To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, two London parents have launched an ecommerce website dedicated to selling products that help cut children’s screen use during lockdown.
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To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, two London parents have launched an ecommerce website dedicated to selling products that help cut children’s screen use during lockdown.
Friends and work colleagues Jess Watson and Matt Thorpe created Doodle & Calm, based around the theme of mindful colouring and focusing on the present moment.
Their reusable colouring walls are a new take on the mindfulness colouring phenomenon that’s exploded in recent years in line with the rise of digital technology. They are made of vinyl, fix to the wall and can be wiped clean at any time so a child can start afresh whenever they wish. These will be sold to nurseries, schools and parents.
‘Our wall coverings encapsulate the very concept of mindfulness colouring in each roll,’ said Jess. ‘It’s meditative art in its truest sense and is quite literally part of the wallpaper.
‘Almost every parent struggles to limit their kids’ use of screens. The battle is especially acute at the moment as we’re all burnt out and exhausted by the lockdowns and school closures. Our wall posters offer a screen-free reprieve for parents and a mentally healthy way for a child to unplug their mind and pass an hour or two while stuck at home.’
The pandemic has increased anxiety in children and adults and several surveys show Jess and Matt are not the only parents to feel concern over their children’s use of smartphones and devices. In one study, more than half of respondents worried about their children’s use of social media and another showed concern over computer game addiction.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Express Yourself’ which can so easily be done with colour. The physical and cognitive act of applying colour to intricate shapes also helps quieten anxious thoughts and achieve focus in children.
‘We launched Doodle & Calm because we feel there’s an urgent need for a more back to basics approach to children’s activities,’ said Matt. ‘We’re all so swept up with the digital world and connecting to each other that we’ve forgotten how to connect to ourselves.’
Specialist neuro occupational therapist Laura Slader of LSOT is convinced of the benefits that mindful colouring can have on fretful youngsters. ‘Colouring is a wonderfully effective activity that helps keep people centred,’ she said. ‘I regularly recommend it to my patients as a way of stopping, resting and restoring their brain energy.’
Doodle & Calm’s posters stick to the wall like wallpaper so there’s no chance of them getting lost under a pile of lockdown chaos. They’re printed in a range of sizes from a local printer in Surrey, UK. At their largest, they span three metres and make for beautiful additions to a child’s bedroom.
As well as looking fantastic on any wall, Doodle & Calm’s wall coverings are the essential item of any parent’s lockdown survival kit. For more information visit the website at www.doodleandcalm.com or email hello@doodleandcalm.com.
Contact Info:
Name: Matt Thorpe
Email: Send Email
Organization: Doodle & Calm
Address: 27 Station Road Chertsey , Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8BE, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.doodleandcalm.com
Source: PressCable
Release ID: 88996170
