Celebrating Self-Care
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and here in Year 5 we’ve embraced it wholeheartedly with a series of calming, mindful, and joyful Stormbreak activities – all designed to help us tune into our feelings, connect with others, and take a little time for ourselves…
We kicked things off on Monday with a Stormbreak led by Mrs. Murray called ‘Monkey Mind’. In this thoughtful activity, the children explored what it means to recognise feelings—not just in themselves, but in others too. We practiced pausing, taking a breath, and ‘anchoring’ ourselves in the moment. It was a powerful reminder of how important it is to check in with our emotions and those of the people around us.
But that was just the beginning! This afternoon, we didn’t stop at one Stormbreak – we did two!
Our first was Cloud Faces. The idea was simple: lie back, relax, and gaze up at the clouds to see what shapes we could find. The twist? There weren’t any clouds! But that didn’t stop us. Instead, we focused on our sense of hearing. The children lay quietly and reported back on what they noticed: birds chirping, insects scuttling, distant traffic humming, and even the gentle pitter-patter of footsteps nearby. It was a beautiful exercise in mindful listening, and the children were totally immersed in the experience.
To wrap up our self-care afternoon, we headed outside for a Nature Scavenger Hunt! In teams of four, the children used natural materials—sticks, leaves, stones, and more—to create pictures. I was absolutely blown away by their imagination, collaboration, and creativity. Each team approached the task with enthusiasm and a fantastic spirit of teamwork. The final artworks were stunning, and the children were rightfully proud of what they’d achieved together.
At the end of the day, with all the busyness of school life, it felt so refreshing to slow down, breathe deeply, and just be. Stormbreak reminded us that self-care isn’t just about bubble baths and quiet time (though those are nice too!)—it’s about noticing, connecting, and being kind to ourselves and each other.
Nature is amazing. Our Year 5s are amazing. And this Mental Health Awareness Week, we’ve truly celebrated both.
— Tom