Resources for COVID-19 Support
See below a collection of COVID-19 resources
Normalising Masks: Advice & Guidance for teachers and whānau
Vaccination Support
COVID-19 Resurgence
Familiarising children with masks
As Hospital Play Specialists we spend a great deal of our time supporting children to become more familiar and comfortable with medical equipment and procedures. One of the most effective ways to decrease anxiety around the clinical setting and medical equipment is to make things familiar, accessible and normalised. We often do this through play and exploration.
Below are some ideas that you can incorporate into your day to day activities with children to lessen the stress or worries around masks. Please be aware that for young children they struggle to identify even familiar people once they have a mask on as covering the lower part of the face removes many visual cues. Ensure you are reminding children who you are if you approach with a mask already in place. Some teachers, nurses and clinicians are wearing a small laminated picture of themselves on their tops so that children can see who they are underneath. If you are required to wear a mask working with children this might be something to investigate.
Explaining masks:
Using creative play for decreasing anxiety around masks:
Ka Pai team - thank you for keeping your friends and family safe by wearing your mask when you need to : )
Below are some ideas that you can incorporate into your day to day activities with children to lessen the stress or worries around masks. Please be aware that for young children they struggle to identify even familiar people once they have a mask on as covering the lower part of the face removes many visual cues. Ensure you are reminding children who you are if you approach with a mask already in place. Some teachers, nurses and clinicians are wearing a small laminated picture of themselves on their tops so that children can see who they are underneath. If you are required to wear a mask working with children this might be something to investigate.
Explaining masks:
- Short simple consistent information is best.
- Everyone is wearing masks to protect each other...coronavirus is so small we can not see it - so it is important to be careful when we are around others just in case.
- Sometimes it is difficult to stay as far apart as we need to - but we can use the mask to make sure that we are all keeping safe.
- Sometimes it is tricky to catch all of our sneezes and coughs - but our mask can help us to do that.
- Some people choose to wear masks lots of the time - not just when they are close together - if that makes them feel safer then that is ok.
- Remember that some people will not be able to wear masks - very young children (infants and toddlers), those with sensitivities or medical issues that impact breathing. It is important that we support understanding in these cases.
Using creative play for decreasing anxiety around masks:
- Simple colouring pages with different types of masks are readily available online. Look for masks children can decorate....if they are older they may want to draw themselves, cut out and place their mask
- Look for pictures or colouring pages that have images of people or animals with and without masks - can they tell that the teddy bear without a mask is the same as the bear with the mask? Make up a matching game....for preschool children keep this to a limit of matching 4 sets of images at a time...you want to aim for success to create positive associations with the masks. You can even take pictures of teachers, parents, caregivers with and without a mask on to match...
- Play peek a boo....you can do this with a scrap of material or a simple bandana for a 'mask' as you move the covering on and off your face children will build an understanding that you are the same person - even when hiding behind the mask.
- Who else wears a mask? Why? Firefighters, astronauts, nurse, scuba diver....each mask has a different job....what does your mask do?
- Find a mirror at the right height and get your child to look at themselves with their mask on and off...talk about how it is tricky to see when they are smiling...ask them how they are feeling - it is useful to get children to understand that using their words might be helpful....and they can ask others with a mask on if they are unsure...are you happy? sad? mad? Sometimes masks make it hard to tell....
- You can add small masks to the home play area for use with dolls, teddies or special friends. Children will want to ensure that they are protected too.
- Allow children to handle their mask, if they are able to help choose material or colours that is great. Any choices that they have will help to support their buy in.
- Talk about some different places where you might need masks and some where it is ok not to. Social stories with simple pictures are a great way to do this.
- Discuss the order we use when wearing masks. Make a game about hand washing, mask on, hands free (important to try not to fiddle with them as this can spread germs), mask off, hands cleaned. If you have pictures for clues can the children get them in the right order?
Ka Pai team - thank you for keeping your friends and family safe by wearing your mask when you need to : )
Support for teachers welcoming children back in Level 2
In the latest Special Edition COVID-19 update of the Ministry of Educations He Pānui Kōhungahunga; the Early Learning Bulletin, on 12 May 2020, HPSAANZ Nicola Woollaston put together a guide to support teachers as they welcomed children back in Level 2.
Check it out on the Ministry website at:
https://mailchi.mp/education/special-edition-12-may-2020-covid-19-update
Check it out on the Ministry website at:
https://mailchi.mp/education/special-edition-12-may-2020-covid-19-update
Supporting Children during COVID-19
What's your 'happy' colour?
An Activity to support emotional expression by Meenu Wadhwa
Suitable for 3 to 10 years old
Play is a universal language that every child understands and uses. In the time of fear, anxiety and uncertainty play facilitates expression of feelings and helps reducing emotional stress with improved understanding and increased ability to cope effectively. The suggested activity combines creative play expression to help children identify and acknowledge the emotions and feelings they are experiencing. With the guiding support of an adult they can name those emotions and identify them as pleasurable or threatening.
Daily reflections can be placed on the provided worksheet to track the emotional response and coping over a week and can further flow through as a regular exercise . The two worksheets are self explanatory for use. These are a great tool to use with ease without much requirement of a long list of resources. Most children are well conversed with use of emoji icons and can connect them with relevant emotion. Providing a choice to pick a colour or an emoji that projects a particular emotion encourages children to participate, allows them to exercise some control and make a conscious choice. The sense of being in control strengthens children’s sense of wellbeing when other aspects of their day feel overwhelming.
Suitable for 3 to 10 years old
Play is a universal language that every child understands and uses. In the time of fear, anxiety and uncertainty play facilitates expression of feelings and helps reducing emotional stress with improved understanding and increased ability to cope effectively. The suggested activity combines creative play expression to help children identify and acknowledge the emotions and feelings they are experiencing. With the guiding support of an adult they can name those emotions and identify them as pleasurable or threatening.
Daily reflections can be placed on the provided worksheet to track the emotional response and coping over a week and can further flow through as a regular exercise . The two worksheets are self explanatory for use. These are a great tool to use with ease without much requirement of a long list of resources. Most children are well conversed with use of emoji icons and can connect them with relevant emotion. Providing a choice to pick a colour or an emoji that projects a particular emotion encourages children to participate, allows them to exercise some control and make a conscious choice. The sense of being in control strengthens children’s sense of wellbeing when other aspects of their day feel overwhelming.
| Meenu's Emotional Expression Activity |
The Coping Caterpillar
Do you have a child who is feeling a bit worried or anxious – here is the simple and practical activity that encourages children to identify their worries and work together to develop positive coping strategies. I use this activity often in hospital and was a go-to resource after the CHCH earthquakes – it is simple to use in times of uncertainty. The ‘coping caterpillar’ provides a great visual to help children see how they can make something that feels overwhelming a bit more manageable.
This video is ‘homestyle’ – but hopefully shows just how easily it can be done with minimal resources…of course if children want to get creative with their caterpillars and coping strategies that is fantastic – let them make it their own : )
This video is ‘homestyle’ – but hopefully shows just how easily it can be done with minimal resources…of course if children want to get creative with their caterpillars and coping strategies that is fantastic – let them make it their own : )
