This is My Place: Highlights from Children's Mental Health Week 2026

20 February 2026

Place2Be's Children's Mental Health Week 2026 took place from 9-15 February 2026 with the theme ‘This is My Place’. We encouraged peers, families, schools and communities to create inclusive and nurturing environments. Our goal was that children and young people have a place where feel they seen, safe and heard, a place where they belong and can say "This is My Place".

15 organisations unite to launch the week

To kickstart Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, 15 leading charities and organisations joined forces to create a new montage video. Narrated by Place2Be Ambassador Kate Silverton, the video showcases the role of supportive communities in helping children and young people thrive.

Croydon Academy visited by the Princess of Wales

Castle Hill Academy in Croydon enjoyed a visit from Place2Be’s Royal Patron, The Princess of Wales. Her Royal Highness began the visit at the Early Years outdoor play space before meeting the parents who have benefitted from Place2Be’s support services. The Princess also visited the Academy’s art studio, where she joined the pupils taking part in the Children’s Mental Health Week Art Project.

The Princess of Wales sitting at a table with pupils, looking at their artwork and smiling

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Pupils talking through their art work with the Princess

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The official Children's Mental Health Week bunting hanging in Castle Hill Academy's classroom

The Princess sitting at the table with a pupil who is doing an arty activity

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The Princess enjoying the Children's Mental Health Week art activity

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The Princess talking with pupils from Castle Hill Academy

The Princess of Wales, Patron of Place2Be, sitting with pupils from Castle Hill Academy. They are busy crafting and using the official Children's Mental Health Week art activity.

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The Princess sitting with the pupils while they get stuck into the art activity

The Princess of Wales walking into a school hall at Castle Hill Academy, waving and smiling at the pupils holding Place2Be flags

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The Princess at Castle Hill Academy, being warmly welcomed by its pupils

Our friends over at BAFTA and BEANO got involved!

For this year’s BAFTA video mini-series, we saw Young BAFTA Presenters Elizabeth Okogwu and Afraz Hussain meet with comedian/actor Henry Rowley, broadcaster Joe Tasker, performer and motivational speaker Arti Shah, and actor/musician Jacob Anderson. The stars discussed their sense of belonging and how it plays a vital role in their mental health and wellbeing.

Children's Mental Health Week 2026 mark 3 years of collaboration between BEANO and Place2Be. In the week’s special edition of BEANO, The Bash Street Kids help Mandy feel like she fits in to Class 2B. BEANO also created some Tips and Advice to help children understand the theme of ‘belonging’.

Schools find their sense of belonging through music

Deansbrook Junior School in North London were treated to a music workshop run by Guy Chambers, Ambassador at the International Lang Lang Music Foundation. During the workshop, Guy helped the pupils write their own song for Children’s Mental Health Week.

Keeping with the musical theme, we enjoyed watching a music video written and filmed by Mill Hill Primary in Sunderland. Titled ‘My Place’, the song centres around the feeling of belonging.

Pictures from you!

Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of children, young people, schools, community groups and workplaces who took part or fundraised during Children’s Mental Health Week.

Eight pupils sitting and showing their artwork to the camera

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Upton House School showing their Children's Mental Health Week artwork about their sense of belonging

Two pupils from Basildon Academy showing their art work for Children's Mental Health Week

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Two pupils from Basildon Academy showing their art work for the week!

A long table filled with cupcakes, cookies and cakes. They are lots of school pupils standing around the table, getting involved in the bake sale

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Shebbear College enjoying some baked treats!

6 young children, each holding up a piece of paper with a letter on it. The letters spell out 'Belong' in line with the theme of Children's Mental Health Week 2026, This is My Place

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Pupils from St Hugh Of Lincoln Stretford embracing belonging

Two images side by side. The image on the left shows 8 staff members dressed in comfy clothes. The image on the right is of some cakes for their bake sale.

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Staff at VeryPC celebrating Children's Mental Health Week in their workplace and fundraising with a delicious bake sale!

A class of 22 primary aged pupils sitting and standing in a classroom. They are all dressed in non-uniform clothes or costumes and smiling at the camera.

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A class of St James having a dress down day!

A final thank you!

To finish off, we want to say how much we enjoyed seeing everyone taking part in Children’s Mental Health Week 2026. If you held a fundraiser, downloaded our resources, enjoyed our art activity or spread the word on social media – thank you! We look forward to seeing how you take part again next year.