Tots to Teens: Lap and Chat campaign is back on track

Workshops aim to help young people to look after their mental health

McNutt's Thriving Junior Gift Box.

Childline's Lap and Chat campaign returns this month, aiming to help young people look after their mental health through peer-to-peer connections.

It’s simple for schools to get involved. Teachers sign up at exa.mn/lap-and-chat and are sent resources to deliver a wellbeing workshop. This workshop is designed to encourage students to reflect on any worries or stresses they may be feeling.

After that, they are teamed up with a buddy and encouraged to walk a few laps of the schoolyard, grounds, or local area, sharing their troubles as they go. Once they return to the school, each student is then given a reflection workbook to explore their thoughts and feelings a little more.

The campaign runs in March, and you get more details at ispcc.ie.

Handmade kids shampoo

Janni Kids shampoo and bodywash bar.

Make bathtime fun with these colourful children’s shampoo and bodywash bars from jannibars.com. Handmade by Janni Sjostrand in Kildare, they are specially formulated for children and designed for sustainability.

The bars are made with natural ingredients and free from harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances and palm oil. Their ingredients make them ideal for sensitive skin.

Sjostrand started making these bars and other soaps to reduce waste. Instead of the plastic bottles typically used for shampoo and body wash, her bars come in minimal, eco-friendly packaging and can be stored by the bath or in the shower until needed to wash children clean.

They cost €13.50 and can be purchased from jannibars.com.

‘The Vanished Girl’

Young readers who enjoy the likes of Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers may also like The Vanished Girl by Natasha Mac A’ Bháird.

This is the second in her Sycamore Hill Mystery series, and it’s set in a Donegal boarding school. It’s 1963, and friends Clare, Rose, and Molly are looking forward to another school year. A new girl called Amy joins their class in the middle of term and is mysterious about where she comes from. A new nun then joins the staff and seems to be spying on Amy. Cue the friends using their detective skills to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

The Vanished Girl is aimed at nine to 13-year-olds and costs €9.99.

Thriving Juniors Gift Box

Little ones often feel left out when a new baby is welcomed into the family. Everyone brings presents for the new arrival and older brothers and sisters can be forgotten about.

This Thriving Juniors Gift Box from mcnuttofdonegal.com is a lovely way to make them feel included. It contains a children’s blanket, a lambswool scarf, a book for bedtime reading, and a gift card — all compiled in a gift box for €95.

St Patrick’s Day festivities

All sorts of free family-friendly events are taking place across the country to celebrate our patron saint this weekend. Cork City’s St Patrick’s Day Festival runs from March 13-17 and includes a hunt for sneaky snakes in Elizabeth Fort, a night market of stalls and entertainment on Cornmarket Street on March 13, and traditional street games in Bishop Lucey Park on March 14. The five days of celebration will culminate in the parade at 1pm on March 17. For more details, visit exa.mn/Cork-St-Patricks-Festival.

Kilkenny City will host four days of fun. Some 80 events will take place in the city from March 14 to 17, including workshops in which kids learn how to be a knight at the Medieval Museum and The Big Dig, in which staff from the Irish School of Archaeology show children how to unearth hidden historical treasures.

There will also be walking tours, clown shows, science experiments, and a festival market complete with carnival rides, a big wheel, face painting, and street performers. Tuesday’s parade will also feature these performers alongside dancers, puppeteers and community groups.

See stpatricksfestivalkilkenny.com for more information.