Mental health in the early years refers to the emotional wellbeing of young children from birth to five years old. These early years are incredibly important, as they help shape how children understand their feelings, build relationships, and respond to the world around them. Positive experiences during this stage support children in becoming confident, resilient, and emotionally secure learners.
When children feel safe, valued, and supported, they are more likely to develop strong social skills, communicate their needs effectively, and manage challenges positively. On the other hand, difficult experiences or a lack of emotional support can have a lasting impact on a child’s wellbeing and development. This is why creating a nurturing and caring environment in the early years is so important.
At Britannica International School, supporting children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing is at the heart of our practice. We believe strong relationships are key, and we work hard to create warm, positive connections between children, staff, and families. We aim to provide an environment where children feel secure, listened to, and confident to express themselves.
Throughout the day, children are encouraged to talk about their feelings and develop emotional literacy through stories, discussions, role play, and daily interactions. We support children in recognising emotions in themselves and others, helping them to develop empathy, kindness, and an understanding of how their actions can affect those around them.
We also encourage a positive “have-a-go” attitude, helping children to build confidence, resilience, and independence when trying new experiences. Opportunities for creative expression through art, storytelling, imaginative play, and music allow children to communicate their thoughts and emotions in different ways.
Calming strategies and mindfulness activities are incorporated into our routines to help children learn how to regulate their emotions. This may include breathing exercises, quiet reflection spaces, sensory activities, or moments of relaxation throughout the day. These approaches help children develop coping strategies and feel more in control of their emotions.
By prioritising mental health and emotional wellbeing in the early years, we can help children build the foundations they need to thrive both now and in the future. Through nurturing relationships, supportive environments, and meaningful interactions, we aim to ensure every child feels happy, safe, and valued.
Welcome back from the May break! Pre-Nursery children explored Old MacDonald’s farm and discovered lots of animals and plants that can be found there. We continued reviewing numbers up to five, made lots of animal noises, and enjoyed the lovely warm weather by spending plenty of time engaging in water play outdoors. Our song of the week was Old MacDonald Had a Farm, and our story of the week was Spot Goes to the Farm.
This week in Nursery, we had an exciting time reading the story Handa’s Surprise. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the story and taking part in thoughtful discussions about the different events in the book. We talked about the animals secretly taking the fruit without Handa noticing, which the children found very funny! We also explored the meaning of the word “surprise,” which sparked lots of curiosity and imagination. Through the story, the children have been introduced to new descriptive vocabulary such as “delicious” and “spikey.” It has been lovely to hear the children beginning to use these new words naturally during their play and conversations throughout the day.
Reception really enjoyed reading the story Superworm this week, which has continued to spark their growing interest in minibeasts. The children have been identifying rhyming words within the story and enthusiastically joining in with the repetitive phrases. In literacy, we have been writing sentences using the tricky word “the,” and in maths we have been consolidating our understanding of numbers to 20, whilst also having lots of fun counting beyond 20.
