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Over the past year, one of the biggest child‑led trends to sweep through schools and social media was the “6‑7” craze. If you missed it, “6‑7” (spoken as “six seven”) is a nonsense phrase paired with a simple hand gesture. It has no fixed meaning, but it appeared in thousands of videos and quickly became part of playground culture around the world. Children shouted it in classrooms, used it at sports events, and repeated it online with enthusiasm that puzzled many adults.

Researchers who study children’s media and play suggest that trends like 6‑7 are not new. They are part of a long tradition of children inventing secret languages, inside jokes and playful gestures. From Pig Latin to clapping games and doodles passed through generations, children have always created shared “codes” that feel separate from adult life. These activities give young people a sense of belonging, independence and fun during their tightly structured school days.

The appeal of 6‑7 lay in its simplicity. Anyone could join in. It spread easily between children, across languages and even into online worlds like Roblox. Deaf children took part using sign language. Because it seemed meaningless to adults, children enjoyed the feeling of having something “of their own.” This sometimes caused disruptions. Teachers reported students shouting “6‑7” in lessons, and even restaurants noticed its influence when some jokingly tried to avoid ticket number 67.

Although trends come and go, this example highlights how children use both offline play and digital platforms to socialise, be creative and explore independence. While it may look silly from the outside, these shared moments help children build relationships, develop cultural understanding and experiment with identity in safe, playful ways. Remember, there is a child in all of us!

Have a playful weekend.

At Bangkok Patana School, we reflect carefully on how young children learn. Alongside high expectations and a coherent, progressive curriculum, we recognise the central role of child-led play in how children develop understanding, self-regulation, critical thinking, collaboration and a sense of themselves as capable learners.

Our approach to teaching and learning is guided by six universal principles: learning should be relational, responsive, relevant, rigorous, reflective and rooted. We see these principles at work in everyday child-led play.

Recently, during child-led play in our Key Stage 1 shared area, a group of children set out to build a shared structure using wooden panels, soft blocks and fabric. They began with a clear idea of what they wanted to create. Before long, the materials challenged them. Panels hinged in unexpected ways, fabric collapsed, and the structure would not hold.

At first, each child tried to solve the problem independently, holding a wall in place, adjusting a block, repositioning themselves. It did not work. The children realised that the problem was not about any one person’s idea, but about how they worked together. As one child observed, “It will not work unless we all hold it.”

The children slowed down and began to work together. They negotiated where to stand or sit, waited while others adjusted their grip, and steadied materials for one another. This time, the structure held.

The moment was a reminder of how much learning depends on relationships. The challenge was not solved through a better technique or clearer plan, but through cooperation and shared responsibility. The children recognised that the problem could not be solved alone. Trust and collaboration were not taught explicitly; they became necessary for the play to continue.

No adult redirected the activity. The children adapted their thinking in response to the materials, the space and one another. Adults listened, observed and supported children in articulating ideas and reflecting on what was happening, while leaving ownership of the problem with the children.

The play mattered to the children because it belonged to them. They were working towards a shared purpose they cared about, rather than an outcome imposed by an adult. This sense of ownership sustained their attention and persistence.

It would be easy to underestimate the level of challenge involved. In reality, the play was cognitively demanding. Children managed spatial reasoning, self-regulation, compromise and sustained focus at the same time. They coordinated bodies, materials and ideas, learning that effort, adjustment and collaboration are part of success.

As the children reassessed and adapted, they reflected on what was working and what was not, drawing conclusions from experience rather than instruction. Over time, this supports the development of learning habits that underpin progress across the curriculum. In child-led play, we see learning that is relational, responsive and rooted in children’s own thinking, while remaining purposeful and intellectually demanding, laying strong foundations for more formal learning as children move through the school.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if chocolate grew on trees? Well, it does! Wouldn’t it be amazing if I said we were going to make some chocolate? Well, we are! And we’re going to discover even more amazing things about chocolate…”

This big idea sparked an exciting and meaningful learning journey for our Year 4 students at Bangkok Patana School last term, as they explored the curriculum unit on Chocolate. What began with a familiar and much-loved treat quickly unfolded into a rich, connected exploration of people, places and processes, all underpinned by our school values of Well-being, Learning and Global Citizenship.

The journey began with an immersive Chocolate Day entry point, designed to hook curiosity and invite children to learn through play, enquiry and the senses. Students rotated through a range of engaging experiences, including mindful chocolate tasting, blindfold flavour challenges, chocolate chip excavations, chocolate playdough sculptures and chocolate bar design. These shared moments delighted the children while encouraging careful observation, thoughtful discussion and reflection, laying strong foundations for the learning that followed.

Literacy

Literacy learning was thoughtfully woven throughout the unit, providing rich opportunities for pupils to read, write and think deeply across a range of genres.

Through the Power of Reading text Grendel, children explored the idea of wishes and consequences using drama, discussion and close reading, before crafting character descriptions, diary entries, letters of advice and ultimately their own stories with a clear moral. This narrative work was complemented by non-fiction writing in science, where pupils created imaginative explanation texts that followed an alliterative food character on a journey through the digestive system, blending accurate scientific vocabulary with engaging storytelling. Alongside this, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory provided a rich stimulus for developing sentence craft, descriptive language and narrative structure, allowing pupils to experiment confidently with imagery, dialogue and varied sentence openings. Across the term, literacy became a powerful vehicle for creativity, precision and purpose.

Science

Science lessons allowed pupils to deepen their understanding of teeth, digestion and states of matter, helping them explore how chocolate affects our bodies and why it melts. Practical investigations and enquiry-based learning encouraged children to think scientifically, make careful observations and draw conclusions, strengthening both subject knowledge and working scientifically skills.

Geography

Students travelled virtually to tropical regions where cacao trees thrive, investigating climate, biomes and chocolate as a global cash crop. They compared producer and consumer countries and began to understand how chocolate production and consumption varies across the world. These discussions naturally led to thoughtful conversations about sustainability, environmental impact and responsibility.

History

History lessons took the children back to the Maya and Aztec civilisations, where cacao beans were once used as currency. They explored how chocolate spread to Europe and how trade, exploration and cultural exchange have shaped the chocolate we know today. Through timelines, discussion and drama, students developed a growing appreciation of chocolate’s rich and complex past.

Design and Technology

Learning became hands-on and purposeful. Students explored the process of chocolate-making, experimented with ingredients and applied their mathematical skills to measure, scale and design packaging. Creating nets for chocolate boxes and wrappers allowed pupils to combine accuracy with creativity, reinforcing the real-world application of mathematics.

Global Citizenship

Global citizenship was woven throughout the unit as the children explored fair trade chocolate and other ethically sourced products. These discussions encouraged them to think critically about consumer choices and fairness, helping them develop empathy and a deeper understanding of their role in an interconnected world.

Across the term, Year 4 students demonstrated growth not only in their academic learning, but also in key personal skills such as enquiry, communication, adaptability and resilience. They were motivated, engaged and challenged to think deeply, showing just how powerful a familiar theme can be when learning is purposeful and connected.

Who knew there was so much to learn about chocolate? We did. As the term draws to a close, our Year 4 learners have journeyed from chocolate consumers to chocolate explorers, and now proudly stand as chocolate experts — with a sweet taste of learning that will linger long after the final bite.