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Save the Children and Peppa Pig Save the Children
A new campaign from Save the Children and Pep pa Pig launched this week is aimed at encouraging mindfulness in young children.
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Timed to coincide with World
Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 October, the month-long campaign includes a virtual kid’s yoga event hosted by children’s yoga expert Michaela Sangl (Friday October 15) and more than 50 learning resources dedicated to teaching young children and their parents and whānau about mindfulness.
Created for Save the Children’s new online Educa�on Hub in partnership with Peppa Pig and Twinkl, the resources include a range of ac�vi�es to encourage mindfulness prac�ces from daily photography challenges to nature walks, stretching and breathing exercises to calming strategies for ECE.
"The impact of Covid has sharpened our awareness of the importance of good mental health for our children," Save the Children’s Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey says.
"All over the world children have been impacted by lockdowns, with growing concerns about rising levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Strategies such as mindfulness provide tools to help children cope be�er when they’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed - and for our
Save the Children
youngest tamariki, we hope that a familiar face like Peppa Pig will help encourage them to join in these ac�vi�es."
The campaign comes at a �me when new analysis by Save the Children, using data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government ResponseTracker, reveals that children globally have lived under required and recommended na�onwide lockdowns for an average of six months - or 184 days since the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020.
Children in Venezuela have faced one of the longest periods at home, with intermi�ent lockdowns keeping children inside for up to 16 months, while in Lebanon, children were confined to their homes for 418 days. Across Zimbabwe, children were in lockdown for nearly nine months this year alone. And currently in New Zealand, children in Auckland are s�ll feeling the impact of lockdown restric�ons.
Save the Children is warning that these extended lockdowns are taking a devasta�ng toll on children’s mental health globally and is urging all governments to include and priori�se access to mental health and psychosocial support for children and adolescents in na�onal health services. Ms Southey says children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, and the ac�vi�es have been designed to be used in both the classroom and home. We hope these fun resources will be valuable in suppor�ng the thousands of Auckland tamariki in Level 3 lockdowns, as well as children aged 3-10 years across New Zealand.
"It’s been a tough �me for many of our youngest children, who haven’t been able to connect with many of the people who are usually part of their lives. We’re delighted to join with our long-term partner Peppa Pig in helping support mindfulness and wellbeing amongst our li�le ones and encourage parents and adults to register for our free virtual storybook yoga event and check out the many resources available on our Educa�on Hub."
Join Save the Children, Peppa Pig and Kidspot New Zealand at our Virtual Storybook Yoga event on October 15 to celebrate the Mindfulness Month.
Visit Save the Children to sign up for Peppa’s Mindfulness Month, access resources and support Save the Children to con�nue their vital work by raising much needed funds.
