Three Words, One Responsibility: Creating the Right Environment for Children
- The Wonder Company Team
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
The BBC has revealed the three words most associated with 2025:
Peace.
AI.
Resilience.
Children across the UK have voted for "peace" as their Oxford Children's Word of the Year for 2025. The other two that followed behind were AI and Resilience.
But what do these words really mean?
They reflect global conversations — but their impact is felt most acutely at a local level. In classrooms. In holiday clubs. In community spaces where children spend their time.
For those responsible for children, these words aren’t just cultural signals — they’re practical responsibilities.
Peace = Psychological Safety
When people say they want peace, what they often mean is:
predictability
safety
calm
belonging
For children, peace isn’t silence — it’s an environment where:
mistakes are allowed
behaviour is understood, not punished instantly
emotions are regulated through activity, not suppression
Peaceful environments don’t happen by accident.
They are designed.
This is where clubs, schools and councils play a vital role — especially for children who may not experience calm elsewhere.
AI = Context, Not Replacement
AI ranking so highly reflects speed, automation and efficiency — adult priorities.
Children, however, still need:
human connection
hands-on problem solving
creative exploration
physical movement
The question for providers isn’t “How do we use AI?”
It’s “What do children need that AI can’t give them?”
That answer should shape:
activity design
session structure
communication with parents
funding and programme decisions
AI makes human experiences more valuable, not less.
Resilience = Something You Build, Not Demand
Resilience appears third — and that matters.
It suggests resilience isn’t something people want to live in constantly, but something they want to develop safely.
Children don’t build resilience through pressure or performance.
They build it through:
trying
failing
adapting
being supported while doing so
Clubs and schools are uniquely placed to provide this — because they offer low-stakes environments where children can practise life skills without fear.
So What Now?
Questions that could be asked:
Are our spaces calm and predictable enough to feel safe?
Do our activities prioritise confidence and connection over output?
Are we communicating why what we do matters — not just what we offer?
Are we helping children practise resilience, not just talking about it?
These words are a mirror, not a checklist.
Can We Help?
At The Wonder Company, we believe:
peace is created through thoughtful design
resilience grows through doing
confidence comes from experience, not instruction
Our role is to support the people creating these environments — with content, tools and moments that are purposeful, practical and rooted in how children really learn.
The words of 2025 aren’t telling us to do more.
They’re telling us to do what we already do — but with intention.
The Wonder Company
Creating wonder content & WOW moments that matter!
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