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Children’s Mental Health Week runs from 9-13th Feb and this year’s theme is ‘This is My Place.’
With that in mind, we were inspired to create an activity for children that would link ‘Place’ to the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. We developed a simple worksheet children could complete whilst reflecting on their places to Connect, Learn, Keep Active, Take Notice and Give – which you can download here.
In the lead up to Children’s Mental Health Week, OUR Generation Project Workers from lead partner Action Mental Health invited school pupils to use drawing, writing and colouring-in to fill their maps with places that mattered to them. Some of them completed them individually, others worked in pairs or small groups. Some even recorded short voice notes telling us about their places, which are featured in the video below:
“When I take notice, is when the rain is dropping and the leaves are blowing in the wind…” – P7 Pupil
The aim was to encourage children to think about how different places support their wellbeing, helping them to name feelings, spaces, and activities that make them feel safe and positive- supporting emotional literacy through creativity and discussion.
Why ‘Place’ Matters for Mental Health
‘Place’ encompasses natural, social, and built environments, and influences opportunities for play, physical activity, and social interaction.
The correlation between place and play is well documented in reports from OUR Generation partner PlayBoard NI, which surveyed young people and found that 58% said play helped them to keep physically active, with 50% enjoying the opportunity play gave them to be outdoors in fresh air. ¹
Research shows that access to green spaces, safe outdoor environments, and supportive communities is linked with better mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.²
A recent study from Ulster University has even found that living near the coast in Northern Ireland can be better for your wellbeing.³
Clearly, place matters, and when children can identify the places and activities that help them feel better, they are taking early steps towards looking after their mental health.
Perhaps as adults, one simple question we can start to ask each other is: “What’s YOUR place?”
We’d like to thank all the pupils from St Patrick’s Primary School Holywood, Ballynahinch PS and St Patrick’s Ballynahinch, who took part and shared their creativity with us for Children’s Mental Health Week.
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