Children’s Mental Health Week is supported by Place2Be and this year’s theme is Express Yourself.
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is Place2Be’s royal patron and you can watch her introduction video here:
From 1-7 February 2021 schools, youth groups, organisations and individuals across the UK will take part in Children’s Mental Health Week.
Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through;
- Art
- Music
- Writing and poetry
- Dance and drama
- Photography and film
- Doing activities that make you feel good.
It’s important to remember that being able to express yourself is not about being the best at something or putting on a performance for others. It is about finding a way to show who you are and how you see the world.
For Children’s Mental Health Week 2021 Place2Be are encouraging children (and adults) to explore the different ways we can express ourselves. And the creative ways that we can share our feelings, our thoughts, and our ideas.
As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health.
Resources for Children’s Mental Health Week and beyond
Place2Be have put together a great range of resources to help you;
- Virtual assembly
- Virtual sessions on creative expression
- Drawing your feelings
- The squiggle game
- Wellbeing activity ideas
PACE activities
- Physical – going outside, or even doing a Joe Wicks type video exercise at home together promotes well-being, releases endorphins and reduces cortisol and other stress hormones
- Achieve – doing something that leads to sense of achievement, be it for the child completing homework, or for the parent tidying a room. It is important to name the activity before and congratulate each other on getting it done
- Connect – planning and then chatting to somebody important, even if it is online. Yes it is not the same as being face-to-face but it does make everybody feel better
- Enjoyment – do something that you really like, and it doesn’t have to be virtuous, it could be eating a slice of your favourite cake! Again, celebrating that you have done it is important
About Place2Be
Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling and mental health support and training in UK schools, using tried and tested methods backed by research.
They believe that children should not have to face mental health problems alone.
Last year, Place2Be worked with 700 schools in England, Scotland and Wales, reaching 380,691 children and young people.
Click here for further guidance with regards to mental health.
