This is a set of 25 activity cards for children that can be printed and used to increase the well-being of children through relevant exercises. They can be used with a single child or a group of children but always supervised by an adult. Regular use of the exercises will help children to relax, self-regulate and boost their inner resources.
Before and after doing an exercise with a child or a group of children, it is recommended to let the children ‘check in’. Ask them to say one word that describes how they feel and one word that describes how their body feels as they begin and end the exercise. This will increase their awareness of the effects of the different exercises.
When working with groups of children, the adult can also allow time to share experiences. Let everyone say a few words about how they feel. This will build their vocabulary, knowledge and familiarity with the exercises.
Test the exercise before instructing others, so the instructions come naturally: Speak in a normal tone of voice, give adequate pauses, and provide time to discuss the effects and reflections afterwards. Use the cards as an inspiration and feel free to improvise and adapt to context.
You can download a PDF version of the cards above (botton to the left under the picture), or if you want to access the Indesign files and print the box and the cards please find them through this link
The calendar is authored by Director of the MHPSS Hub, Sarah Harrison. The layout was done by Senior Communication Officer for the MHPSS Hub, Jesper Guhle. And the 12 original illustrations were done by Ali Yousef. We thank Koen Sevenants and Ea Suzanne Akasha for their peer review.
