What is Wattle Quest?
You are a new Grade 3/4 student at Wattle Creek Primary. Today, the school is full of little problems: a Prep student is lost, two friends are fighting over a ball, someone is being unkind online, and the oval is covered in rubbish.
When problems are left unsolved, they grow into Muddles: funny creatures made of tricky feelings, like grumpiness, worry and unkindness.
You don't beat a Muddle by being mean. You calm it down with good skills! Every wise choice teaches you a new skill. Pick the skill that fits the problem, and the Muddle floats away happy.
Real situations kids face at school, recess and lunch.
Kindness, honesty, teamwork, resilience and more.
Match the right skill to the right problem.
Not-so-wise choices explain why, then you try again.
How to play
1. Make your student
Pick a character and type your first name or a nickname.
2. Find the !
Walk around the school. People with a ! above their head need your help.
3. Choose wisely
Read the problem and pick what to do. Wise choices teach you new skills.
4. Calm the Muddles
Use your skills in battle. Skills that fit the problem work best!
Keyboard
←↑↓→ or WASD to walk
Space or Enter to talk and choose
Esc for the menu · X to go back
iPad and touch screens
Use the on-screen D-pad to walk, the red A button to talk and choose, and B to go back. You can also tap answers and menu items directly.
Good to know
The game saves by itself on this device. Turn sound on or off any time. Low on Courage? Visit Ms Adeyemi in the Wellbeing Room.
What does it teach?
Wattle Quest practises social and emotional learning: noticing feelings, calming down, including others, being honest, working as a team, sorting out conflicts and knowing when to ask a trusted adult for help.
Links to the Victorian Curriculum
The game links loosely to Personal and Social Capability, Levels 3 and 4 (Victorian Curriculum F–10, Version 1.0). It is a fun way to start conversations, not a complete teaching program.
| Content description | Where it shows up in the game |
|---|---|
| VCPSCSE016 Identify and explore the expression of emotions in social situations and the impact on self and others | Noticing how Lily (lost), Ethan (embarrassed) and Tomas (left out) feel. Every Muddle is a feeling that grew because a problem was ignored. |
| VCPSCSE017 Identify personal strengths and select personal qualities that could be further developed | The Skill Book. Students collect strengths like Honesty, Kindness and Resilience, and think about which ones they use in real life. |
| VCPSCSE018 Identify how persistence and adaptability can be used when faced with challenging situations and change | Kai's "too hard" maths (the power of yet and Self-Talk). In battles, students change their approach when a skill doesn't work. |
| VCPSCSE019 Name and describe the skills required to work independently | Jordan wants to copy. Students choose honesty, and offer to help instead. |
| VCPSCSO021 Describe the ways in which similarities and differences can affect relationships | Tomas is new. He and the player find things they share and things that are different. |
| VCPSCSO022 Identify the importance of including others in activities, groups and games | Inviting Tomas to play at lunch. Turning the ball fight into a game of four square that includes everyone. |
| VCPSCSO023 Demonstrate skills for effective participation in group tasks and use criteria provided to reflect on the effectiveness of the teams in which they participate | The rubbish clean-up with the Eco Captain: sharing a big job safely. Teamwork is a battle skill. |
| VCPSCSO024 Identify conflicts that may occur in peer groups and suggest possible causes and resolutions | The ball fight, the mean online comment and the slide hog. Students practise "Stop. That's not okay." and getting help from the teacher on yard duty. |
Content descriptions are quoted from the VCAA's Victorian Curriculum. Check the VCAA website for the curriculum version your school is using.
Meet the Muddles
Each Muddle has a problem type. Use a skill that fits the type for a perfect hit, just like choosing the right strategy in real life.
For teachers
Using it in class
- Time: about 30–45 minutes to finish. The game saves by itself, so it can be split over two sessions on the same device and browser.
- Before: talk about what makes a "wise choice". Ask: what does it look like to be an upstander?
- During: play in pairs. Ask partners to agree on each choice and say why out loud. Pausing for a "think-pair-share" before battles works well.
- After: use the discussion questions below. Ask students which skill from their Skill Book they used this week in real life.
- Wrong answers are part of it: every less-wise choice gives a gentle explanation and a chance to try again. The Quest Log counts wise first choices if you want a reflection point.
- Certificate: students who finish get a printable certificate with their name and skills.
- Sound: short beeps only. Use the Sound button, or headphones in a quiet room.
Privacy and safety
- Students only type a first name or nickname. Nothing else is asked for.
- Progress is saved in the browser on that device (localStorage). No accounts, no tracking, no ads, nothing is sent anywhere.
- The bullying and online scenes always model telling a trusted adult. Some scenes could bring up real experiences, so let students know who they can talk to.
Discussion questions
Click a problem to see questions for after students have played it.