Happiness HELPS
Happiness HELPS logo beside its five practices: Help others, Exercise, Learn, Play, Spiritual growth

Tips for children

Activities for parents and teachers during lockdown

It is important to focus on your children’s mental health during the lockdown. We share a few tips and activities for parents and teachers to use during lockdown.

Mental health for little ones – Warrior dress up (Play): let your children dress up in their bravest warrior outfits, choose a name and make their own warrior cry (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Bake to give (Help others): bake cupcakes or brownies with your children and deliver them to your neighbours (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – What is this virus? (Learn): use a video, pictures or a pepper-and-soap experiment to explain viruses to your children (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Mindfulness walk (Exercise): let your children walk in the garden, noticing one thing with each of their senses (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Exhale (Spiritual growth): make homemade bubbles with dishwashing liquid and help your children breathe out (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Fill their cup (Play): let your child choose one activity that really makes them happy, then give them time alone (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Dance (Exercise): make space, put on some music at full volume and have a crazy, anything-goes dance party (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Change it up (Learn): swap roles and let your child teach you a skill or a lesson they have prepared (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Phone a friend (Help others): ask whether your child is worried about someone, then phone or video call that person (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Understand emotions (Learn): make a collage of faces showing different emotions from old magazines (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Healing ceremony (Spiritual growth): dim the lights and let your children light candles while sending a prayer or wish (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – A game of my own (Play): spend 15 minutes a day actively playing a game your child has made up (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Pamper party (Help others): with buckets, lotion and soaps, let each family member spoil someone and be spoilt (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – The clean house lunge (Exercise): turn each house-cleaning job into a game of stretches and lunges (opens larger)

Mental health for little ones – Meditate (Spiritual growth): create a quiet space with candles, blankets and soft music, or use a child-friendly meditation (opens larger)