The Story Behind Sunny Kids Shine®
Hello, my name is Jodie Smart. I founded Sunny Kids Shine® in 2018 with a simple but powerful mission: to nurture emotionally secure, resilient, and happy children. After more than a decade working in education, I saw first-hand how vital emotional support is for children and young people, especially those facing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) challenges or living with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). I’ve worked across both mainstream and specialist settings, always with one goal in mind: to help children feel seen, heard, understood, and supported.
My professional background includes a BA (Hons) in Childhood Development, certification in Mindfulness for Children, and training in British Sign Language. I hold an up-to-date Enhanced DBS and am committed to ongoing professional development in areas such as safeguarding, trauma, sensory processing, child protection, SEND, and inclusion, ensuring my practice is safe, informed, and inclusive.
Drawing on this experience and deep research, I created the award-winning Feelings Detective® curriculum. A creative, child-led programme that blends elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with Emotional Intelligence, Social Skills, Prosocial Behaviours, Self-Compassion, and Kindness. It’s designed to help children better understand their feelings and learn how to manage them with confidence.
At Sunny Kids Shine®, we take a holistic, person -centred approach to emotional wellbeing. Through play, creativity, and connection, we support not only children, but also the adults around them, empowering families, caregivers, and professionals to learn, grow and shine together.
What Makes Sunny Kids Shine® Different
At Sunny Kids Shine®, we’re proud to be an award-winning, tools-based mental health and wellbeing service, rooted in the belief that there’s nothing wrong with your child. Our work isn't about fixing or changing who they are. Instead, we focus on empowering children, young people, families, and professionals to understand emotions, develop resilience, and nurture inner confidence.
We don't believe in simply addressing the immediate issues seen on the surface, "applying plasters" or temporary solutions. Instead, we adopt a holistic whole-person approach to establish a secure personal, social, and emotional foundation from within. Fostering an emotionally supportive environment for everyone involved.
Feelings are a natural part of being human. Everyone experiences BIG emotions sometimes, and learning how to navigate them is a lifelong skill. Our goal is to help children understand their emotions, not fear them; to embrace who they are, and to feel safe, supported, and strong enough to shine from the inside out.
Our distinctive evidence-based programmes are designed for collective growth. Whether you're a child, a parent, or a professional, we offer engaging tools and strategies that build lasting emotional wellbeing. One of our signature frameworks is N.A.M.E. your feelings, helping children to:
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Notice what they feel
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Accept their emotions
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Manage them with care
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Express them in healthy ways
Our sessions are filled with creativity, colour, and curiosity, using engaging resources and interactive teaching styles to reduce anxiety and make learning feel safe, fun, and meaningful.
"Our feelings form a rainbow within, and feelings come and go. Everybody has them, and it’s ok to let them show. Sometimes, they need a little help, a listening ear to share. Other times they need you to say, hello, I feel you there.”
- Jodie Smart - Owner and Founder of Sunny Kids Shine
