Conker is a wise little Chameleon who used what he initially thought was a disadvantage to his advantage and in doing so taught his siblings to talk about their emotions rather than just changing colour to let the others know how they felt. He showed then that it was good to share your emotions and that by sharing you can also start to feel a little better.

Hannah chose Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens as an ideal setting for the launch and an adventure trail. For children and adults alike, a woodland garden has a calming, restorative effect on the mind. Studies show that the level of the stress hormone, cortisol, is lower when walking in nature. Activities in the woods or parks have been found to reduce the risk of poor mental health. These effects are steadily gaining more recognition. Forest bathing, for example, is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. It is an opportunity to immerse oneself in nature and take in the surroundings through all five senses for better health, happiness and a sense of calm.

Mental health is a one of the many important areas we need to recognise and talk about for the development of our Children. Research carried out in 2017 by the office for national statistics and NHS digital show that about three children in every primary school class has a mental health challenge.

The first step to coping with big feelings is identifying them. Conker and his friends experience lots of different feelings throughout the story. While reading you could ask your child to match the correct Emotion Stone to what they think Conker is feeling. You can then talk to them about why Conker might be feeling this way and if they have ever felt similar. When discussing a child’s own feelings, you can also incorporate the concept that friends and adults might have similar feelings in the same situation. Helping your child to identify feelings in others will also allow them to start developing emotional attunement which is important for emotional intelligence and helps children develop empathy. Her newly released title ‘Conker and the Monkey Trap’ delivers a message about bravery, friendship and kindness with a subtle nod to the importance of connection, teamwork and the 5 steps to mental wellbeing.

About Hannah Peckham

Research by David Whitebread and others into young children’s independent learning found that ​ ‘given the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions, the children were remarkably focused and organised and pursued their own plans and agendas with persistence and sometimes over surprisingly long periods oftime.’ At a time when our children are gaining a sense of self, it is an ideal time to start exploring their feelings and ability to regulate big feelings by identifying emotions in a safe enabling environment.

Hug someone you love(scientifically known to soothe,relax, reducestressand trigger the release of oxytocin).

Emotions don’t come with a guidebook, unfortunately there is no one size fits all model. The best way to know what helps your child is to talk to them and learn together through stories and play. Children tend to openly communicate when they are engrossed in play.

One would be to encourage more DIY book-writing by early years staff, focused on the immediate interests of the children we workwith. It’s certainly a book I’d recommend for your book shelf to have to hand when big feelings come. As I say it’s been so valuable for us as a family while we have been dealing with poorly family members and me needing to spend more time taking care of others giving rise to some separation anxiety and grief.Monday - Friday, 10.30am-11.15am. Group A will be taught by Miss Kavanaghthis week and Group B will be taught by Miss Handley. Children in school will be taught by Miss Whitney. Our focus on Zoom this week is as follows: Find something that comes from nature(being in nature, changing your focus helps to calm and re-regulate). Conker the Chameleon could not have come at a more apt time for us as a family. There have been so many big feelings for us to deal with as adults. Therefore I’m amazed at the resilience shown by Floss over these last couple of months. If you and your family have been affected by loss you may find my post – How to Talk to Children About Death helpful.