As a mum mental health is something which I am very passionate about, especially when it comes to finding ways to express my feelings. Sometimes it’s easier to write our feelings down in a journal or by using talking therapy.

However I’m a big fan of play therapy and something which allows me to involve my 7-year-old daughter. 20 Dreams Game is a revolutionary card game created by Arts Psychotherapist Karen Stallard, which encourages you to express emotions by acting them out with the aid of 200 cards. The game looks to build emotional intelligence and empathy. Although it’s aimed at ages 12+ it can easily be adapted to suit younger kids by removing some of the more complex emotions.

Amber is 7 and because she has a background in attending drama classes she found the game really engaging and fun, and it allowed her to open up the conversation around emotions which she wasn’t familiar with. Also all kids love storytelling, so the game holds their concentration which is another plus.

I absolutely love the concept of 20 Dreams Game and the fact that it brings friends or family together in an important way, especially during a tough year for many.

I also love how versatile the cards are. For example I’m sure we’re all aware that kids find it boring telling us how their day was at school. So I loved encouraging Amber to act it out or to choose an emotion card which best describes her day, and my partner and I are able to do the same.

Aesthetic wise the cards are beautifully designed and come in a handy box which is easy to open and transport on train or car journeys.

Overall we found 20 Dreams Game fun, interesting and engaging. It also took us out of our comfort zone on a few occasions, which is a good thing!