National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day - May 9th

On May 9^th, place a piece of green ribbon on your lapel and when asked why you are wearing it share that today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day for the eighth anniversary.  The primary goal of the day or week is to increase the public awareness on the importance of children’s mental health, that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.  To gain more information check out the “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration” website and parents look at “Children’s Mental Health – How to Get Help” to let you know you are not alone. 

Here are some activities that can be done for mental health awareness.

1.      Create feeling faces (draw circles on paper then make feeling face).  Ask the children “feeling” questions like:  “How do you feel right now?” and “How do you feel with (child’s name) did that?” using feeling faces then continue the conversation giving positive ways to respond.

2.      Create a feeling chart, when children enter the room place feeling next to their name.  Throughout the day children can change feelings and adult will know when to intervene, if needed.

3.       Role-play different scenarios that have or could happen in the classroom to discuss feelings and the most ways to handle situations.

4.      Write situation completion cards, where children will fill-in-the-blank.  This gives adults the opportunity to discuss and validate feelings and positive alternation resolutions.

5.      Have children draw pictures and discuss with them what was drawn.

6.      Visit local library are search book for children’s age for mental health

7.      Teach children yoga positions.

8.      Blow bubbles to relieve stress.  Help children to recognize body signs when need to blow bubbles.

9.      Dance! Dance!

National Children Mental Health Awareness is day to seek out age appropriate activities all year to work with children ensuring they have the best and understand ways to handle situations.  Mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of but embrace and research what is best for children.  Remember knowledge is powerful!