Children’s Mental Health Week 2021 - Express Yourself

This year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place on 1-7 February 2021 and the theme is Express Yourself. Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. Place2Be launched Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015 to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.

Can you do something that makes you feel good this week, this could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, or doing an activity that makes you smile. We'd love to see what makes you feel good so please send your photos or videos to gaffneyc@hwbcymru.net

Enjoy 

Miss Gaffney 

Useful Resources and Links:

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed especially for children aged 3+

https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga 

Joe Wicks

Free online PE lessons for children of all ages.

He is also running 30 minute live classes between 9am and 5pm every weekday. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ 

Jump Start Jonny

Fun workouts (and chill out) videos to help keep children fit and active.

https://www.jumpstartjonny.co.uk/free-stuff 

CBeebies Andy’s Wild Workouts

CBeebies’ Andy travels the world to amazing places and learns to move like the animals he meets on his wild adventure. Ideal for younger children.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tmmvz/episodes/player 

Change 4 Life 

The Change 4 Life Website has a range of activities to get you moving along with how to keep healthy and eat well. The following link will take you to a range of activities, including Disney themed indoor activities.

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/activities 

Busy Feet at Home 

Busy Feet have adapted their resources to offer Busy Feet at home from their YouTube platform on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

More information can be found on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BusyFeetExplorers/ 

Food a Fact of Life - British Nutrition Foundation

A wide range of activities about where food comes from, cooking and healthy eating. Resources from ages 3-16. There are currently 54 activities/resources to support remote learning at home.  Over the coming week’s further resources and activities will be posted.

https://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/whole-school/remote-learning/ 

Top Marks

A variety of links to activities related to healthy eating

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=healthy%20eating 

Change for Life

Includes food facts, recipes, activities, apps, currently has ideas of ‘how to stay healthy at home!’

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life 

Veg Power

‘Get your kids eating more veg’. The website has resources that include downloads, reward charts, lesson plans with printable worksheets and activities.

https://vegpower.org.uk/downloads/ 

Cooking Together Wales

Cooking Together Wales are streaming nutritional and fun cook-along videos. The videos can also be found on their Facebook page - Cooking Together Wales – and via their new Cook-a-long webpage. There are lots of links to Welsh words that relate to cooking.

https://www.cookingtogether.co.uk/cook-a-long 

The Kids’ Kitchen

The Kids’ Kitchen Facebook page is running free live online cooking sessions for children.

https://www.facebook.com/TheKidsKitchen/ 

Mental and Emotional wellbeing

Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) – Sit Together

Mindfulness in Schools Project is inviting everyone to join them in a free daily online mindfulness practice.

https://mindfulnessinschools.org/misp-sit-together/ 

New Horizon

Guided meditation audio tracks for children.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjW-3doUmNsyY5aLQHLiNXg 

Heartfulness

Relaxation and contemplation audio tracks for both primary and secondary school children.

https://www.heartfulness.uk/primaryschools/ 

Go Noodle

Movement and mindfulness videos for children.

https://www.youtube.com/user/GoNoodleGames 

Action for Happiness

The monthly calendars are packed with actions you can take to help create a happier and kinder world. Include a new ‘Coping Calendar’ - 30 actions to look after ourselves and each other as we face this global crisis together.

https://www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars 

Eco Schools

Follow @EcoSchoolsWales on Twitter to see their weekly #EcoSchoolsAtHome theme.

https://www.facebook.com/Eco-Schools-Wales-Eco-Sgolion-Cymru-126253670720592/ 

Beach Academy  

Emma at Beach academy has created printable home learning resources and activities for families to stay connected to the coast. With home learning and Facebook learning, offering families of children aged 3-11 a day at the beach, from home, in response to social distancing.

www.beachacademywales.com/learningresources  

RSPB

There are loads of great ideas and resources to help kids and families connect with nature, with some simple activities they can do at home. 

In the “Fun and Learning” area there is a section for children that gives step by step guides to make bird feeders and “Spot it” sheets. There are also interactive games, stories and competitions. 

www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/activities/ 

Wildlife Trust

The focus on this website is looking after yourself and nature, and has lots of activities and ideas for all ages, whether they are indoors or in the garden.

www.wildlifetrusts.org/kids-and-families 

Scouts  

“While we normally love the great outdoors, we’ve pulled together some inspired indoor activity ideas to keep your kids learning new skills and having fun.” 

There are inclusive and accessible activities suitable for all age groups 6-8yrs (Beavers), 8-10yrs (Cubs) and 10-14yrs (Scouts). There are clear instructions including some videos and the equipment required is mostly available around the house or in the garden. 

Some examples include:

Beavers  & Cubs – Lolly stick catapults / Leaf animals / Book marks / Tiny bug rafts / Snap happy (camera) / Creating a tornado.

Scouts – Origami / creating a diary / Switch off challenge. 

www.scouts.org.uk/the-great-indoors/   

National Children’s Gardening Week

A range of activities related to nature and gardening.

www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk 

Learn to dance.

Learn to dance with one of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing, Oti Mabuse. With a range of lessons on her YouTube for kids and adults its a great way to keep fit, try something new and have some fun.

Keep fit with Swansea City.

Try one of their videos to help you get fit at home. 

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/keep-fit-swansea-city 

Dragon Sport Wales.

Dragon Multi-Skills & Sport resources are aimed at children in primary school aged 7-11 years. 

The ethos of the multi-skills approach is for children to develop key physical skills that are applicable to, and transferable across, a range of different sports and physical activities.

https://www.sport.wales/content-vault/dragon-multi-skills-and-sport-resources/