Mental health shapes how children think, feel, and grow, yet it often remains a misunderstood or overlooked topic, especially for younger age groups.
Mind Garden bridges this gap, offering a safe and engaging way to introduce mental health awareness to children aged 7–13 and their caregivers. Rooted in thoughtful research and creativity, this kit equips children to recognize and express their emotions, fosters resilience, and promotes healthy communication within families and classrooms. By cultivating understanding early, Mind Garden aims to empower kids and grownups to nurture mental well-being together, one conversation at a time.
This is a classroom project and an upcoming initiative, which began under the guidance of my design project guide and faculty, Mr. Nitin Vishwakarma.
To bring Mind Garden to life, with everything I now knew, I began by analyzing the current resources available for mental health education, which were often unengaging and lacked visual appeal. This inspired me to create a toolkit that was both approachable and captivating for kids and grownups.
I started by creating a mood board to establish the desired tone—playful, calming, and inclusive. From there, I explored various visual languages and compositions, experimenting with layouts, typography, and illustrations. Color exploration played a key role, as I tested palettes that would evoke warmth and positivity while maintaining clarity. Through iterative refinements and feedback, I finalized on the design system, ensuring each component of the toolkit felt cohesive and engaging.
Toolkit Cover Illustration: From thumbnails to final execution.
Printable Mood Tracker (A5 or Almanac-sized)
A simple yet powerful tool designed to help students reflect on their emotions daily. By incorporating it into classroom routines—such as evening assemblies or calendar activities, which takes <30 seconds —teachers can encourage mindfulness, emotional awareness, and open conversations about mental well-being. It's an easy addition to foster a supportive environment for all.
While this tool helps the kids keep a track of how they have been feeling throughout the year, it helps parents and teachers monitor their wards' feelings and recognize any patterns, to identify problems, if any.
MY MINDFUL ABCs: A Deck of Cards for Kids
Designed to make learning about mental health fun and accessible, My Mindful ABCs introduces children to a variety of coping methods and actions through an engaging alphabetical format.
Card Dimensions: 6 inches in height and 4 inches in width, making them easy to handle for kids.
Front Design: Each card features a bold letter of the alphabet paired with a corresponding coping method or action.
Body Text: A concise description is included under the action to provide further insight into its meaning and application.
