Planting Seeds of Emotional Strength for a Lifetime
This school holiday, we had the joy of running our childrenâs program, âMaking Feeling a SUPERHERO.â Behind the fun activities and laughter, there was a deeper mission: to help children discover the power of emotions, to learn how to handle them, and to carry joyful resilience throughout their lives.
Why Emotions Matter in Childhood
Emotions are like invisible superpowers. They guide how children think, act, and connect with others. Yet many kids grow up believing emotions are either âgoodâ or âbad.â In reality, every feeling is a signalâa message from within. By teaching children to recognize and manage their emotions early, we empower them with lifelong skills to navigate challenges with confidence and compassion.
Telling the 4 magical friendâs story
Telling the story of how they can cultivate their strength with positive words
When children were writing about what they are good at, you can see they are so excited and having joy from their facial expression, they learnt how to strengthen and grow that confidence with positive affirmation
The Role of Positive Affirmations
One of the highlights of the program was the use of positive affirmations. Simple phrases like âI am brave,â âI am loved,â or âI can try againâ may seem small, but repeated often, they reshape a childâs self-talk. These affirmations act as seeds planted in young hearts, helping them grow a mindset of strength, self-worth, and joy. Affirmations are not just wordsâthey are mental habits that become a childâs inner voice. When practiced from an early age, they become a protective shield against self-doubt and negativity.
The Joy of Messy Play & Creative Expression
đ Bubble Lab â The Freedom of Messy Play
One of the childrenâs favorite parts was our Bubble Lab messy play. In a world where kids are often told to âstay cleanâ and âbe careful,â this was their chance to get messy, experiment, and simply be free. Messy play sparks imagination, builds sensory awareness, and helps children express emotions without words. Watching their eyes light up rolling in big foamy bubbles, paint splashed, and laughter filled the room reminded us why unstructured play is so powerfulâitâs therapy disguised as fun.
đš Neon Art Class â Emotions in Color
Our Neon Art class gave children a different kind of magic: the chance to transform feelings into glowing creations. With UV light illuminating their artwork, every brushstroke became a celebration of self-expression. For some, neon swirls represented happiness; for others, bold strokes became a way to show strength. Art has always been a bridge between the heart and the world, and here, children learned that emotions can be expressed beautifully, not just explained.
đ Balloon Creation â Joy at the Top
To crown the program with joy, we introduced balloon creation. Balloons are simple yet magicalâthey bring instant smiles, spark imagination, and symbolize celebration. Children shaped balloons into emotion chatacters, fun characters or any playful designs, carrying them home as a reminder of the who they are, who they treasure, and happiness they created with their own hands. It was a lighthearted finale that perfectly balanced the programâs deeper lessons on emotions, resilience, and expression.
Planting Seeds for a Joyful Future
The heart of this program lies in planting seeds. Seeds of awareness. Seeds of resilience. Seeds of joy. Just like plants need sunlight and water, children need encouragement and opportunities to explore their inner world. When these seeds are nurtured, they grow into lifelong skills:
- Emotional intelligence (EQ)
- Resilience to face challenges (AQ))
- Healthy habits for body and mind (HQ)
- Stronger parent-child communication (through drawings in psychoanalytic insights)
As parents, educators, and a community, we are gardeners of these seeds. Every affirmation, every messy play moment, every glowing artwork, every balloon creation, and every parent insight contributes to a stronger, healthier future generation.
DIPA Analysis: A Gift for Parents
To deepen the experience, we offered every parent a DIPA (Drawings in Psychoanalytic Approach) analysis. Childrenâs drawings often reveal emotions they cannot yet put into wordsâtheir hopes, worries, confidence, and hidden strengths.
By reviewing their childâs artwork with a trained analyst, parents gained precious insights into their childâs inner world. This not only strengthens parent-child connection but also equips families with better understanding and support strategies at home.
It was our way of ensuring the lessons didnât end with the camp day, but continued into family lifeâplanting seeds of empathy, awareness, and love.
The 6Q Framework: Growing the Whole Child
The Sproutwise program we offer in bloom and bare play space, we believe childrenâs growth must be nurtured across 6Q dimensionsâIQ (Intellectual), EQ (Emotional), MQ (Moral), AQ (Adversity), FQ (Financial), and HQ (Health).
For this holiday program, we focused on 3Q development:
- đ EQ (Emotional Quotient): Helping children name and manage feelings, turning emotions into superpowers.
- đȘ AQ (Adversity Quotient): Building resilience through challenges in messy play and problem-solving activities.
- đ HQ (Health Quotient): Encouraging movement, sensory play, and creative expression for mind-body wellness.
This 3Q focus gave children the tools to express themselves, face difficulties positively, and stay joyfulâall essential seeds for a lifetime of growth.
A Joyful Legacy
The laughter we heard, the affirmations children shouted proudly, and the courage they showed in sharing their feelings are more than just holiday memories. They are stepping stones toward a joyful, emotionally intelligent generation.
Because in the end, teaching children to handle emotions is not just about making them feel better todayâitâs about equipping them with the tools to live a balanced, purposeful, and joyful life tomorrow.
Letâs keep planting these seeds together. Because every child deserves to know that their feelingsâand their creativityâare their superpowers.
by Dr Reece Lim, 6Q holiday program coordinator, writer and educator