How Our Clubs and Camps Support Children’s Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Week is a chance to recognise the role Wrap Around Care and Holiday Camps play in supporting children’s wellbeing. 1 in 6 children are affected by mental health problems, making spaces like ours more important than ever.
The experiences children have outside of school are just as important. Our clubs and camps are spaces to feel safe, build confidence, make new friends and unwind.
Last week, staff and children in our clubs came together to discuss mental health and get creative, making ‘My Happy Place’ maps, kindness wreaths, friendship flowers and more but we put the following learnings and activities into practice all year round.
Building consistent routines can help children feel secure and reduce anxiety especially when joining a new environment. That’s why we display visual timetables so children know what to expect each day, which gives them a sense of control and stability.
Open communication is also key. We encourage children to express their feelings whether that is through arts and crafts, storytelling, role play or open discussion at snack or tea time. Meal times are social occasions where our staff sit with children and talk.
We offer a number of activities to help explore our emotions, for example making kindness clouds, worry monsters, self-reflections, empathy drama, worry dolls, celebration joy jars and more.
Sometimes children need a quiet space to go to when feeling overwhelmed or in need of a break. Chill time is an integral part of our camp day but we also offer reading corners or spaces to play individually when it is needed at our camps or clubs.
Other things that can help children’s mental health are eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise and having the freedom to play.
“Staff promote children’s understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They support healthy eating by providing colourful and inviting plates of fruit and salad for children after school. They encourage children to exercise outdoors, where they practise and refine a variety of physical skills.”- Ofsted, Keep Hatch Club, 2024
Research shows that time in nature can reduce anxiety and depression. Exploring nature and gardening is encouraged at our clubs especially during the warmer months. From nature walks and minibeast hunts to planting flowers and watching caterpillars become butterflies, these moments of wonder can improve children’s mood and wellbeing.
We aim to celebrate and inspire individuality, creating a safe space where children can truly be themselves and have fun!
Find out more about our Breakfast & After School Clubs and Holiday Camps.
If you or your child are finding things difficult, reaching out is a brave and brilliant first step.
Here are some helpful resources:
