New initiative helping school kids with anxiety

Anxiety is one of the fastest growing mental illness issues for Kiwi kids.

Now a new initiative to help them deal with it, called 'Sparklers', is being launched nationwide following a successful six month trial in Canterbury schools.

The programme involves 36 activities devised by researchers to help children deal with anxiety. 

Lucy Hone from the 'All Right?' campaign says that "childhood anxiety is one of the fastest growing mental illness issues". 

Kaiapoi Borough School is already on board and says it's working.

The principal Murray Overton says that its "something that's been an issue for our children here at Kaiapoi Borough"

"Sometimes it's through a lack of focus with learning, sometimes it's around relationship challenges. 

The programme includes a range of tasks including breathing and balancing exercises. 

Others teach resilience, like children working themselves out of a tangle. 

The programme is tackling anxiety head on; finding a way forward, improving learning and wellbeing. 

Newshub.