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Theme Primer for Playschool (November 2025): What We Do with Our Bodies

What’s in this primer

  1. Big picture Ideas and related concepts — ideas and subthemes to touch on throughout the month.
  2. A monthly progression with weekly subthemes that build on previous learnings.
  3. Weekly plans with activity suggestions for ITE, Science, Literacy, Numeracy, and Art sessions.
  4. A list of theme related projects.
  5. Resources (these resources have been organised into weekly plan).

Big Picture Ideas and Concepts

Related Concepts:

  • Physical strength helps with building and carrying (construction workers, farmers)
  • Careful hands help with detailed work (artists, surgeons, bakers)
  • Strong legs help with movement jobs (dancers, delivery people, athletes)
  • Different body types are good at different things
  • Tools and equipment help our bodies work better

Domains & Competencies:

  • Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills; Fine Motor Skills; Health & Self-Care
  • Cognitive Development: Critical Thinking & Reasoning; Executive Function
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies; Play Development; Creative Thinking and Expression
  • Language & Communication: Oral Communication; Literacy Skills
  • Creative Arts & Expression: Visual Arts

Related Concepts:

  • Eyes help us observe and create (artists, scientists, drivers)
  • Ears help us listen and understand (musicians, teachers, doctors)
  • Touch helps us feel and fix (mechanics, vets, sculptors)
  • Smell and taste help us cook and stay safe (chefs, firefighters)
  • Using multiple senses together makes us experts

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking; Executive Function
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies; Play Development; Creative Thinking and Expression
  • Language & Communication: Oral Communication; Language Awareness
  • Physical Development: Health & Self-Care

Related Concepts:

  • Learning new skills for different jobs
  • Remembering important information (doctors remember medicines)
  • Problem-solving at work (engineers, plumbers)
  • Being creative and having ideas (inventors, writers)
  • Practice makes our brain and body work together better

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Executive Function; Critical Thinking & Reasoning
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies; Learning Disposition & Mindset
  • Language & Communication: Literacy Skills; Writing Skills; Oral Communication
  • Creative Arts & Expression: Dramatic Arts & Storytelling

Related Concepts:

  • Different jobs need different types of energy
  • Rest helps working bodies recover
  • Safety equipment protects working bodies
  • Healthy food gives energy for work
  • Exercise keeps bodies strong for work

Domains & Competencies:

  • Physical Development: Health & Self-Care; Gross Motor Skills; Fine Motor Skills
  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies
  • Language & Communication: Literacy Skills; Oral Communication

Related Concepts:

  • Different jobs help different people
  • Teams use different body strengths together
  • Community helpers use their bodies to keep us safe
  • Everyone's job is important
  • Bodies can learn to do new jobs

Domains & Competencies:

  • Social & Emotional Development: Social Skills; Character Development
  • Approaches to Learning: Collaborative Learning; Play Development
  • Language & Communication: Oral Communication
  • Cognitive Development: Executive Function
  • Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills

Monthly Progression

Overview: How learning will progress and ideas will build on previous ones.

WEEK 1: Our Bodies Have Special Strengths for Different Jobs + Our Senses Make Us Better Workers + Our Brains Help Us Learn and Remember for Jobs

WEEK 2: We Use Different Tools for Different Jobs

WEEK 3: Working Bodies Need Care and Energy

WEEK 4: Bodies Work Together in Communities

Weekly Plans

Story and video suggestions:

Activity suggestions:

Story and video suggestions:

Activity suggestions:

Story and video suggestions:

  • Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition — VideoAmazon

Activity suggestions:

  • ITE: Healthy cooking activities
  • Science Awareness: From plate to pot — how the body digests food
  • Numeracy (4–5): choose any activity from the age-appropriate set
  • Numeracy (5–6): choose any activity from the age-appropriate set
  • Literacy (critical):
  • Literacy (functional): 4–5s and 5–6s: choose from age-appropriate sets
  • Art:

Story and video suggestions:

Activity suggestions:

  • ITE: Setting up workchains (restaurant, neighborhood workers, etc.)
  • ITE: Community workers and their transportation
  • Science Awareness: Construction work station — jobs need both strengths and smarts
  • Numeracy (4–5): choose any activity from the age-appropriate set
  • Numeracy (5–6): choose any activity from the age-appropriate set
  • Literacy (critical):
  • Literacy (functional): 4–5s and 5–6s: choose from age-appropriate sets
  • Art:

Projects

Embed project ideas as we add resources; aligned with weekly plans above.

Resources