The global coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19, is impacting the daily lives of all of us, especially children. Closed schools, interrupted activities, isolation… most of the world’s children are now at home, without their daily landmarks, for an indefinite period of time.
UNESCO estimates that more than 1.5 billion learners are deprived of schooling as a result of the current situation (source here). Although schools and educational institutions are organising themselves to enable as many of them as possible to continue learning, parents and caregivers are now primarily responsible for their children’s instruction. As the current situation can also cause stress for children of all ages, it is necessary to find the right words to explain it to them.
In this article, we have gathered resources published by many actors (NGOs, media, institutions…) to help parents, guardians, or childcare staff to take their bearings and to enable children to understand and blossom in this unprecedented context.
In English :
Explaining Coronavirus and the situation:
A kid’s guide to Coronavirus (New York Times)
The pandemic explained to children in under five minutes (Open School, Government of Quebec)
My child is worried about the pandemic. What can I do to provide support? (Government of Quebec)
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus and Supporting Kids During the Coronavirus Crisis (Child Mind Institute)
How does COVID-19 affect children? A child psychologist weighs in. (SOS Children’s Villages)
Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19 (National Association of School Psychologists)
Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus (NPR)
Ideas of activities:
New resource pack: positive parenting in COVID-19 isolation (End violence against children)
Use the social media platforms: With Kids Stuck at Home, Authors Bring Stories to Instagram (Wired)
The Secret to Keeping Your Kids Happy, Busy and Learning if Their School Closes Due to Coronavirus (Time)
Activities and online resources for homebound kids: A coronavirus guide (Live Science)
Virtually visit museums (click to show)
Virtual Museums collections on Google Arts & Culture
or
Civilisation museum
Canadian history museum
Canada’s virtual museum
Granby zoo (fact sheets and videos)
Canadian museum of nature (activities)
Ecomuseum (fact sheets on animals)
Ingeniums Museums (Canada museums of science and technology, agriculture and food and aviation and space)
Montréal’s Science Center (activities)
Vatican museum
Le Louvre
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
British Museum
Guggenheim de New York
The Frick Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dali Museum
Other content :
A complete guide to screen addictions and responsible digital use (Comparethemarket)
In spanish:
Hable con sus hijos sobre el COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Un recurso para padres (.pdf)
Un livret d’activités pour se divertir pendant le confinement (UNICEF Mexique): ¡Quedarnos en casa también es divertido!