Week 1 is STAY CONNECTED

Having healthy relationships with people and pets helps us stay happy and mentally strong. We need connections in all parts of our lives - school, family and socially. Connection leads to trust and feelings of safety which, in turn, mean a child feels comfortable talking and sharing. This all leads to better mental health.

Our two class questions are:

Who do you feel connected to?

How do you stay connected to them?

At home you could:

• Arrange a playdate
• Write kind post it notes to family members
• Send a card, letter or drawing
• Keep a list of 'things to tell Grandma'
• Phone a friend or relative to say 'hi'
• Spend time grooming a pet

Week 2 is MOVE

Moving is a mood booster! It allows us to feel more confident and to manage any anxiety or depression we may be feeling. It helps our brains stay healthy, meaning that our memory, attention span, decision making skills and resilience are improved. The chemicals that exercise releases into our body help us to feel mentally healthy and can even bring us joy! At school we have brain breaks and outdoor play but it's important this continues at home.

Our two class questions are:

What are you favourite ways to get moving at home and at school?

How do you feel after you've got your body moving?

At home you could:

• Take a walk in your local area
• Set up an obstacle course in the garden
• Visit a playground
• Go to soft play or a trampoline park
• Join a club such as football, tennis or karate
• Find a YouTube yoga or active video to get moving on a rainy day
• Go to a family swim session

Week 3 is INTERESTS

Everyone is unique and enjoys different things. Keeping busy with interests and activities, gives us the opportunity to succeed and build our confidence. It can also be relaxing, stress-relieving and some activities can help us build relationships and work on social skills. This week, in assembly, we learnt all about Mrs Forte's paintings, Mrs Burnside's crocheting and Mrs Patrick's writing!

Our two class questions are:

What are you interested in already?

What would you like to find out more about?

At home you could:

• Look for a Brownies/Cubs/Beavers etc club to join
• Set up a play date with a child with similar interests
• Use the internet to find some different craft ideas
• Follow a YouTube drawing tutorial
• Research and make a presentation about a science or history topic of interest
• Go for a bug/leaf/tree/flower hunt and use the internet or books to identify them
• Try out a gymnastics/swimming/football club or take up musical instrument lessons
• Sing or dance
• Read a book or write one
• Ask a relative or friend for a lesson in something they're good at like sewing, gardening, painting or caring for animals

Week 4 is LOOK

Noticing how we are feeling can help us to manage our emotions. Thinking about what we can hear, see, smell, feel or taste is a good way of tuning into our bodies and helping us to feel grounded. We can also consider how we are feeling inside and try to identify our emotions.

Our two class questions are:

Be still. What do you notice right now about yourself and your surroundings?

Where could you spend time looking and noticing this week?

At home you could:

• Ask everyone in the family to identify two positives from the day 
• Get out in nature, sit or lie and examine your senses
• Discuss the emotions of characters in books or on TV
• Help your child identify the ways their body changes when they're experiencing different emotions, including by telling them how you feel, e.g. when we're angry, we may tense our muscles and feel hot.
• Make a big list of all the feelings you can think of together

Week 5 is EAT WELL

Eating a balanced diet can affect our mood positively and help us grow healthy and strong. Feeling hungry - or even 'hangry' (hungry + angry) - can affect our attention span and focus but research also shows that eating healthy foods supports good mental health. The types of foods we eat can affect mood too: lots of sugars can make you prone to anger, extreme emotions and activity whilst too many carbohydrates can make you sluggish and slow. It's also important to follow a meal routine so we aren't skipping meals or snacking excessively.

Our two class questions are:

Do you eat 'a balanced diet'?

What will you try to eat this week to help you eat well?

At home you could:

• Choose an unhealthy food you eat often and swap it for something more healthy this week
• Make a food diary for a week, colour coding the food groups (carbohydrates, dairy, protein, fruit and vegetables, sugary foods, fatty foods)
• Create some fruit and vegetable animals (like the Vegesaurs on CBeebies!) and write a story or comic strip about them
• Help an adult to cook a nutritious family meal
• Try a new healthy food each week as a family

Week 6 is REST

Rest, relaxation and mediation are all ways of helping us to feel calm. For children, sleep helps support growth and development as well as being the time your body is working to support healthy brain function and repair, restore and re-energise itself. Primary school children need around 10-12 hours sleep a night. Opportunities within the day for down time are important too. Learning and memory are at their best in well-rested children.

Our two class questions are:

When do you feel most rested or relaxed?

How could you make your life more restful or relaxing?

At home you could:

• Follow a meditation or yoga video from YouTube (e.g. Cosmic Kids Yoga).
• Create some themed yoga poses together - e.g. minibeasts or jungle animals.
• Schedule in rest time each day where children ready, listen to calm music or play quietly.
• Limit access to electronic devices, especially before bedtime.
• Make a cosy corner in the house which is enjoyable to relax in.
• Take a relaxing bath.
• Have a regular bedtime routine which may involve calm music or reading prior to going to sleep.

Week 7 is SUPPORT

We can help our wellbeing by helping others. Staying connected to others and offering support gives both them and us a little boost. Being kind makes us feel positive and makes them feel happy too. In a world where we can be anything, be kind!

Our two class questions are:

Who have you supported recently and how did it make you feel?

How could you support someone this week?

At home you could:

• Find somewhere to volunteer like a local food bank
• Sort out old toys and clothes and make donations to charity
• Ask someone to play
• Make someone a card or gift when they're having a tough time
• Help a parent with some jobs around the house