Connect with Nature – School Pack

Connecting with nature in a great way you can help young people improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing.

Our ‘Mental Health in the Pandemic’ study found that going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us said that being in green spaces was vital for looking after our mental health.

Over the past year, I have learned how important it is to connect with the natural world around us… Whenever I feel stressed about school, I now decide to go on a walk to reconnect with myself… It has made me appreciate the simpler things, such as the flowers and the noise of birds singing, and their power to make me feel calmer.

Peer Educator - Peer Education Project

The Mental Health Foundation’s Peer Education Project is a Secondary School-based project that gives older pupils the tools to deliver mental health lessons to younger pupils.

The project has worked with pupils and staff from participating Secondary Schools to create the Connect with Nature School Pack, which is available for all schools across the UK.

This school pack will provide the materials and resources needed to support pupils to connect with nature in a meaningful way. The pack is designed to be used in secondary schools, but it also has lots of useful information for primary schools. It's available in English and Welsh.

The pack includes:

  • A lesson plan with PowerPoint slides and a script, as well as accompanying worksheets that have the option for greater individual pupil engagement on the topic
  • An assembly plan with PowerPoint slides and script to support the development of a whole-school approach to nature and mental health
  • Helpful guides for pupils, school staff, and parents/caregivers on why connecting with nature is good for our mental health and wellbeing, as well as top tips on connecting with nature in a meaningful way, together with useful resources.

Register for our pack

This pack is available for all schools (free of charge).

We’d encourage all schools to use this pack to support our charitable work by making a suggested £5 donation.

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