Mindfulness and Mental Health Toolkit

The Mindfulness and Mental Health Toolkit was put together for the Early Years Shop by Canavan Byrne using their expertise in early years education and issues around the child's emotional environment. This pack was designed to help services promote and practice positive mental health in the classroom. Awareness of mindfulness techniques and care of our own emotional well-being should be introduced and practiced from an early age and maintained through life. The more active the practice, the more effective the tools. When we teach children to recognise their emotions, to accept them, and then offer them the tools to communicate these and react to them with support, we are helping to set an appropriate platform for children to safely express themselves. Similarly, we are helping them to ask for help and to react accordingly with the support they may require.

Who can use this mental health and mindfulness toolkit?

This 8-piece toolkit gives Early Years and School-Aged practitioners, as well as parents and primary school teachers, some simple effective tools to promote self-awareness, body-awareness, mindfulness, self-praise and self-regulation as part of a regular and consistent daily or weekly routine/curriculum.

What is included in the Mental Health and Mindfulness Toolkit?

This new pack includes colourful child-friendly printable display posters for ease of reference, a colour-coded ‘My Feelings’ gauge and a ‘How Big is My Problem’ chart with listed available options for reference. The ‘I Can’ Problem Solving Solution Wheels can also be printed as required and given to individual children as a tool for reference and choice and to aid self-regulation, or put on display in the classroom. Interactive activities include a flip-the-card game designed to promote the practice of active and regular self-praise, a colour-coded Pick 'n Mix Activity to practice identifying and reflecting on 6 different emotions. In addition the toolkit includes an ‘I Can Listen to My Body’ simple checklist to promote a regular check in with what our bodies may be telling us about how we feel. The pack contains:

• Mental Health Matters
• Explanatory Guide to the Mindfulness and Mental Health Pack
• Mental Health Checklist
• It's Time to Mind Our Minds
• How BIG is my problem?
• The 'I Can' Problem Solving Wheels
• 'Bee in the moment' Activity
• Mindfulness Pick 'n Mix Feelings
• Self-Praise Flip Card Activities
• I Can Listen to my Body Activity

Did you know as a member of the Early Years Resource Factory you automatically receive 15% discount on all Form packs, Toolkits and policies on the Early Years Shop. EYRF also provides excellent tools for your service such as a library of curriculum plans, a monthly newsletter creator, staff roster, printable notices and signs plus much more! Try a free 7 day, no obligation trial of the Early Years Resource Factory.