Wellbeing and art
The benefits of art for improving wellbeing have been increasingly studied and advocated for in recent years – from relieving anxiety and stress to improving resilience.
We've gathered a selection of great learning resources from museums, galleries and art collections around the UK, which can be used in both classroom and home learning settings, to improve and increase awareness of young people's wellbeing.
Aberdeen Art Gallery's wellbeing resources
The Learning team at Aberdeen Art Gallery have created resources for both primary and secondary level exploring wellbeing, taking in both painting and sculpture.
The primary resource focuses on Katherine Aarrestad's artwork 'this is the end of you' as a way to prompt discussion around experiences of worry and anxiety. How can we cope with these emotions? There are suggestions for activities that help with relaxation and creative flow.
The secondary resource focused on how we can communicate our feelings through art, and takes Winifred Nicholson's Honeysuckle and Sweetpeas as inspiration for connecting with nature and mindful practice.
Visit Aberdeen Art Gallery to download these resources
Mindfulness with Gallery Oldham
Focusing on a single artwork can promote mindfulness. These five-minute videos show you how, with sound and text. Suitable for primary and secondary.
View the videos on Gallery Oldham's YouTube channel
Mindful drawing
Have a go at mindful drawing activities led by five artists, inspired by five famous sitters. Suitable for primary.
Visit the National Portrait Gallery to try all five
Drawing for wellbeing
Create a viewfinder to help draw scenes outside a window. Suitable for secondary.
Visit Derby Museums to learn how
Grotto in the Gulf of Salerno, Italy, Moonlight
1780–1790
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797)
The Mindful Museum of Me
Anyone can transform their home into a museum with this resource. Suitable for upper primary and lower secondary.
Visit Horniman Museum & Gardens to download the resource
Check in with your feelings
Match an artwork to your mood with this short quiz. Suitable for secondary age.
Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
c.1640
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
Practice mindfulness with Van Dyck
A ten-minute audio guide developed with and for primary schools.
Visit Manchester Art Gallery for this resource
More mindfulness guides
Three nine-minute videos, suitable for lower secondary upwards.
The Recovery Curriculum
Try out these mindfulness activity sheets inspired by various artworks and objects. Suitable for upper primary and lower secondary.
Visit Leeds Museums & Galleries for this and more
Home School
If you're looking for more creative activities you can do at home over the holidays, why not try out some of our Home School activities.
