During the COVID-19 lockdowns, we were invited to run an online Art Incursion Day for 66 students across Prep to Year 2 for a school located in Mentone, Melbourne, while learning was happening from home. At the time, the school was focusing on resilience as a whole-school wellbeing theme.

In our session, participants were invited to explore ‘Creature Containers’ and ‘Emotion Creatures’, playful, imaginative artworks that supported them to express and make sense of their feelings. These creative tools helped externalise emotions, explore what lockdown had been like for them and offered something they could return to after the session. The workshop created a gentle, creative space for connection, play and reflection during a time that felt uncertain and isolating for many young people.