The national lockdown means that millions of children across the United Kingdom are homeschooling once more and many parents are struggling with children experiencing restlessness due to a lack of healthy social interaction.
In response, The Lowry has launched a new timetable of free creative activities for children and adults to enjoy from home during the new national lockdown to help with wellbeing.
The creativity and wellness timetable includes a wide range of activities including Yoga and Mindfulness for children run by Jess Wilkinson from ‘The Sea Within’. The classes take place every Thursday at 12.30pm for 30 minutes.
Jess Wilkinson launched ‘The Sea Within’ in 2018, after leaving her job as a full-time teacher of Art and Textiles at a Secondary School. Jess trained in teaching children’s meditation and yoga and shortly after set up ‘The Sea Within’ and began teaching classes locally.
Jess’ passion for mindfulness and wellbeing was spurred on by her time teaching in a Secondary School as she became increasingly aware of the need for more well-being services for children, after working with many young people who were under pressure and suffering from mental health issues.
The zoom classes utilize sensory sounds, shapes and stories to provide a well needed interactive break for families homeschooling. The classes can be easily fit into school schedules as they are only 30 minutes in duration.
Jess Wilkinson says: “I developed my own way of combining art and creativity with mindfulness, which seems to work really well as not all children like to sit still! It’s good for them to have a focus and an outlet for their feelings and emotions. I find that a cosy guided meditation at the end of a yoga lesson can leave the children feeling very relaxed and ready to face the rest of the day…or go to bed!
The innovative blended approach of mindfulness and yoga is more well suited for active younger children over zoom as Jess says: “Children naturally enjoy moving their bodies and find it easier to engage with the quiet, mindful moments if there is a story or adventure tied into the learning.
The Lowry’s timetable of creative activities provides support for positive mental health in lockdown for all in the community. Jess from ‘The Sea Within’ said accessibility is really important and “I try to split my time teaching classes for a range of children from different demographics. I look for partnerships with organisations and individuals that share this same ethos as me, so I was really pleased when The Lowry asked me to be part of this new creative well-being program as all the activities are free to local families.
The yoga and mindfulness classes are aimed at children ages 5-11 and provide a safe space for “A fun, imaginative and relaxing time in which they will learn a bit more about themselves and leave feeling calm and happy.
Book a free ticket via The Lowry Box office & you will be sent a Zoom link the day before.
Each activity will run on the same day and time each week for at least the next five weeks to enable those home-schooling to factor events into daily lesson plans. Events will be delivered on Zoom or livestreamed on Facebook.
The list of confirmed events provided by The Lowry are:
- Under 7’s Dance Yourself Happy: Every Tuesday at 9.30am for 30 minutes.
- Colour and Craft: Every Wednesday at 12.30 for 30 minutes.
- LS Lowry inspired drawing: Every Wednesday at 6.30pm for 2 hours.
- The Sea Within: Yoga & Mindfulness for children: Every Thursday at 12.30 for 30 minutes.
- Creative writing & poetry: Every Thursday at 6.30pm for 2 hours.
- Walkeoke: Every Friday at 11am for 45 minutes.
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