Ways to well-being

Children and young people can help maintain their own well-being by following the five simple ways we have developed with New Economics Foundation – and parents can help

In 2008, NEF (New Economics Foundation) produced their five ways to well-being framework for adults. This set of five actions – connect, be active, keep learning, take notice and give – were beneficial to adults. We wanted to find out whether this approach could work for children and young people, as well. So we’ve been working with NEF to create our Ways to well-being report.

Together, we’ve:

• Asked around 1500 young people aged 10 to 15 a number of questions related to the five ways that we felt might be relevant to children’s lives
• Held focus group discussions with 70 children aged eight to 15 in six schools around the country.

Key findings

• There’s good evidence that four of NEF’s five ways – connect, be active, take notice, keep learning – work for children
• Evidence for the fifth – give – was more mixed, although children did talk about being kind and doing things to help others
• However, we have found evidence for another way to well-being relating to creativity, imagination and play.

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