This Children’s Mental Health Week (1-7 February). Cheshire Wildlife Trust has launched a ‘Wilder Wellbeing’ activity pack to help people connect with nature throughout lockdown.
The pack, which is free to download, is designed to ensure people are taking time to focus on their mental health and recognise how connecting with nature can improve wellbeing. Daily contact with nature is linked to better health, reduced stress levels, reductions in obesity and improved concentration.
A report from The Wildlife Trusts revealed that children’s wellbeing increases after they have spent time connecting with nature, as well as gaining educational and wider personal benefits.
Nigel Doar, The Wildlife Trusts’ Director of Strategy says; "Contact with the wild improves children’s wellbeing, motivation and confidence. Children’s experiences in and around the natural world [leads] to better relationships with teachers and class-mates. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of wildlife in daily life”.
The Wilder Wellbeing pack focuses on the five ways to wellbeing and activities to help wildlife thrive. From how to make a hedgehog home to wildlife yoga, there are activities for people to do at home or outdoors. The pack also offers advice on how to make your work from home day a little wilder!
The activities encourage people of all ages to ‘Express Yourself’ (the theme is this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week), by finding inspiration in nature for crafts, photography and writing.
Katie Greenwood, Natural Wellbeing Project Manager for Cheshire Wildlife Trust says: “Now has never been a better time to connect to nature. With days getting longer and it getting (slightly) warmer we have got a wide range of things for you try to help you de-stress, feel better and connect to nature, give our activity pack a try.”
