Teacher guide · Real Life Lab · Harder · about 35 min

🎈 Plan a Party for 6 Friends

Pupils practise real life thinking and problem solving through "Plan a Party for 6 Friends": Budget and logistics together.

Lesson guide

1. Hook · 5 min
Show the 🎈 mission title and read the opening: "You have £40. Choose what to buy.". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Coin the Raccoon's line as your prompt: "Smart call. Money and time both count."
3. Do · 10 min
Pairs work through the 3 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used real life thinking today.

What was the hardest choice in "Plan a Party for 6 Friends", and why?
One friend can't eat cheese. What do you change — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Where could you use real life thinking outside school this week?
If you did this again, what would you change?

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Set the Challenge tier (1 extra steps) and ask pupils to justify every answer in writing.

National Curriculum: Maths: money, measures and solving real-world problems
PSHE: Living in the wider world: economic wellbeing — money, saving and choices
PSHE: Health & wellbeing: keeping safe and everyday responsibilities

Pupil sheet

Name: ____________________ Date: __________