A new campaign from Save the Children and Peppa Pig launched this week is aimed at encouraging mindfulness in young
children.
Timed to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 October, the month-long campaign includes a virtual kid’s yoga event hosted by children’s yoga expert Michaela Sangl (Friday October 15) and more than 50 learning resources dedicated to
teaching young children and their parents and whānau about mindfulness.
Created for Save the Children’s new online Education Hub in partnership with Peppa Pig and Twinkl, the resources include a range of activities to encourage mindfulness
practices from daily photography challenges to nature walks, stretching and breathing exercises to calming strategies
for ECE.
"The impact of Covid has sharpened our awareness of the importance of good mental health for our children," Save the
Children’s Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey says.
"All over the world children have been impacted by lockdowns, with growing concerns about rising levels of depression,
anxiety, and loneliness. Strategies such as mindfulness provide tools to help children cope better when they’re feeling
anxious and overwhelmed - and for our youngest tamariki, we hope that a familiar face like Peppa Pig will help encourage
them to join in these activities."
The campaign comes at a time when new analysis by Save the Children, using data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government
ResponseTracker, reveals that children globally have lived under required and recommended nationwide lockdowns for an
average of six months - or 184 days since the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020.
Children in Venezuela have faced one of the longest periods at home, with intermittent lockdowns keeping children inside
for up to 16 months, while in Lebanon, children were confined to their homes for 418 days. Across Zimbabwe, children
were in lockdown for nearly nine months this year alone. And currently in New Zealand, children in Auckland are still
feeling the impact of lockdown restrictions.
Save the Children is warning that these extended lockdowns are taking a devastating toll on children’s mental health
globally and is urging all governments to include and prioritise access to mental health and psychosocial support for
children and adolescents in national health services.
Ms Southey says children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, and the activities have been designed to be used in
both the classroom and home. We hope these fun resources will be valuable in supporting the thousands of Auckland
tamariki in Level 3 lockdowns, as well as children aged 3-10 years across New Zealand.
"It’s been a tough time for many of our youngest children, who haven’t been able to connect with many of the people who
are usually part of their lives. We’re delighted to join with our long-term partner Peppa Pig in helping support
mindfulness and wellbeing amongst our little ones and encourage parents and adults to register for our free virtual
storybook yoga event and check out the many resources available on our Education Hub."
Join Save the Children, Peppa Pig and Kidspot New Zealand at our Virtual Storybook Yoga event on October 15 to celebrate the Mindfulness Month.
Visit Save the Children to sign up for Peppa’s Mindfulness Month, access resources and support Save the Children to continue their vital work
by raising much needed funds.
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with
children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Indonesia,
Thailand, and Mozambique. Areas of work include education and literacy, disaster risk reduction, and alleviating child
poverty.
About Peppa Pig:
With over 1000 licensees around the world, Peppa Pig is a top performing global preschool character that has been
translated into over 40 languages and broadcast in over 180 territories. The TV series follows Peppa Pig, a cheeky
little piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include
playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. With 3 BAFTA Awards for pre-school animation and a
pipeline of new episodes delivering fresh content through to the end of 2021, the global phenomenon continues to look
bright for the world’s most popular little piggy.About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to making the world a better place for all
children, fans and families. Hasbro delivers immersive brand experiences for global audiences through consumer products,
including toys and games; entertainment through eOne, its independent studio; and gaming, led by the team at Wizards of
the Coast, an award-winning developer of tabletop and digital games best known for fantasy franchises MAGIC: THE
GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.
The company’s unparalleled portfolio of approximately 1,500 brands includes MAGIC: THE GATHERING, NERF, MY LITTLE PONY,
TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, POWER RANGERS, PEPPA PIG and PJ MASKS, as well as premier partner brands. For the past decade, Hasbro has been
consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by
3BL Media and one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute. Important business and brand updates
are routinely shared on our Investor Relations website, Newsroom and social channels (@Hasbro on Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn.)