ROAR / Mental Health

At Ellergreen Nursery School and Childcare Centre we are promoting the Health and Well-Being of children as we understand that a healthy body and mind will enable the child to reach their full potential to become a lifelong learner. 

Mental health is how we feel, how we think and how we behave. At Ellergreen Nursery School and Childcare Centre we recognise that all children and adults need the foundation of positive mental health to benefit fully from all of the opportunities available to them.

The Colour Monster

The children have all listened to the story ‘The Colour Monster’ by Anna Llenas. It is a Story about a Colour Monster who is a mix of colours. His friend, a little girl, takes him through each colour to help him understand how he is feeling.

We have used the idea in the story to help the children with their emotional development. There are large colour monster displays containing pictures and words in each classroom so the children can add their name card to the emotion they are feeling. At a point during the day, an adult will offer to discuss how the child is feeling, particularly if the emotion is a negative one.  

The displays give children the language to help them describe and express how they are feeling which is such an important part of their emotional development.

Rainbows Bereavement Support GB programmes provide an emotionally safe environment for children and young people to guide them through grieving a significant and often devastating loss, resulting from the impact of a death, relationship breakdown or other serious change in their lives.

Rainbows Programmes provide a safe setting for children and young people to talk through their feelings with others who are experiencing similar situations. They are helped to articulate their feelings by a trained adult facilitator whom they know and trust. Confidentiality, which is at the heart of all Rainbows Programmes, is kept at all times unless a child or young person is at risk, in which case the school’s safeguarding procedures are followed.

For further information please click on the link below:

https://rainbowsgb.org/

What are feelings?

Feelings are very important, and they are a part of everyone.

There are lots of different types of feelings. Sometimes we feel happy and sometimes we feel sad. These are just two examples of our feelings.

Watch the video and find out how why Pip upset Declan, and learn lots more about different types of feelings.

Please click on the link below:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zms6jhv/articles/zvpbscw

Sometimes we can all feel angry, sad or lonely. If you are feeling any of those things, it’s important to recognise that.

There are many different ways of coping with these feelings that can help you.

Watch the video as Pip and Declan discover some of the best ways to deal with feelings.

Click on the link below:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zms6jhv/articles/zkgdcqt

Ralph the Resilient and the Resili-ANTS.  These characters will help the children to develop resilience and determination skills, helping them to dig deeper and over come a range of barriers and make progress in their learning, attitudes and behavior.

The characters play a part in the ROAR Response in building resilience in children. This doesn’t have to be ground breaking, but will come from small everyday things adults can do at home or in school with the children. Children experiencing high risk factors towards their mental health are likely to need more support building their resilience. 

These feelings monster stick puppets are a fun way to encourage children to develop an understanding of feelings and emotions.
Each monster represents a different feeling, such as happy, sad, anger, fear or love. Encourage children to talk about how they think each monster is feeling and why. 

Children can also decorate and make their own feelings monster stick puppets by colouring the monster characters, cutting them out and fastening them onto lolly sticks.

The completed stick puppets are ideal to encourage children to create their own stories and talk about how the monsters are feeling.

Resources for supporting understanding and anxiety around Coronavirus