Mental Health Activities for Kids: Fun and Engaging Activities to Support Your Child’s Mental Well-being

Introduction

Mental health truly matters, and its importance is not just limited to adults, but can significantly impact a child's overall well-being as well. Across the world, mental health issues among kids have been on the rise because of exposure to so much information on social media and many other such factors. Sometimes a child may feel overstimulated because of academic or extracurricular-related pressure.

In such a scenario it becomes extremely important for parents to help their child regulate emotions and identify their respective needs. Making your child more emotionally and socially secure is also important to transform them into confident adults. Though communication and fostering a positive environment at home can be helpful, many mental health-related games may have a positive impact on a child's overall well-being.

Mental Health Activities for Kids

Here is a list of some very fun and engaging mental health activities for kids that parents may try to integrate into their everyday lives for better regulation of emotions.

• Coloring Books

Coloring books is a great way of unwinding and relaxing one's mind. If a child is experiencing some stressful thoughts and is unable to translate their anxious feelings to somebody else, then art therapy can prove to be extremely beneficial. It helps a child play with vibrant colors and mindfully release all the buildup stress in their body. Since it's a creative art, kids may also learn how to practically live in the moment and experience little joys of life.

• Listening Music

Music can have a significant impact on a child's mood and emotions. Listening to a cheerful song can instantly brighten up one's mood and make them feel better. Making kids exposed to age-appropriate music. That's also highly motivating and may help in combating early signs of depression. It's one activity that can benefit kids of different age groups and provide them with extra support during their hard times.

• Being Active

Being active refers to indulging in any kind of physical exercise which can be in the form of playing a sport, going to the gym, or simply going for an evening walk. Exercising leads to the release of dopamine and serotonin. Both these hormones may have a significant impact on a child's mood and make them feel happier. Some kids may also enjoy regular workouts in the form of dance or yoga depending upon their preference. Making this a regular practice can also help in making a child more routine-oriented.

• Journaling

Journalling is a very simple activity that can serve as a safe space for a child to translate their fears and feelings without feeling judged. It may also significantly improve a child's ability to articulate themselves. Many kids experience feelings of isolation because of the inability to make someone understand what they're going through. In such a scenario, encouraging your child to journal can serve as a form of catharsis for them.

• Self-Care

Taking care of one's own body and treating it as a gift may have many positive impacts on a child, self-perception and integrity. It may also help in reducing body image issues and anxiety among kids. Parents may encourage the child to indulge in self-care activities such as getting frequent haircuts, wearing clean clothes, dressing up nicely when going out, or other such things that give them pleasure. Parents can also encourage their children to create a checklist of their own about self-care activities that they want to experience. Depending upon your child's age, you may take them for personalized experiences such as hair spa or shopping from time to time.

• Sensory Play

Sensory plays an activity in which children indulge in touching and feeling different things to create or make something of their own. This may include playing with building blocks or molding clay into various forms. Such activities can be extremely comforting for a child and may help them alleviate the symptoms of stress. Craft activities such as making a collage or painting with hands can have a similar impact on a child's mind.

• Cooking

Cooking requires the child to be continuously active and focused, which may help in diverting their attention from negative thoughts. It's also a great activity for parents to understand the thoughts and emotions of their child while cooking food. Additionally, it is a creative way of making a child learn a new skill and also enhance their literacy and numerical abilities.

Conclusion

A kid's mental and emotional well-being can have a significant impact on their academic performance. By adopting child-centric policies at home, parents can tackle mental health issues on a ground level and ensure that the child doesn't suffer from isolation or lack of support. Integrating these activities into a child's everyday life may not only make a child more self-aware but also help them learn effective coping strategies.

References

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8800068/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11276529/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8566759/#:~:text=Many%20of%20these%20studies%20concluded,et%20al.%2C%202018).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342064151_Benefits_of_journal-writing_for_students_in_the_emotionalbehavior_disorders_classroom

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10242844/#:~:text=Exercise%20interventions%20showed%20some%20efficacy,et%20al.%2C%202020).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15176872_Children's_Emotional_Associations_with_Colors