Our mission at stormbreak is to embed mentally healthy movement for every child, every day.

At stormbreak we believe that;

• Children are happier and healthier when they move more
• Children and their trusted adults are happier and healthier when they interact together through movement
• Movement improves children’s wellbeing and provides vital opportunities for them to develop emotional and physical life skills.

At the core of this, we try and reduce the stigma around mental health by enabling everyday conversations whilst engaging in movement. We aim to encourage children to talk openly about their own and others’ emotions with trusted adults and their peers and to explore how movement can shape and support their mental health now and in the future.

It’s not just us…

There is growing empirical evidence about the impact of children’s mental health on their long term outcomes and the benefit of movement on mental health as our stormbreak educational lead Dr Victoria Randall tells us.

What is a stormbreak?

Each stormbreak is a mentally healthy movement opportunity that is carefully and purposefully planned and focuses on one of our core mental health concepts; 

Resilience, Relationships, Self-care, Self-worth and Hope & Optimism. 

Each stormbreak allows for simple and inclusive movements through a range of movement experiences inside or outside, connecting with nature, free play movements, mindful movements, running movements and each one encourages discussion and communication about our emotions, feelings and wellbeing and highlights skills and strategies to help support us being mentally healthy and well.

It's not just us...

Leading education, children and young people's mental health advisor Mike Armiger shares his thoughts on the importance of movement for mental health.

Our mental health concepts

We have five mental health concepts and these are embedded at the core of each stormbreak to enable children to gain an understanding about each of these concepts respectively and to gain opportunities to develop skills and strategies to help them throughout life. 

It's not just us...

General Practitioner, Dr Helen Montgomery talks about movement and mental health.

Resilience 

How we develop inner strength and courage and the ability to keep trying and ‘bounce back’ from difficult situations.

Relationships

The connections we have with the people around us that help us to feel special and safe.

Self-care

How we look after our mental and physical health, notice our feelings and how we make choices about ways to take care of ourselves.

Self-worth

How we feel about ourselves inside, knowing we are important and that we matter.

Hope and Optimism

Helps us to see that things can change and that we can believe in our potential now and in the future.

We hope you enjoy support the children you live or work with to participate in stormbreak. 

It's not just us...

Hear from a parent and daughter about their stormbreak experience.

In our next series of blog’s, we’ll be explaining more about the importance of these areas of mental health and how you can support children you live or work with.