From coding to caring: Exploring well-being through micro:bits

Children’s Mental Health Week (5 to 11 February) is a crucial reminder of the importance of looking after the well-being of the young learners who come to Code Club.

There are many ways that we can support mental health and well-being through technology. Our ‘Introduction to micro:bit’ projects are centred around well-being, and use various applications of technology to cover topics such as mental health, relaxation, and exercise.

Pete Bell, Learning Manager at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, tells us more about the projects in the path:

“This new path allows young people to connect with the world around them by making use of lights, sound, buttons, and sensors. By using these inputs and outputs, combined with block-based programming, young people can develop engaging digital tools that help them be considerate about their own well-being and that of others.”

As young people move through the path, they not only develop new skills, but also learn how to make their own tech tools that they can use to take care of themselves and their friends.

Tracking sleep to promote well-being

A great example is sleep! We all know that a good night’s sleep helps our brains to work better, helps us feel happier, and keeps our bodies healthier. We’ve created a ‘Sleep tracker’ project where young people build a tracker to record the amount of sleep they get with a micro:bit.

Promoting empathy and collaboration

The projects in our micro:bit pathway shows how technology can be used to improve lives. The collaborative nature of Code Club allows learners to engage in discussions, share perspectives, and develop an understanding of one another’s challenges and triumphs. Doing this together makes them understand and care about each other’s feelings, not just in the digital world but in real life too.

Our design project ‘How’s your day?’ is a great example of how young people can use their micro:bit to build a program that checks what kind of day you or your friends are having.

Growing coders’ sense of purpose and agency

Our micro:bit pathway also encourages club members to engage in computing projects that address real-world problems affecting their lives and communities. By empowering them to tackle issues that matter to them, we’re instilling a sense of purpose and agency. This doesn’t just make them more confident at coding but also helps them see the connection between technology and positive social impact.

Young Code Club project tester, James, shares more about our ‘Music Player‘ project and how it has made music that brings him happiness!

Encouraging discussions

Finally, it’s important to provide a safe space for young people to discuss how they deal with things both at home and at school. Coding activities like these projects give you a natural opportunity to start discussions on well-being, where learners can share their strategies for dealing with things and learn how their peers deal with things too. This open dialogue will help them understand that it is OK to react differently to different situations and also give them the tools they need to manage their well-being. 

Support and resources available

If you’re looking to get started with our micro:bit path there is lots of support available to you:

• Explore the Introduction to micro:bit path.
• Need help? Our Getting started with micro:bit guide has information and tips to help you use the micro:bit projects in your club.
• Look out for our micro:bit workshops on the Code Club events page
• Acknowledge coding wins with our bespoke progress chart
• Celebrate learners’ success with our micro:bit path certificate

The progress chart and certificate are available from our resource page under ‘Progress charts’ and ‘Core Code Club certificates’. Login and download!

So why not explore the micro:bit path, encourage conversation around well-being in your Code Club, and learn together this Children’s Mental Week and beyond.