About Children’s Mental Health Week
This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, from Feb 6th to the 12th. It’s an ideal time for Teachers and Teaching Assistants as well as Senior leadership teams to focus on children’s wellbeing. The theme this year is ‘Let’s Connect’ and relates to building positive relationships. Encouraging healthy connections with others helps our own wellbeing. Teaching children how positive relationships can influence their wellbeing throughout their lives is great education. It’s important for health, to have family, friends and colleagues who we can turn to throughout our lives.
Why teach children about wellbeing?
Did you know that 1 in 6 children have a diagnosable mental health issue? However, that does not include those who have not been diagnosed so the figure is likely to be much higher. Sadly, people in general as well as children can feel a sense of stigma about admitting to having a wellbeing issue. So even if your school or class talks about it in school assembly, it could help a child talk to someone. This is so important for them to do in order to get help. Some mental health issues are particularly secretive like self-harming or having an eating issue. So encouraging discussion is really important.
Lesson plans and ideas for Children’s Mental Health Week
- how to support one another
- how to be kind
- explore what is compassion?
- why friendships matter
- self kindness
Below are some links to lesson plans and ideas for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
10 ways to practise self kindness, click here
Resources for schools about kindness – posters etc., click here
Free Primary school activities, click here
For secondary school activities including connecting through music, click here