The Princess of Wales joined flag-waving young children making 'belonging maps' at a primary school to highlight the importance of children's mental health.
Catherine visited Castle Hill Academy in New Addington, Croydon, on Thursday to mark Children's Mental Health Week in her role as patron of the charity Place2Be.
She chatted to the youngsters about the importance of expressing their emotions, asking what made them feel good and safe.
'Do you like to talk about your feelings, your sense of belonging?' she asked, adding: 'Sometimes it's hard to talk about your thoughts and feelings.'
The princess, who admitted she was 'too busy chatting' to make her own map, asked whether the children did arts and crafts at home, telling them: 'It's good to be messy, it's good fun.'
New Addington in south London is one of England's most deprived communities with high levels of poverty, youth violence and unemployment.
Castle Hill Academy works in tandem with the charity Place2Be, of which the Princess is patron, in order to help build trusted relationships, using creativity and play.
The princess, wearing a brown trouser suit, was met on arrival by Katy Peart, the school's head, Catherine Roach, chief executive of Place2Be and Col Ray Wilkinson, deputy lieutenant for Croydon.
She was shown into the garden of the nursery attached to the school, noting how important it was for children who do not have their own outdoor spaces at home.
She joined a group picking up miniature pom poms with tweezers. 'Can I have a go? Is it hard?' she asked. 'What's your favourite colour? I love green, it reminds me of nature and being outside.'
The Early Years outdoor play space was funded by Deloitte, a member of The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, and is designed to promote emotional regulation, sensory exploration and creative play.
The taskforce was founded by the princess in March 2023 and aims to encourage business leaders to champion the social and emotional development of employees.
Inside, the princess sat down with a small group including Nayar, a foster mother who has two daughters at the school, Nikita, whose daughter has counselling with Place2Be and Anisha, whose husband died when their son was in reception.
'The children must love being outside and being able to use all the activities,' she said. 'What has it meant to you as parents?'
Anisha described how her son had blossomed with the support he had received since the death of his father.
'I'm so sorry for your loss but being able to have that support and see how he's thriving just shows the incredible work that's going on,' the princess said.
'Just focusing on their emotions unlocks so much potential for them, not only with their work but their relationships.'
As the princess walked through the playground into the main school grounds she was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of children waving flags designed around the theme of kindness.
She stopped to shake many of their hands, reading their flags and telling them she was 'very impressed' with their work.
In the art room, she joined children aged between nine and 11 taking part in the official Children's Mental Health Week art project - creating 'belonging maps' to consider the people, places and experiences that help them feel secure and connected.
'These are the things that you like, that give you a sense of belonging?' she said as she took a seat at the table.
'I love this room,' she enthused. 'How often do you come into this room?' The princess noted that it was good to use art to 'work out some personality and identity'.
Looking at one child's map, she said: 'Kindness is key; that's a very important message isn't it? Gosh you are talented.'
Before leaving, the Princess met members of the school and Place2Be leadership team to discuss their 'whole-school' approach to supporting children's mental health, as well as the specific challenges facing families in New Addington.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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