What is Children's Mental Health Week?
Children's Mental Health Week is an important annual event that raises awareness about children's and young people's mental health. This week-long initiative brings together students, parents and educators to prioritise mental wellbeing through engaging activities and valuable resources. Each year focuses on a different theme, providing schools with opportunities to foster open discussions about mental health and create supportive environments where every child's wellbeing matters. Find out more from Place2Be and access free resources for primary and secondary schools.
Children's Mental Health Week 2025: Dates and theme
Children's Mental Health Week takes place from 3-9 February 2025. This year's theme, 'Know Yourself, Grow Yourself', empowers children and young people to embrace self-awareness and explore what it means to them. The focus is on helping students discover how understanding themselves better can build resilience and support their personal growth.
Children's Mental Health Week 2025: New initiatives and partnerships
Place2Be has partnered with The Walt Disney Company for an exciting collaboration through their Here4You initiative. Using the beloved characters from Pixar's Inside Out 2, schools can access engaging resources that help children explore emotions and develop self-awareness. These specially designed activities make mental health discussions more accessible and relatable for students of all ages. Teachers can find free resources and activities featuring Joy and other Inside Out 2 characters on the Children's Mental Health Week website.
Children's Mental Health Week 2025: Ten essential tips for supporting children and young people
Read the following tips for ideas and strategies for supporting and empowering children and young people in prioritising their mental wellbeing, including links to teaching resources and advice, and external links to helpful children's mental health charity websites and resources.
1. Encourage open communication
Create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings. For practical strategies that support classroom communication, try these tips for handling complex trauma in the classroom or head to www.mentalhealth.org.uk for further information.
2. Foster active listening
Pay attention to students' concerns and validate their emotions by actively listening without judgment. YoungMinds offers helpful tips on 'How to be a good listener' with a mix of advice and practical resources designed for schools and youth workers.
3. Teach emotional literacy
Help students identify and understand their emotions, and provide them with language to express their feelings effectively. For primary school children, these Self-regulation templates are designed to help children identify their emotions and develop self-regulation strategies. ELSA support is a website that provides training aimed at teaching assistants and resources to support the teaching of emotional literacy.
4. Promote self-reflection
Encourage students to reflect on their experiences and emotions, helping them develop self-awareness and self-expression. Laughology provides helpful advice and activities to support students with self-reflection in their 'Mind the Gap' series for supporting mental health after Covid-19.
5. Provide creative outlets
Encourage artistic activities, such as drawing, painting, or writing, to allow students to express themselves creatively. Mindfulness colouring is a good place to start, with colouring templates that can simply be printed and made accessible. Place2Be's Activities from the Art Room also provide some great ideas for students to try in school or at home.
6. Encourage peer support
Foster a sense of community by promoting peer support systems, where students can share and listen to each other's thoughts and experiences. Anna Freud has helpful information on establishing a peer support programme in schools or colleges.
7. Teach assertiveness skills
Empower children to assert their needs and boundaries respectfully, teaching them effective communication and problem-solving skills. Childline has several helpful tips for children and young people for being assertive in different scenarios.
8. Promote inclusion and diversity
Celebrate differences and create an inclusive environment where every child's voice is heard and respected. Explore our collection of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion resources for primary and secondary schools.
9. Offer mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Teach children relaxation exercises, deep breathing techniques, or mindfulness practices to help them manage stress and anxiety. Try these mindfulness activities or read more about practical mindfulness strategies for the classroom.
10. Involve parents and caregivers
Collaborate with parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of mental health and provide resources for supporting children's and young people's mental wellbeing. These simple wellbeing strategies are designed for students but are also helpful for parents and caregivers. For older students, these tips for coping with exam stress are also very useful to share with parents and caregivers.
Remember, by empowering children and young people to express themselves, we can help them develop resilience and nurture their mental health.
