School resources
“Childhood and adolescence are critical stages of life for mental health. This is a time when rapid growth and development take place in the brain. Children and adolescents acquire cognitive and social-emotional skills that shape their future mental health and are important for assuming adult roles in society.” – WHO
Imagine if all children were taught about mental health from a young age – how to cope with big emotions, what helps make us feel good and the importance of taking time to engage in these activities, and what to do when times are tough.
Mental health promotion is all about creating environments that promote and sustain positive mental health for everyone. That’s where you can come in. The school, and the classroom teacher, are key to promoting the mental health of children.
We know mental health can be a tricky subject and to help ensure teachers have the right materials to suit the needs of children in their classroom we have partnered with Twinkl to create a range of free resources, which are linked below. The hope is that these resources will open up discussions about mental health and help children learn how to express their feelings and act on those emotions in a positive way, seeking support when needed. Twinkl provides high-quality, trusted educational materials, which are all teacher-created and checked and are aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
If you are interested in getting involved in QMHW, you may also like to browse our general community resources and the range of other mental health resources and links that we have compiled below.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day / QMHW Display Pack
Decorate your classroom for QMHW, which is inclusive of World Mental Health Day! This display pack produced by Twinkl features a number of decorative and informative resources, including:
– World Mental Health Day banner
– Queensland Mental Health Week banner
– Awareness, Connection, Belonging banner
– Themed alphabet bunting to create the exact bunting you need
– Themed editable sign
– Awareness Poster
– Belonging Poster
– Connection Poster
– Artist Profile – Leah Cummins, artist behind the QMHW artwork for 2022
Twinkl resource – Collaborative colouring project
Support the development of collaboration and creativity with your students while creating a unique and beautiful class artwork. This artwork designed by proud Mayi woman Leah Cummins for Queensland Mental Health Week is a wonderful way to celebrate World Mental Health Day with your students.
Twinkl resource – My Connections Mental Health Survey and Reflection Booklet (K-2)
This booklet is a great way to get your students talking about their own mental health, their friends’ mental health and their families’ mental health too! This booklet starts with an overview and exploration of the beautiful artwork used to visually represent Queensland Mental Health Week by Leah Cummins.
Twinkl resource – My Connections Mental Health Survey and Reflection Booklet (3-6)
This booklet is a great way to get your students talking about their own mental health, their friends’ mental health and their families’ mental health too! This booklet starts with an overview and exploration of the beautiful artwork used to visually represent Queensland Mental Health Week by Leah Cummins. There is a fun cloze passage to keep your students engaged.
Twinkl resource – Interactive Activity Booklet (K-2)
Use this resource to promote good well-being and mental health awareness and support your students’ understanding of this important topic. As students complete each activity, they will explore tasks that will get them thinking and talking about ways to improve their own personal health. Activities include Word Search, Wellbeing Matching Game, I Spy and Count, Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Crossword, Fill the Suitcase, and My Classroom Wellbeing Mascot.
Twinkl resource – Interactive Activity Booklet (3-6)
Use this resource to promote good well-being and mental health awareness and support your students’ understanding of this important topic. As students complete each activity, they will explore tasks that will get them thinking and talking about ways to improve their own personal health. Activities include Word Search, Design a Wellbeing Classroom Mascot, My Mental Health Action Plan, People I can Turn To, The Code Breaker Wellbeing Challenge, How Many Smaller Words: Wellbeing Edition, Where Do I Belong? and Connecting with Someone Special.
Twinkl resource – My Reflective Journal (Younger Learners)
This beautifully illustrated journal is a great way to focus your students on the Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) theme of ‘Awareness, Belonging, Connection’. Each afternoon, the students can take time to reflect on their day, become aware of their feelings and achievements, affirm their sense of belonging in the classroom and school and be encouraged by the connections they have made with others.
Twinkl resource – My Reflective Journal (for older learners)
This beautifully illustrated journal is a great way to focus your students on the Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) theme of ‘Awareness, Belonging, Connection’. Each afternoon, the students can take time to reflect on their day, become aware of their feelings and achievements, affirm their sense of belonging in the classroom and school and be encouraged by the connections they have made with others.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day Art Response (F-2)
Being creative is a wonderful way to maintain and improve mental health. It is also a great way to explore concepts, ideas and themes. This art response activity invites students to respond to the themes of awareness, belonging and connection and explore what these themes mean to them.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day Art Response (3-6)
Being creative is a wonderful way to maintain and improve mental health. It is also a great way to explore concepts, ideas and themes. This art response activity invites students to respond to the themes of awareness, belonging and connection and explore what these themes mean to them.
Twinkl resource – Leah Cummins Artist Profile
This profile is an informative look at Australian artist Leah Cummins. Leah is the artist behind ‘Stronger connection creates strong health’, the artwork that has informed the visual identity for Queensland Mental Health Week in 2022.
