Celebrating International Day of Happiness with Your Family
Every year, on March 20th, the world comes together to celebrate International Day of Happiness. It’s a day dedicated to promoting well-being, kindness, and joy across the globe.
Why Celebrate International Day of Happiness?
The International Day of Happiness is more than just an excuse to smile; it’s an opportunity to explore positive emotions, gratitude and kindness with your child. In a world that can often feel chaotic and fast-paced, taking the time to focus on happiness helps to build resilience and emotional well-being.
So, how can you make this day extra special? Here’s a fun craft and activity idea that encourages creativity, sharing, and of course, happiness!
Happiness Jar: A Simple Craft to Spread Joy
A Happiness Jar is an easy, heartfelt craft that will help your family reflect on moments of joy and gratitude throughout the year. This activity is perfect for younger children as it combines creativity with positive thinking. Here’s how to create your own Happiness Jar!
What You’ll Need:
- A large jar or empty container
- Coloured paper or post-it notes
- Markers, crayons, or stickers
- Tape or glue
- Scissors
- Ribbon or string (optional for decoration)
Instructions:
- Decorate the Jar: Start by decorating the outside of the jar with fun designs, happy faces, or colourful stickers.
- Prepare the Notes: Parents can cut the coloured paper or use post-it notes to create small strips. On each note, write down something that makes your family happy. It could be a fun memory, something you’re grateful for, a joke, or a wish for someone else.
- Share Happy Moments: As a family, sit together and take turns writing down happy thoughts, one for each note. You could even make this a special game by having everyone write down a “happy moment” for each family member. For example, “Mum loves it when we have pizza night” or “Dad always makes us laugh with his silly jokes.”
- Fill the Jar: Fold the notes and place them in the jar. The goal is to fill the jar with as many joyful, positive thoughts as you can.
- Open It Up Throughout the Year: Whenever you need a little boost throughout the year, gather around as a family and take turns pulling out the notes from the jar. Read them aloud and reminisce about all the moments that brought joy to your lives. It’s a wonderful way to reflect on happiness together and keep the positivity flowing!
Exploring all emotions is essential for children’s emotional development. When we encourage children to name their feelings, we help them make sense of their emotional experiences.
Labelling emotions, whether they are happy, sad, frustrated, excited, or anything in between, teaches children that all emotions are valid and that it’s perfectly fine to feel a variety of emotions.
