Good Mental Health

Some children may be struggling with all the social distancing, how their world’s have changed...

Here are some resources that may help you. Remember there are also lots of links on our school website.

www.camhs-resources.co.uk

There are lots of great resources on this site including videos, help sheets on Coronavirus as well as general mental health.

Some fun ways to help to maintain health and happiness at home. These activities are aimed at a range of ages.

Kids’ brains have to work pretty hard these days. They seem to have more jam-packed school and home lives than our generation and all the bright, busy screens competing for their attention make quiet time hard to come by.

Mindfulness is a great way to introduce a little stillness into their days. Even the most basic techniques can help to improve their concentration and self-awareness and empower them to better manage their emotions.

Here are five fun and simple activities you could try with your kids at home... Five mindfulness activities to do at home

Take a family dance workshop with Sadlers Wells

Take part in fun family dance workshop designed for children aged 2 to 6 years and their grown-ups. Learn how to balance, move like your favourite animal and dance the way colours make you feel. Try one of their 10 movement activities.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAC0ZTI5pkuzlbdGtV_-bimq6JL5ArVit

Beatbox and breathe

Vocal Beats is a channel designed with young people and for young people to learn beatboxing, singing and breathing techniques.You’ll also hear other young people’s stories. Watch a tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-T5Y-wQs93cypC3mLLdT6g

Do a five-minute meditation with the National Gallery

Take five minutes to look slowly at a painting from the National Gallery and practise meditation. Find a quiet spot, get comfy, watch and listen. Watch the video.

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/stories/5-minute-meditation-turners-rain-steam-and-speed

Why Can’t We Hug

This is a lovely book that has been made into a video on youtube. It really helps children to understand the idea of social distancing and why might not be able to hug their

friends and family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PnnFrPaRgY

Free Book download

The publishers at Oxford Owl have made this new book available to read online for FREE to help children to process and articulate feelings of anxiety about Coronavirus. https://www.booksfortopics.com/post/free-ebook-for-children-everybody-worries

Everybody Worries is Jon Burgerman’s brand new picture book designed to support children who may be feeling worried about Coronavirus and in particular the everyday changes to their lifestyle that it has brought about.

With colourful characters and rhyming text, this original picture book is designed to reassure young children that their worries are valid and also includes practical ways to help them to process and articulate their emotions.

Author Jon Burgerman commented, “I decided to write a book about worry and stress and how normal it is and how we can try and mitigate it. I think we might not acknowledge that small children worry as much as they do. Without a means of expressing their anxieties, the stress can manifest and have adverse effects.
It’s important to talk openly about what is going on and that the feelings we’re experiencing are being felt by a lot of people, and that by sharing and caring for each other we can try and make it a little better.”

Find out more here: https://www.booksfortopics.com/post/free-ebook-for-children-everybody-worries

Coronavirus and Mental Health for children

Please see below the latest DfE Covid-19 guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health during this challenging period.

Department for Education – DfE guidance for supporting children and young people’s mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing

Coronavirus – a book for children - a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler

https://nosycrowcoronavirus.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Coronavirus-ABookForChildren.pdf

Young Minds - Visit the Coronavirus advice and mental health support adviceMental Health Foundation - Top tips for open and honest conversation regarding the pandemic

https://youngminds.org.uk

NSPCC – Advice to support children struggling with their mental health or anxiety about COVID-19.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/depression-anxiety-mental-health/

Save the Children - As leading experts on childhood Save the Children are sharing drama-based relaxation exercises which are part of their * HEART program for children living in stressful situations (*Healing and Education through the Arts). Relaxation Activities to Do at Home with KidsSchool closings, sick friends and family members, isolation at home – these and other factors can cause anxiety and stress for children during this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As the world’s leading expert on childhood, we’re sharing these drama-based relaxation exercises that are part of our global Healing and Education through the Arts (HEART) program for children living in stressful situations.

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/emergency-response/coronavirus-outbreak/resources/easy-at-home-relaxation-activities-to-help-calm-kids

Children’s Commissioner - A relevant and interesting blog with links to resources to support young people and their mental health

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2020/04/03/angry-fed-up-isolated-coronavirus-and-childrens-mental-health/

Mental Health and Well-being Summer activities

Self-care is about what you can do to help yourself feel better or to keep yourself feeling

good.

The #SelfcareSummer Primary resource is full of fun activities designed to help children look

after their mental health and wellbeing while enjoying themselves. It also signposts them and

their families to additional support if they need it.

It’s all part of the Centre's #SelfcareSummer campaign which highlights activities, support

and advice every day throughout the summer. It includes Challenge Tuesdays where young

people can share their artwork, photography, poems, crafts or activities to help support their

wellbeing over the summer.