Back-to-school season can put anybody in a flap. Help the kids in your life stay grounded with two powerful tools that are always within reach: nature (yes, even in the city!) and creativity.
Spending time outdoors helps kids feel more connected to the world they live in. Creative activities let them express themselves, use their imaginations, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Here are some simple ways to bring both into your back-to-school schedule.
Listen to “Can You Sing with Em Beihold”
Singer-songwriter and friend of Future Chicken Em Beihold knows a lot about using creativity to process emotions and support her own mental health. Hear her tips about staying mentally healthy on the Future Chicken Squawkarama Podcast.
Wander and Wonder
Today, kids’ lives are more highly scheduled than they’ve ever been before. Help them practice making their own decisions in an unstructured situation.
Visit a backyard, schoolyard, park, trail, or neighbourhood sidewalk where your kids can take the lead and explore whatever catches their attention. For the best effect on mood, model curiosity and awe: Aren’t the veins on this leaf incredible? I wonder what that squirrel is doing. Where do you think this water is running to?
Take a Worry Walk
Sometimes, talking about worries while sitting face-to-face can feel like a lot. Try taking a walk together instead.
As you walk, invite your child to share one thing they’re looking forward to and one thing they’re wondering or worrying about. You can even give each worry a silly nature-themed name: Is it a tiny ant-sized worry or a giant whale-sized worry?
Start a Sit Spot Practice
Building rituals is a fantastic way to make transitions easier. Find a spot outdoors that you can visit again and again throughout the seasons. Begin a sit spot routine, a simple, mindful practice that helps kids (and adults!) build a relationship with nature. Learn more in our Sit Spot Learn resource.
Draw Your Summer
Invite your child to draw, paint, or collage one summer memory that means a lot to them. It could be a big event or something tiny, like that time you found some cool rocks together. Ask them to tell you what they want to remember about this moment.
Build a Feelings Soundtrack
Pick a few emotions your child might experience during the transition back to school—excited, nervous, curious, tired, happy, etc. Together, choose a song to represent each emotion. Encourage your child to play their emotions songs when their feelings get big.
Colour-Hunt Collage
Choose a colour and head outside to see how many things you can find in that colour. Collect samples where possible (e.g., leaves, petals, acorn caps, etc.). Back home, use them to create a collage.
Make a Nature Mandala
Find a clear, safe outdoor spot and gather a few fallen natural materials such as leaves, twigs, stones, or pinecones. Arrange them into a circular pattern, noticing the colours, textures, shapes, and patterns as you work. When you’re finished, leave your creation where you found it and let nature take it from there.
Creative time and outdoor time can both turn scrambled emotions sunny side up. But there are also lots of practical ways to gear up for the new school year. Try this list of back-to-school tips from Kids Help Phone. And look for those moments of calm, curiosity and connection that kids will carry with them into their busiest school days.
