New mental health toolkit for schools
7th January 2026
With children’s mental health under increasing pressure, The Daily Mile Foundation and SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) have launched a new mental health toolkit to help schools support wellbeing through daily physical activity.
Unveiled at Keir Hardie Memorial Primary School in Motherwell, the toolkit is freely available to primary schools across the UK and around the world. It equips teachers with fun, practical resources based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, helping children build confidence, resilience, and self-esteem in a simple, accessible way.
"Being active is so important for our Mental Health. I welcome this new Mental Health Toolkit and congratulate The Daily Mile and SAMH for producing a resource which I know will be enormously helpful to schools. Initiatives like The Daily Mile give schools practical, immediate ways to support wellbeing every day. By connecting physical activity with mental health, we can help children feel more confident, resilient, and ready to thrive," said Maree Todd, Minister for Drugs & Alcohol Policy and Sport.
The toolkit has been co-created with teachers and pupils to ensure it’s age-appropriate, relevant, and ready to use. It includes simple activities, classroom prompts, and reflection tools that align with existing curriculum goals and support wider school wellbeing efforts.
“The Daily Mile has always been about giving children a simple, fun way to move every day, improving their health and happiness,” said Gordon Banks, Global Director, The Daily Mile Foundation.
“With the launch of our new Mental Health Toolkit, developed in partnership with SAMH, we’re now able to support children not only physically, but emotionally too. By connecting daily activity with the Five Ways to Wellbeing, we hope to help every child build habits that boost their confidence, mood, and overall wellbeing – because healthy minds and bodies go hand in hand.”
Mental health challenges among children and young people continue to rise. According to NHS, one in five children aged 8–16 in the UK now has a probable mental health condition, with many schools calling for greater support and practical solutions. ¹
Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: “The mental health of children today is the mental health of adults tomorrow. It’s essential that we support teachers and schools to help our young people create healthy habits that will benefit their mental, physical and social health, now, and for years to come.
“The new toolkit uses the same principle as The Daily Mile: a little a day goes a long way. That’s why suggestions are divided in to tiers, so that even when time is tight, teachers can find activities that will fit into their lesson plans. Our ambition is to support a whole generation of young people to build the skills and knowledge they need to care for themselves and others.”
The toolkit is available now for free at: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/7UG4-FN4/registration-form
