Children's Mental Health Week 2026
Children’s Mental Health Week, 9th - 15th February, is a time to pause and focus on children’s mental health and wellbeing. This year’s theme, 'This Is My Place', explores how children experience belonging, feeling safe, included, and that they matter.
Thrive’s free Early Years, Primary, and Secondary resource packs offer simple, relational activities and assembly ideas that help educators support emotional safety, belonging, and connection throughout the week.
1 in 6 children are likely to have mental health problems
The importance of prioritising wellbeing
Good mental health in schools is crucial for fostering pupils' healthy development and ensuring regular attendance. It also promotes engagement in learning and helps unlock their full potential.
Holistic development
Children’s mental health and wellbeing support holistic development, helping pupils engage with learning, build resilience, and thrive in school and beyond.
Emotional health
Supporting emotional wellbeing in schools helps children feel safe and confident, strengthening relationships and creating calmer, more connected learning environments.
Academic performance and attendance
Good mental health in schools is closely linked to improved attendance, engagement, and academic performance for children and young people.
Long-term benefits
Prioritising children’s mental health and wellbeing supports positive long-term outcomes, from learning and relationships to life beyond school.
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Children's Mental Health Week FAQs
Children’s Mental Health Week is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of children and young people’s mental health. It’s a chance for schools, early years settings, youth groups, and families across the UK to focus on wellbeing, spark conversations, and encourage children to reflect on their own mental health.
Set up by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be, the week highlights the importance of emotional safety, connection, and support for all children.
Children's Mental Health Week takes place within the first two weeks of February. Schools, youth groups, various organisations and individuals across the UK will be taking part.
To support Children's Mental Health Week, Thrive offers free resource packs for Early Years, Primary, and Secondary schools. Each pack includes low-prep classroom activities, assembly ideas, and practical guidance for supporting emotional safety, belonging, and wellbeing. These can be used in Thrive or non-Thrive settings.
We’re connecting online between 12:00-12.45 GMT on 11th February for the webinar, The Neuroscience of Feeling ‘At Home’: Why mattering supports belonging and wellbeing.
Join Thrive’s Viv Trask-Hall and Laura Nicholson alongside Victoria White, Trust Leader Quality of Education, at The Consortium Academy Trust, as they explore how emotional safety, mattering and relational practice work together to help children feel settled and secure. We’ll unpack the science behind these ideas and link it directly to what educators see in real classrooms.