Nature workbook for primary schools launches on World Mental Health Day

To mark World Mental Health Day 2024, we are launching a new nature workbook for primary school students.

As part of our commitment to promoting young people’s mental health and wellbeing, Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) is excited to introduce our Autumn Nature Activity Book for primary school students.

This wellbeing activity book, available as a free download, includes lots of indoor and outdoor activities for primary school students.

It is designed for parents and teachers to use together with primary school children, whether in the classroom or at home.

Sowing the seeds of mindfulness

We have lots of engaging activities in the workbook, including an autumn seed gathering guide. Seed gathering is an easy and free activity, and the autumn months are a great time to collect seeds from the many local trees around.

The seed gathering guide in the workbook is designed to help primary school teachers and parents engage young people in a hands-on activity that connects them with nature, teaches them about our native tree species here in Ireland, and encourages them to work together as friends or classmates to gather and grow their seeds. In schools, this activity can also create a sense of connection between students in different years, as the seedings grow into trees and are passed to a new class group each year to nourish.  

Young people learn in different ways, and so we have designed this activity book with inclusivity in mind. Within this activity booklet, there is a combination of other engaging indoor and outdoor activities, such as a creative writing exercise, a meditation exercise, a fun word search and a leaf-pressing guide. We hope that the combination of activities and experiential learning will prove to have something for everyone.

We hope to see lots of schools and parents across Ireland getting involved in using the workbook with young people and sharing their tree growing journeys and other workbook activities with us! Be sure to tag us in your social media images on Facebook, X or Instagram using #WalkinMyShoes; we would love to see your progress.

Connecting with nature and wellbeing

We developed this activity book to encourage children to spend time outdoors during the school day, or after school, as being outdoors and in nature is beneficial to their mental health and wellbeing.

Some of the ways students can benefit from using this workbook include the below.

• Spending time in nature can help young people to learn to take time out for themselves, and can support them to have space to learn to manage their emotions.
• Being out in nature is a nice break from the pressures of school, daily activities and a busy routine and creates a calming environment which supports positive mental health.
• Getting some sunshine, fresh air and exercise helps to boost our mood, and spending time outdoors and taking movement breaks can help young people to focus and pay attention when back in the classroom.
• Outdoor activities like autumn seed and leaf gathering are great learning opportunities for children outside of the classroom and encourages young people to work together and use their imaginations throughout the process.
• Supporting young people’s connection to nature can enhance their belonging to the world around them and helps them to play their part in looking after the natural world to preserve it for future generations.

Using the activity book

"By adding outdoor activities into the day, parents and teachers can create an environment where young people not only thrive academically, but develop strong connections with the natural world around them"