Parent and Carer Information

Monty and The Big Jungle - A story about starting school

Firstly, thank you for purchasing Monty and The Big Jungle and welcome to our information area. This page offers a separate space away from the fun of the book, with the focus here on support for you. We have information about navigating this big change, guidance through the playful activities, and steps for helping your child with their feelings, from an experienced children's therapist.

The therapeutic story

In the story, Monty is getting ready to start school for the first time. The metaphor of a big jungle in comparison to his small island reflects the difference in environment, without even mentioning the word 'school'. Each Emotions at Play book has a 'helper' character who supports the main character through an emotion or experience, and in this story, the helper is Monty's daddy.

Daddy accepts Monty's mixed feelings and shows him a playful way of keeping their strong connection, even when they are not physically together. As the adults in a child's life, we can help them to navigate new experiences by hearing and accepting their feelings, whilst also conveying to them the message of safety. It is okay to feel nervous and do the scary thing. Together, you've got this.

What feelings can come up when starting school?

Whether your child is starting full time education or part time nursery school, it is a big step for the whole family. It is likely that you are experiencing your own flood of emotions around this. You might feel nervous about how your child will adapt, and you may also feel excited for your child, and for yourself; school brings with it more time and opportunity for yourself, whether through work, rest or play.

Your child is likely to have the same mix of emotions. Some children are very ready for the new challenge, and others may feel quite wary. Many, like Monty, are a mixture of both!

As the parent, we may worry how our child will cope in a setting away from us. Will they make friends? Can they sit and listen on the carpet? Who will help them if they feel sad?

For children, there is a lot of the unknown about this new adventure, The school can feel big and overwhelming and it may be the first time that they are away for a whole day.

The great thing is, that as the adults, we can be the thermostat in helping guide this new challenge. We can hold the temperature, as it were, and this security can allow the child to feel safe in our care. Read on to find out some top tips for a smooth transition into school.

In writing this interactive story, my aim was to provide an acknowledgement of this big feeling. When an emotion is validated, we become more regulated as our body steps out of the survival modes of fight, flight, or freeze. It also felt important to provide the child, and adult, with a tool that they can use after reading the book. I really like this strategy because the invisible smile is contained in the hand, and can never be dropped or lost. It also involves the sensory memory, making it even more effective.

Emotions at Play has connection at it's very core, and reading a story together is a wonderful way of connecting with a child. You will have seen us talk about ‘the magic recipe’ here at Emotions at Play, and I would like to invite you to think about the relationship between yourself and your child as the container for this recipe. As you explore the book together, you will find plenty of ingredients to add to your pot, but the key part of the magic is you.

How do we use the book?

Top tips

Let 'Rags' be your guide- Our trusty mascot is on hand to guide you through the story. Rags will lead you to fun games, experiments and crafty ideas to bring the story from the page and into your child’s world.

'I wonder' statements - Often used in therapeutic conversation in place of 'why'questions,

'I wonder'statements are much softer and don't force a response. Our young people do not always have the answer to 'why', but 'I wonder if..' brings about a shared curiosity and a feeling of being on the journey together. It's only a slight change of words yet it can make a real difference.

The child always leads - A really important piece in Emotions at Play is that the child leads and the adult follows. Play is a child's natural mode of expression, so if we lead, we simply take over the conversation and suppress our child. Our books are filled with activities and ideas to ignite your child's curiosity. They are offered, but never forced.

Pick the right time - Make sure that your are emotionally regulated within yourself before starting the story. If you are feeling stressed or are trying to sandwich it in between activities, you won't be able to fully focus on your child. Take time to breathe and settle so that you are in an emotional state that will support your child. Put your mobile phone on silent to allow this special time to be just between you.

How can I help my child through this new experience?

There are lots of fun and playful ways that we can help prepare our children for starting nursery and school.

In your book, you will find art, craft, science, games and sensory activities guided by our mascot, Rags.

Arts - Drawing, painting, sketching; all wonderful ways for us to convert what is going on inside us to the outside.

Sciences - Science is a great way to get curious about our experiences. Experimenting with ideas and problem solving creates neural pathways to help us to understand.

Games - The opposite to a passive learning experience, games often involve movement and provide a kinesthetic way of thinking.

Sensory - Involving the five senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell, provides a multi sensory experience beyond the written word. The natural world is a great place to start.

Crafts- Crafting is a lovely way to make a thought, character or feeling into a more concrete form that we can see and interact with. The story can be lifted from the pages through a creation.

Connection - Our stories and resources are all designed to put the relationship first and connection at the starting point. Children need their adults in order to self-regulate, grow and learn about the world and their place in it.

Child led - The foundation of play therapy is that the child leads the play. This is because we know that play is how our children communicate their inner world. Through child led play, children learn that their inner world is heard and understood, and that they are valued and respected humans.

Get prepared

During the summer, you can ease your child into the idea of starting school by incorporating it into daily life. Use stories, children's TV shows about starting school, conversations with family members who recently began school or nursery, and general discussions to make this new experience feel more familiar.

Play games

We can support our child's readiness for school through play. Games within the theme of "Simon Says" hel with impulse control and following instructions, while "I Spy" introduces speech sounds and letters. Engaging in popular playground games together not only familiarises your child with these activities but may also support resilience around winning and losing. Simple activities like creating structures from the recycling pile can be great for developing problem-solving and creative thinking, and small world or imaginative play can help in exploring feelings around the new experience.

Have a picnic!

Will your child be bringing a packed lunch to school? Help them get used to their lunch box and opening packets by having picnics in the park—what a great excuse!

Two Choices

The transition to school can feel like a loss of daily freedom, which can be challenging for children. The Two Choices Technique empowers children by giving them control within the task, reducing conflicts. Try this by offering two fun choices that both get the job done An example could be 'We need to leave for school. Shall we spot red cars on the way or green?'

Consider a visual plan

Children feel emotionally safe when they know what is going to happen. If your child is starting with part time nursery or school, or collection times vary throughout the week, you could create a visual timetable together.

Tell me more about the activities and the benefits of play

Rags Activity Guidance

Craft - Just like Monty's Island, you have a home and a neighbourhood. What is yours like, and what do you have around it? How far is your school and how will you get there? Let’s make a map!

4. Sensory - Noisy hide and seek. “Make a sound!” Use your senses as you search for each other, in a twist to the classic game. What funny noise can you make? Can your adult find you? Swap over!

5. Rags asks - Have you ever had 2 feelings at once?

6. Science- Try this experiment! take it in turns to draw a shape on each others palm. Is it a square? a circle? maybe a triangle?

7.Game - Pillow Islands. Set up a maze using pillows or towels on the floor. Use your imagination- where will you go next? Careful past the alligators! This game is all about connection and having fun.

8 Art - Sharing hands - Draw around a hand with your adult and decorate them however you like for the other person. Maybe you will use your favourite colours or patterns, Perhaps you’ll draw a happy face like Monty's daddy?

Visit the dedicated parents/carers page to read our top tips, learn about how Rags' playful ideas can help your child to process the story, and get support and guidance on helping your child through their rainbow of emotions.

Tip from Rags! Juggling kids, work and other commitments can be really difficult. If you find that your 'to do' list is buzzing around your head, try visualising popping your thoughts onto a shelf to deal with later. Your mind will be clear and you will be able to better focus on your child.

Thoughts such as 'should' and 'need to' can be very persistent so if they come back, just pop them back up on the shelf. Really stubborn ones might even need a box or lidded jar!