Wellbeing Treasure Hunt

Curriculum Area:

Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum (Year 9): Personal, Social, and Community Health
ACPPS092: Plan, implement and critique strategies to enhance health, safety, and wellbeing in their communities.
ACPPS093: Evaluate factors that shape identities and critically analyse how individuals impact the wellbeing of others.

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Overview

This bonus activity is designed to be active, collaborative, and thought-provoking, allowing students to explore concepts related to mental health, resilience, support networks, and positive wellbeing strategies. It ties into key curriculum goals while being both engaging and age appropriate.

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Learning Objectives

At the end of this activity, students will be able to:

• Identify strategies that promote resilience and mental health.
• Collaborate with peers to reflect on personal and collective wellbeing.
• Analyse supports within their school and broader community that contribute to mental health and safety.

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Materials Needed:

• Printed task cards with mini scenarios or reflection questions (provided below).
• A large envelope or small container per group.
• A classroom space or outdoor area with designated stations numbered 1–5.
• Butcher's paper or a whiteboard for reflection at the end.

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Activity Setup:

"Wellbeing Treasure Hunt" Description

This team-based treasure hunt taps into students’ critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Students will “hunt” for solutions and strategies for wellbeing across 5 interactive stations. Each station contains a unique challenge or set of reflective questions tied to the topic of mental health, safety, and support networks.

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Instructions (Duration: 60 Minutes)

Pre-Activity (5 Minutes)

1. Briefly introduce the concept of mental health and wellbeing and relate it to their everyday school and social lives. Highlight the importance of recognising strategies that promote mental health, including resilience, coping strategies, and knowing when to ask for help.
2. Break the students into 6 groups of 5 (adjust for class size).
3. Hand each group an envelope to collect their completed task cards as they finish each station.

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Activity Details (40 Minutes)

Station 1: "Finding Your Inner Strength"

• Instructions: Students receive a card listing two different stressful or mentally challenging scenarios (e.g., conflict with a friend or an upcoming exam). The task is for the group to list 3 strategies to build resilience in such situations.
• Example Card Prompt: You’re feeling overwhelmed about an upcoming assessment and don’t feel prepared. How could you manage this stress while protecting your mental wellbeing?
• Outcome: Students practise resilience strategies.

Station 2: "Mapping Your Support Network"

• Instructions: On a blank sheet of paper, students draw an inner circle (close relationships) and an outer circle (broader community) to visually map their support networks. They must include at least 5 different people or services across school, family, or local health services that could support mental wellbeing.
• Outcome: Students identify and visualise resources available to them.

Station 3: "Mythbusters"

• Instructions: Students are presented with 5 statements about mental health (e.g., “People with anxiety should just relax, and they’ll be fine.”). Their task is to identify which statements are myths and replace them with facts.
• Outcome: Students challenge stereotypes and misinformation about mental health.

Station 4: "Random Acts of Kindness"

• Instructions: Students brainstorm small acts of kindness they could do at school to support others' mental health. For each idea, they tie it to a key strength it promotes (e.g., trust, belonging, or joy).
• Example: Hosting a “no devices” lunchtime to encourage conversation (promotes connection and inclusion).
• Outcome: Students develop kindness-supportive behaviours.

Station 5: "Healthy Coping Toolbox"

• Instructions: The group is presented with a list of 15 coping strategies (such as mindfulness, journaling, physical activity, or listening to music). They select their top 5 strategies they would use in various scenarios (e.g., after a fight with a friend, before a big exam).
• Outcome: Students identify coping strategies that work best for their lives.

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Post-Activity Wrap-Up (15 Minutes)

1. Groups return to the classroom and share their experiences at each station.
2. Ask reflection questions (students can respond in pairs or small groups):
   • Which activity did you find most useful for managing stress or improving your wellbeing?
   • What new resource or coping strategy did you learn today?
   • How could you use this knowledge in your school or personal life?
3. Put up butcher’s paper or use the whiteboard to collate the class’s top 5 strategies for maintaining positive mental health. This summary becomes a shared class resource.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Assessment: Observe individual and group engagement at each station, noting their ability to analyse, collaborate, and propose solutions.
• Reflection Responses: Assess comprehension and quality of ideas presented during the post-activity discussion.
• Bonus Option: Ask students to create a visual journal or online poster summarising strategies they found most effective.

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Differentiation Options:

• Extension for Advanced Learners: Groups design an additional "Station 6" with their own wellbeing challenge and present it to the class.
• Support for Struggling Students: Pair with a peer mentor or provide simplified scenarios with one challenge per station to reduce cognitive load.

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Teacher Reflection

Did the students actively engage with the activity and demonstrate deeper understanding of mental health and support networks? How can you build upon these strategies in the next lesson or a follow-up task?