Do these mental well-being activities - there's one for every week and more!
- Have a phone, video or in-person conversation with a person you haven’t spoken to in a while. Ask them how they are. What have they been doing recently? Share what you have been learning about recently and tell them about events in your life.
- Write a letter to a friend, telling them about things that have been going well for you recently. Could you include some photos or draw a picture for them?
- Think of a gift that you could give to somebody. Draw or make something that will make them smile?
- Get some slips of paper and write something nice about a friend on them and then give them to them. Could you make similar ‘compliment slips’ for everyone in your family or your class?
- Make a friendship bracelet using some string, wool, beads and other small items.
- Make a certificate for a friend to celebrate one of their special qualities or achievements.
- Complete a ‘random act of kindness’ by doing something nice for a friend or a stranger anonymously (if possible).
- Write a thank you letter to somebody to show your appreciation for them.
- Drink some water. Keep a record of how much water you are drinking each day.
- Keep a sleep diary over the course of a week to check if you have been getting enough sleep each day. You should aim for 8hrs a night.
- Think about times when you have been brave. How did you overcome your fears? Share your bravery with a family member.
- Write a letter to yourself stating what you wan to achieve by the end of the year. On 31st Dec, look back at your letter. Did you achieve your goals?
- Think about something that might be worrying you at the moment. Make a comic strip in which you overcome those worries. Share your comic strip with someone else.
- Keep a record of your wellbeing each day. Make a note of how you are feeling, things you might be thinking about and things you are looking forward to.
- Give a person in your family a hug! How does it make you feel?
- Ask somebody for help with something that has been troubling you recently.
- Make a ‘Fab File’ to collect work and pictures that you are proud of, certificates that celebrate your achievements and cards from people that you care about. You could then look at it whenever you might be feeling low or sad.
- Make a list of all of the things that you have achieved in the past week / month / year. Think of a way to celebrate your amazing progress!
- Make a list of all of the things that you are grateful for. Could you show these on the petals of a flower drawing or the coloured stripes of a rainbow painting?
- Make a paperchain writing on each strip of paper a kind deed you have done for others.
- Keep a food diary to review the food and drink that you consume each day. Which parts of your diet are the most healthy?
- Think about your favourite meal. Is it linked to a special celebration (e.g. a birthday or a religious event)? Work with others to make a display that shows everyone’s favourite foods at home.
- Learn how to bake or cook something with an adult. Could you make your food product healthier?
- Try star gazing. Look outside at night and search for the stars. Can you make any pictures or patterns with them?
- Make a dream catcher and add small pictures or slips of paper that show your hopes for the future.
- Find out about a charity that is important to you and list ways that you could help to raise money for it.
- Listen to some relaxing sounds (e.g. rainfall, beach sounds, rainforest soundtracks). How do they make you feel? Draw a picture of how they make you think. Youtube has got lots of example sounds.
- Play a game with a friend or family member. This might be a favourite card / board game or a new game that you have never played before. Could you make up your own game too?
- Try some exercise as a family. You could go for a walk, follow a workout or yoga routine or play an active game with your friends.
- Get outside. Go for a walk and try to look for different plants and animals. Could you make a note of which ones you see or draw a picture of some of them?
- Grow some seeds and monitor their growth progress each day. Could you work with others to create a small garden?
- Lay on the ground and look at the clouds. Do you know the names of any of the clouds? Do they look like any pictures or patterns? Could you draw a picture of some of them?
- Try to solve some puzzles with a friend. These could be jigsaws, number puzzles or crosswords.
- Go on a ‘senses walk’. Head to a familiar place (or somewhere completely new) and think of all of the things that you can see, hear, smell and feel list them down as you walk.
- Take some photos of people and things that are important to you. Could you display these in different ways?
- Try using your non-dominant hand to do some everyday tasks, e.g. brushing your teeth, drawing or writing. How does this feel? How does this make you feel about disabled people?
- Find some old toys or other items that could be donated to a charity. How could your donation help others?
- Visit a library or a bookshop and find some new books to enjoy. Read your books to a friend.
- Plan a routine that might help you to relax before bedtime. How does this compare with others’ routines?
- Sit somewhere and breathe slowly, counting each breath in and out. How does it make you feel?
- Dance! Put on your favourite song and dance along.
- Talk about the benefits of being active with your friends. Could you plan a sporting event for everyone to get involved in?
- Have a talent show to share skills and talents that you and your friends have.
- Sing the lyrics to your favourite pop song or simply sing your favourite nursery rhyme to yourself.
- Find some inspirational quotes online and choose one that you like. Could you turn it into a colourful poster?
- Try giving a compliment to somebody every day. How does it make them feel? How does it make you feel?
- Put on some calming music and complete some colouring pages. How does it make you feel?
- Write a story. Use ideas from your favourite stories or the things that are around you right now. You could also try to illustrate it.
- Lie down somewhere quiet and feel your pulse. Can you count the number of beats in one minute?
- Think of something that you could do to help a neighbour. Could you surprise them with a kind action?
- Learn a new skill. Follow some instructions from a book, a parent / teacher or an online video to do this. Could you then teach that skill to somebody else?
- Walk around barefoot in a safe place (check it carefully first!). How does it feel?
- Make a time capsule that includes information about your life today. Which people are most important to you? What are you most grateful for? What are your favourite things? What goals do you have for the future? Keep this somewhere safe and open it in the future. Don’t forget where you put it!
- Learn how to perform some yoga positions. How does doing yoga make you feel?
- Use construction toys, building blocks or junk modelling materials to make something! Could you work with others to make something as a team?
- Laugh! Share some favourite jokes with friends or make up a small joke book.
- Try designing some new clothes. You might be able to draw on an old T-shirt, make a costume out of scrap / recyclable materials or create an outfit for a cuddly toy!
- Read a book. You could choose a book that you haven’t read before, or pick your favourite book and tell a friend all about it.
- Make a paper aeroplane. Make a few planes with some friends and have a competition to see which one flies the furthest.
- Make a scrapbook or a collage to show things that make you smile or things that you are proud of.