Twinkl resource – Queensland Mental Health Week Escape the Room Game (F-2)
This engaging Escape the Room game developed by Twinkl is a wonderful way to foster teamwork and raise awareness about mental health in your classroom. Your students will be immersed in the scenario as they work together to solve eight different puzzles to escape the classroom for the great outdoors!
Twinkl resource – Queensland Mental Health Week Escape the Room Game (3-6)
This engaging Escape the Room game developed by Twinkl is a wonderful way to foster teamwork and raise awareness about mental health in your classroom. Your students will be immersed in the scenario as they work together to solve eight different puzzles to escape the classroom for the great outdoors!
Twinkl resource – Mingle Bingo (K-2)
Use this resource from Twinkl to combine social ‘mingling’ with Bingo and assist students in making and maintaining meaningful positive relationships. This activity is a fun way for children to recognise their similarities with their peers and is a great opportunity to talk about these connections.
Twinkl resource – Mingle Bingo (3-6)
Use this resource from Twinkl to combine social ‘mingling’ with Bingo and assist students in making and maintaining meaningful positive relationships. This activity is a fun way for children to recognise their similarities with their peers and is a great opportunity to talk about these connections.
Twinkl resource – Awareness poster 3-6
This lovely poster by Twinkl explores the theme of mental health awareness – understanding the things we need to maintain and boost our mental wellbeing, knowing when we need to reach out for help and where to get it.
Twinkl resource – Belonging poster 3-6
This lovely poster by Twinkl explores the theme of belonging – looking out for each other, ensuring we feel safe and supported and understanding that however we feel, we’re not alone and that others are going through the same thing.
Twinkl resource – Connection poster 3-6
This lovely poster explores the theme of connection – our relationships with our friends, families and those that we care about, as well as the groups, clubs and networks around us that we rely on to help keep us happy and healthy, wherever we live, work or play.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day Word Search 3-6
This word search produced by Twinkl features key vocabulary relating to World Mental Health Day and specifically Queensland Mental Health Week. The word search provides an opportunity to unpack key vocabularly and explore the three key themes of awareness, belonging and connection with your students.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day Word Search F-2
The word search provides an opportunity to unpack key vocabulary for your students. This word search features key vocabulary related to World Mental Health Day and Queensland Mental Health Week. Explore the three key themes of awareness, belonging and connection with your students.
Twinkl resource – World Mental Health Day Interactive Quiz
This fun interactive quiz is a great way to test student knowledge about World Mental Health Day, and mental health and wellbeing in general. Please note this was created by Twinkl in 2021.
Twinkl resource – Mindfulness Tips and Colouring Booklet
Your students can absorb mindfulness strategies and calm their bodies when colouring in the Mindfulness Tips and Colouring Booklet. Please note this is not part of the QMHW partnership but is provided as a helpful resource.
Twinkl resource – Mental Health Mindfulness Colouring
Use these versatile colouring sheets to help children to forge links between words we use when we talk about positive mental health and feelings of calm and peace. Please note this is not part of the QMHW partnership but is provided as a helpful resource.
Birdie Colouring Book
These images were created in 2020 by Ailsa Walsh and the Townsville Disaster Recovery Mental Health team, in collaboration with Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health and Birdie’s Tree to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
headspace Schools
headspace Schools is a national workforce that supports, engages and partners with education and health sectors across Australia, to build the mental health literacy and capacity of workforces. Learn more and access resources, here.
headspace have centres across Queensland. You can find your local centre here…you may want to invite someone from the centre to talk at your school.
Talking About Mental Illness
This six-part interactive classroom program from Beyond Blue explores the experiences of young people who live with mental illness. Learn more via their website.
Classroom resources by ReachOut.org
This mental health resource by ReachOut includes classroom lessons and Wellbeing Fives. Content has been designed to increase students’ knowledge of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and eating and other disorders.
Go Noodle
Go Noodle is a free online library of fun, short videos that encourage movement and cultivate mindfulness in students. Go Noodle is designed to engage students in using their bodies to energise or calm down in a short time. Visit www.gonoodle.com.
Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind is a web and app-based program designed for children 7 or older, (and anyone beyond). It was designed by psychologists and educators to help develop emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and social awareness skills in children using mindfulness meditation techniques. Visit www.smilingmind.com.au.
Breath Meditation for Kids video
A calming breath meditation designed to introduce kids to mindfulness. Watch YouTube video.
Understanding mental health stigma
This worksheet from PositivePsychology.com can be used in the classroom to discuss what stigma looks like and how to reduce it.
Mental Health Management Bingo
Use this bingo game from PositivePsychology.com in your classroom to support your students by building awareness of mental health at school and in daily life. Mental Health Management Bingo can be a great way to open up discussions on this key element of overall wellbeing.