Children bear the brunt of conflict around the world and children from Ukraine are no exception. They have been killed, witnessed atrocities, displaced, and lost family members. There are currently nearly 7 million children in Ukraine (UNICEF, 2023). Evidence shows repeated exposure to trauma impacts a child’s mental health and well-being and can be severe and life-long. The impact of conflict on a child’s well-being means they cannot wait for the violence to end before they can play or learn.

We can support the psychological resilience of children by supporting educators to share our playful activities with children. Educators needed to quickly adapt to dealing with learners living through war and consider the psychological and emotional needs of children against this backdrop. Children also spend extended periods of time in air-raid shelters with extremely limited space and no connectivity. We have been asked if we can adapt our joyful activities to support them at this time.