Using Imagination, Mindful Play and Creative Thinking to Support Wellbeing and Resilience in Children: (Helping Children to Build Wellbeing and Resilience)

Forms part of JKP's 'Helping Children to Improve Wellbeing and Resilience' series Using a model of 'mindfulness play' to help children to achieve wellbeing, this book encourages children to build awareness of their inner and outer worlds. This multidimensional approach, designed and developed by an experienced speech and language therapist, centres on the importance of play activities to build psychological, emotional and social wellbeing and looks into the pivotal role adults play in supporting a child's self-esteem. By promoting the growth of self-esteem in different areas of a child's life, the book shows how adults help children to establish a firm basis of wellbeing from which they can flourish. The accompanying activity booklets that demonstrate the practical application of this approach are: · Helping Children to Manage Transitions · Helping Children to Manage Stress · Helping Children to Manage Friendships · Helping Children to Manage Anger · Helping Children to Build Self-Confidence · Helping Children to Build their Communication Skills The strategies in this ebook guide show how imagination, mindfulness and creativity can enhance our daily interactions with children, and the activity books encourage children to build life skills through structured experiences and through experimenting with different ways of thinking and 'being'.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements; I Wellbeing and the IMPACT approach; 1. The IMPACT philosophy; 2. Wellbeing and resilience; 3. Wellbeing and healthy self-esteem; 4. The foundation elements for wellbeing; II IMPACT basics; 5. Making experience count; 6. A child-centred, mindful approach; 7. Helping children to be mindful; 8. Imagination and image-making; 9. Constructive use of the imagination and imagery; 10. Mindful play and playing games; III Providing a mindful environment for wellbeing; 11. Mindful communication; 12. Adapting activities; 13. Mindful praise and appreciation; IV. IMPACT in action; 14. Group structures for playing IMPACT games; 15. Sample outline for a using a single IMPACT activity; 16. Morag; V Extending IMPACT activities; 17. Image-making and wellbeing stories; 18. Helping children to create their own wellbeing stories; 19. Using puppets; 20. Using the activity books; Appendix A; Mindful breathing; Body focus; Appendix B; Spaceship to the stars; Appendix C; Templates for drawing and writing activities; Subject index

About the Author :
Deborah M. Plummer has over 30 years' experience of facilitating groups and working individually with both children and adults. Formerly a clinical lead therapist working within the NHS, she also has extensive experience as a senior lecturer in aspects of health psychology and counselling. She ran workshops and short courses on the uses of imagery, games and story-telling in the promotion of well-being. Deborah is now retired.

Review :
Imagine you have read this book, and have gained all you could possibly hope for from it, in developing your creativity and ability to use your imagination, in mindful ways, in the service of the children you support. Close your eyes and savour the feeling and sense of this, and you'll have had a glimpse of what reading and using this wonderful book, packed with ideas and activities, will be like. Enjoy!