We are excited to be introducing the ‘Trick Box’ programme to our school. The programme focuses on the 4 Cs: confidence, calm, communication and creativity.
The intention of Trick Box is to help children to develop happy and healthy habits early in their lives. These habits include to:
- Recognise and self-manage emotions
- Develop mindful awareness around body and mind connections
- Build awareness and choices
- Create confident, mindful decision making
- Set and achieve positive goals
- Develop communication skills to enhance interpersonal relationships
- Problem solve and create solution thinking
- Build confidence to try new things in new ways
- Develop positive mindset building long-term resilience
This year there are six tricks that we will use with the children. It is intended that we will focus on one trick for each half term. Each trick focuses on the character Drew and his dog Doodle. We have story books, trick cards and a Trick Box display. Each new trick will be added to the display and referred to through the year.
The model that Trick Box uses teaches children the following:
Accept – This is what is going on. This is how I feel.
Be – I want to be better
Choose – What can I choose to do?
Do – Do it!
As adults, we will support the child by asking:
Accept – What’s going on? So, this is what’s going on. How does that make you feel? So this is how you feel.
Be – You want it to be better – How could it be better?
Choose – What can you choose to do?
Do – Now do it!
The tricks we will be focusing on this year are:
Mirror Mirror – You’re Great!
Stand Tall
Breathing Colour
Floating Cloud
Win-Win
Free Flow
Autumn 1 – Mirror Mirror
This develops children’s confidence as they practise saying something positive about themselves in front of a mirror (or a pretend mirror!) As we get older, we often find saying nice things about ourselves a bit awkward and embarrassing, but it’s so important that we can find something we like about ourselves, or something we think we are good at. Why don’t you try it yourselves at home too as a family?
We are learning to say “I’m great” and think about some of the things that make us great.
Autumn 2 – Stand Tall
This trick teaches the children to recognise the power of body language in themselves and in others. When we are feeling worried, upset or anxious about something, our bodies can express this in certain ways. But when we feel confident, we show this by having a strong core and by ‘standing tall.’ Actively trying to adjust our posture and stand tall, even when we’re not feeling this way, can have a positive impact on the way we feel. Try it yourselves at home; “shoulders back, head up and stand tall!”
We are learning that sometimes we get a funny feeling in our tummies when we feel worried, nervous or scared. This is called ‘butterflies’. When this happens we can Stand Tall and say “I can do it”. This will help us to do things we find difficult.
Spring 1 – Breathing Colour
How we breathe affects our emotional and physical state. Breathing Colour helps us to achieve a calmer and more relaxed state. This trick teaches the children to recognise the emotion they are feeling and that the way they breathe can help change how they feel. The children are encouraged to choose a colour for the feeling they want to change. They then breathe this colour out. They also chose a colour for the feeling they would like instead and breathe that colour in. Breathe in, breathe out.