UNICEF and Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and Osvitoria NGO release a practical guide for educators as well as a series of video instructions filled with activities children can do in bomb shelters
Holding classes in bomb shelters and lessons during air raid alerts have become common practice for Ukrainian schools. Taking care of children’s mental health, on the other hand, is a new challenge that educators must overcome. That is why, in the summer of 2022, the team of the Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO created a guide with simple activities to do in bomb shelters and filmed video instructions for separate exercises.
The guide contains several activities for schoolchildren aged 6 to 18 years. They can be used by both teachers and the administration of educational institutions to help children cope (emotionally and physically) with being in a bomb shelter and overcome fear during an air raid alert.
In total, there are 17 exercises developed based on the creative industries workshops held by mentors of “Spilno Camp”, implemented by the Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.
“Compilations of activities are aimed at improving the emotional and physical condition of children during their stay in the bomb shelter through creative practices, acting, and teamwork”, – explains Viktoriia Konovalova, acting mentor at Spilno Camp and teacher at the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema, And Television University.
There is an indication of the recommended age group, necessary materials, tips, and the preferred end result for each of the exercises.
For example, the “My First Stand-Up” exercise can make children laugh out loud and reduce the degree of emotional tension through sharing life stories, pleasant memories, and funny experiences.
The “Circle of Love” exercise can help build good interaction and support through contact—children sit with their eyes closed, hold hands, and try to feel the warmth and energy of their partners. Such activity is aimed at children achieving inner peace.
You can flip through the practical guide here, and all the video instructions can be found on the UNICEF Ukraine YouTube channel
Tetyana Koliadych
Learn more about other elements of the “Safety Culture” worldview program from the Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO by reading the upcoming news on the website, and follow the program on the NGO’s social media: Instagram and Facebook