50 Ways to Feel Happy: Fun activities and ideas to build your happiness skills

What can you do to help yourself (and others) feel happier? This colorfully illustrated book is packed full of science-backed activities and ideas for kids to try with family, friends, and on their own—whether they feel happy right now and want to stay that way or they need some ideas to help them feel happier. 
 
50 Ways to Feel Happy is a cheerful, fun, inspiring, and varied collection of projects for creative and thinking individuals. The book includes a mixture of step-by-step projects and shorter activity ideas that encompass happiness-inspiring crafts, mindfulness, relaxation, and positivity techniques, and fun ways to get active and boost happiness outdoors.
 
Children can either read through the book from start to finish or dip in and out as the mood takes them. What's more, these activities are great to repeat time and again as a child builds their happiness skills and incorporates techniques into their daily life. For younger children, parents and caregivers may wish to work through the book with them, offering guidance and support, whereas more confident readers, tweens, and young teens will be able to enjoy engaging with the book independently. 

Each of the 50 activities relates to one of Action for Happiness’s 10 key evidence-based ways to increase happiness and well-being:

1. Giving – doing things for others (create and give out compliment cards and more)
2. Relating – connecting with people (interview a friend and more)
3. Exercising – taking care of your body (complete a circuit of 100 movements and more)
4. Awareness – living life mindfully (take a mindful walk and more)
5. Trying out – keep learning new things (create a curiosity collage and more)
6. Direction – have goals to look forward to (write a recipe for one of your dreams and more)
7. Resilience – find ways to bounce back (draw a comic strip about a resilient person and more)
8. Emotions – look for what’s good (make a positivity pack of things that give you a boost and more)
9. Acceptance – be comfortable with who you are (make a super-self portrait and more)
10. Meaning – be part of something bigger (make a paper chain that connects things that mean a lot to you and more)

Put on your explorer’s hat and discover the many different ways to lead a happier life!

Vanessa King is a board member at Action for Happiness, expert on positive psychology, and author of Ten Keys to Happier Living (Headline, 2016). She speaks internationally and translates the latest psychological research into practical action to help individuals, organizations, and communities enhance their wellbeing and resilience.

Celeste Aires was born in San Juan, Argentina, a town by the Andeans. She grew up in a house with a big garden, two dogs and a little sister. She always loved drawing, painting, sculpting, writing and she always had a big imagination. In 2011, she moved to Buenos Aires to study Animation Direction and became a professional illustrator. She loves mid-century modern styles, geometrical shapes, adventure tales, chocolate, mountains, being outdoors, animals and plants. She also loves learning new things, so she’s always doing workshops and courses, such as silkscreen, letterpress, poster design, character design, among others.

Val Payne is an education consultant and teacher. She has enjoyed many years of experience working with children of all ages. Val has also co-developed a primary school programme based on the 10 Keys to Happier Living which has increased the wellbeing of students, and teachers say it has helped them feel happier too!

Peter Harper is a consultant clinical psychologist. He has enjoyed many years of experience working with children of all ages. Peter has also co-developed a primary school programme based on the 10 Keys to Happier Living which has increased the wellbeing of students, and teachers say it has helped them feel happier too!

Action for Happiness helps people take action for a happier world. The movement's Patron is the Dalai Lama and its members take action in their personal lives, homes, workplaces, and communities, all based on the latest scientific evidence about what really matters. Action for Happiness has over 100,000 members and an online community of over 1 million people across 170 countries. You can find out about Action for Happiness resources, courses, events, and more at www.actionforhappiness.org.