Indulging in the annual 'Pinterest Predicts' trends forecast is a fun game, ticking off any that you have already embraced, or bookmarking ones that inspire you. But one in particular on the 2022 list stayed with me - 'Calming Classrooms'.
For anyone who's new to Pinterest Predicts, it is the platform's annual set of trend predictions, based on its global search data from a 12 month period in the years prior. And to validate its importance, 80% of its 2021 predictions came true...
While the platform is a visual emporium of inspiration and entertainment, it is also a great source of education and insight not only into future trends, but consequently an insight into the minds of those who are searching.
Some personal favourites of the 2022 list:
'LAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT' - as an open water swimmer recently introduced to lake swimming in Slovenia, this is one I can wholesomely vouch for.
'BARKITECHTURE' - the platform states that "in 2022 people will redesign their homes with Fido and Felix at the forefront, from luxury dog rooms to 'catified' homes."
'DON'T QUIT YOUR YAY JOB' - making a living out of your hobbies is going to be a big part of 2022.
WHY THE NEED FOR CALMING CLASSROOMS?
But this blog is about a trend that speaks to the prevalent issue of the mental state of school children: 'CALMING CLASSROOMS'.
With the searches being made by Millennials, Gen X and Boomers this suggests its teachers who are looking for inspiration, with search terms such as 'Forest classroom' and 'nature themed classroom' up by 190% and 185% respectively.
As pupils arrive back into schools after spending months learning from home, teachers are looking for ways to promote good mental health, and one way is to connect with nature, as was the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week in 2021. That year, the Mental Health Foundation published that 45% of people in the UK said that visiting green spaces helped them cope with the effects of the pandemic. The organisation used the term '‘connectedness" to describe the ideal relationship with our surroundings; employing our senses, and having emotional connectedness with nature.
If making classrooms calmer has a role to play in the mental health of pupils (and teachers?), will this be a fleeting trend or something that will stick around much longer as schools and architects look to optimise childrens' learning environments for the future?
Read the full Pinterest Predicts for 2022 here.