“This Is My Place” – Belonging, Mental Health and the Nature Nurture Approach 

9–15 February is Children’s Mental Health Week, led by Place2Be.

The theme for 2026 — “This Is My Place” — shines a light on belonging, and on the responsibility of the systems around children to help them feel they belong. 

That theme stopped me in my tracks. 

Because when belonging works well, we see it everywhere: in children’s confidence, curiosity, friendships and willingness to learn. And when belonging is missing, we see that too — often labelled as misbehaviour. 

When Belonging Is Missing 

Through our intervention work in Nature Nurture, we meet many children I think of as lost souls. 
Some are constantly searching for somewhere — or someone — to belong to. 
Others have quietly given up, convinced they are not worthy of belonging anywhere at all. 

The survival behaviours that drive these children’s interactions are often described as challenging. Too often, they are met with punitive responses: exclusion, rejection, removal of “privileges” like playtimes or outdoor experiences. Each response reinforces the same painful message: You don’t belong here. 

Why Belonging Comes First 

Abraham Maslow placed belonging as a foundational human need. Without it, expecting children to access higher-order motivations — curiosity, persistence, creativity, learning — is unrealistic. 

Belonging isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s the ground everything else stands on. 

This is why inclusion, at its heart, is about culture — creating environments where every child feels seen, safe and valued. 

Belonging in Nature Nurture 

In the Nature Nurture Approach, we deliberately create communities of learners. The outdoor environment plays a vital role here. It offers a more level playing field — space to move, explore, collaborate, take risks and recover together. 

These communities are built on trust: 

• I will be accepted here 

• I will be supported here 

• I am allowed to try, fail and try again 

• I also have opportunities to accept and support others 

Ask a child who is new to a Nature Nurture group where they belong, and they’ll often say: “Here — in this place, with this group.” 

Ask again after time, safety and shared experience, and the answer grows: “Here — in this school… in this community.” 

That shift matters. 

From Universal Support to Targeted Intervention 

This is why Nature Nurture is offered in two complementary ways: 

• The Nature Nurture Approach (online course) 
  Designed for universal support in primary schools, this course helps staff build a rhythm of outdoor play and learning that strengthens belonging, wellbeing and regulation for all children — starting with small, achievable changes. 

• Nature Nurture in Practice 
  A targeted intervention and training programme for children who are struggling socially, emotionally or behaviourally. This work goes deeper, supporting practitioners to create therapeutic, relational outdoor experiences where children can safely rebuild trust, self-belief and a sense of place. 

Both begin with the same question: What does this child need to feel they belong? 

A Question for You 

How are you helping children in your setting to say: “This is my place”? 

What small, intentional actions help children feel safe enough to belong? 

If you’d like to explore how Nature Nurture can support your school — universally or through targeted intervention — you can find out more here: 👉 https://salugen.uk/training-and-consultancy-services/