As part of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, we decided to try something a little different to engage students: a scavenger hunt across our school grounds.
The idea was to introduce students to numerous ideas related to wellbeing and mental health while also teaching them teamwork and collaboration, and encouraging conversations between one another on these concepts.
To that end, students were split into teams of up to four and given a series of tasks they had to complete during breaktimes:
- Letter find: students searched for hidden letters that needed to be unscrambled to reveal a positive mental health phrase, which was “know yourself, grow yourself” – the theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week.
- Mindful moments: at each step, participants paused to practise mindfulness techniques, helping them focus and relax while learning more about mental health care. Each moment had a how-to guide, which also provided information on why practising mindfulness is beneficial.
- Prizes and surprises: as a reward for completing the scavenger hunt, there were prizes that celebrated the progress made in promoting mental wellbeing. Students received a reward on completion and after telling us something they had learned from the hunt.
Clues were hidden all over the school site – including in the canteen, under the stairs leading up to sixth form, at the reception hatch and in the library – and we had a staff member available to provide help if needed.
Collaboration across year groups
The event was organised by our operational mental health lead who made up the hunt herself using tips and tricks from the mental health charities YoungMinds and Mind, as well as images of characters from the film Inside Out to help students relate to the topic.
The activity will run three times over Children’s Mental Health Week, and so far more than 20 children have taken part fully with others sharing with peers where they have seen the letters.
It has been great to see the children in the social skills room give participating teams tips and clues as to where the letters are. “I really loved the opportunity to work with older students and show our school value of courage to talk about a difficult subject in a fun way,” one student commented.
Lessons for next year
Overall, the scavenger hunt offered students the perfect opportunity to learn about mental health in an approachable and interactive way.
Based on the success we have seen I would happily do this again next year. However, I would look to advertise it earlier to all students to help drive involvement even further.
Those who have already completed the hunt have really enjoyed it and have told me different things they have learned about how to look after their mental health.
By engaging in activities that promoted self-care and mindfulness, participants not only gained vital coping strategies but also became more aware of the need to support each other’s emotional wellbeing.
It was a great event that helped us all to build a healthier, more supportive community together.
Tracy Stephenson is headteacher of Tor Bridge High, part of the Ted Wragg Trust