Year 1 were the lucky particpants in a wonderful interactive experience with OpenView Education today. Through theatre and puppetry the children received some really useful advice about how they could protect their own emotional wellbeing and overcome their worries.

Phillip the puppet was a worrier and often had that anxious feeling of butterflies in his tummy. During a journey to the ‘Wellbeing Jungle’ he met a selection of very wise animals who gave him some helpful tips and strategies to overcome this.

The Calm Crocodile taught him to ‘sleep well to feel good’. The children discussed calming bedtime routines that would help to ensure that they had a good quality sleep so that their mind was well-rested to face the challenges of the next day.

Next, Phillip met the Chatty Parrot. She taught him a very important phrase and encouraged him to use it at every opportunity, ‘Please can I talk to you about how I am feeling?’ Year 1 students discussed who they could trust to discuss their problems and worries with and everybody said that they could use this phrase as a conversation starter.

Finally, Soothing Monkey introduced himself to Phillip. Soothing Monkey explained that a great strategy for dealing with worries was to take five big breaths. On doing so, if you trace around your five open fingers, breathing in on the way up and breathing out on the way down, it gives the mind a physical action to focus on and helps to make you feel calm and relaxed sooner. What a great tip!

Wow, Year 1 learnt so much in the Wellbeing Jungle. Can we visit there again soon?