: “One way I stay active is…” or “Exercise makes me feel…” Students circle/draw and hand in to show understanding.

Resources

• Feeling cards (happy / okay / wiggly) with pictures
• Feeling cards for after-moving (calm / happy / okay)
• Floor markers or cones for safe-space boundaries
• Warm-up movement cue cards (simple pictures)
• Sentence starter strips (“I was proud when…”, “I liked when…”)
• Large chart paper or whiteboard for debrief
• Gentle tag marker (optional colour bib for taggers)
• Exit ticket cards (one question each)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during safe-space practise: students follow signals and avoid bumping.
• Formative checks in discussion: students can name one way exercise helps their body and one way it helps their feelings.
• Exit ticket: students identify an active behaviour or a feeling after moving.

Differentiation

• Support: provide visual rules (stop sign image, space markers) and allow “walk-only” if jogging is challenging.
• Support: use sentence starter strips and model answers for students who need language scaffolds.
• Extension: challenge students to add a second idea in the chart (“Exercise helps my mind because… and my body because…”).
• SEN/EAL: accept non-verbal responses (pointing to cards) and use consistent phrases (“Warm-up, safe space, stop signal, feelings after moving”).