Back to school during COVID-19, strengthens children’s mental and emotional well-being through play

Parents, educators and children keep an eye on the schedule as the new school year approaches.

The last school year has been spent under lockdown, restrictions and school closures linked to COVID-19, which has left children undergoing a dizzying array of changes. Added to this are the disruptions of daily family life, as many parents scramble to be both teachers and animators for the children.

We are part of a growing global team of interdisciplinary researchers examining how children’s play and lives have been affected during the pandemic. In our pilot research with five families in the Eastern Canada neighborhood, we found that while parents expressed concern about children’s missed school time, children aged six to 12 looked for creative ways to recoup. their old pandemic gaming life through virtual sleepovers and Zoom neighborhood ukulele lessons.

As schools return to in-person learning, the joint efforts of school communities and families to make time to play at school and at home will be essential in giving children space to resolve legacy anxieties. pandemic, in addition to providing many other social and cognitive benefits.

Play and resilience

Resilience is an important part of a child’s development, a store of emotional strength that a child can draw on for the rest of their life.

The value of play in developing children’s resilience is well known. Play is the means by which children experience and interact with the world. It is how they treat their learning in the classroom and at home, a vital part of their mental and social development.

The pandemic has highlighted children’s play as a source of creativity, exploration and socialization. But he also highlighted how children have experienced the stress and trauma of the pandemic – and how play can help them cope.

Gambling affected by the pandemic

Children and families have seen the pandemic unravel the worlds of school, children’s activities and playgrounds.

Important milestones, such as concerts and graduation ceremonies, took place virtually in socially remote classrooms. Teachers and parents were dismayed at the loss of the children’s “red carpet” moments.

While some education officials might argue that post-pandemic school recovery should be the top priority following gaps in face-to-face teaching, our concern is that school recovery should not – and should not. not – come at the expense of strengthening the mental and emotional well-being of children. -being through play.

Play is also essential for laying the foundation for school learning both in terms of children’s socio-emotional regulation as well as for the development of motor skills and conceptual thinking.

Back to school

Parents who participated in our research told us that online schooling gave them a new window into the challenges of teaching.

A parent said he was worried his child might not stay focused, but the teacher tried very hard, asking the children to do scavenger hunts for the objects in the book they were reading, or timed exercises for give their body a break.

Such attention to children’s rhythms and needs will need to continue as they return to face-to-face learning.

Unfortunately, the pursuit of COVID-19 protocols and practices in children’s environments will limit play. This will require the use of creative strategies to determine how children can play freely and socially during school and have places to communicate and express their feelings.

It will be important to continue talking with children about the important roles they play in ensuring their safety and the safety of others, such as washing their hands. Open communication and play, especially when taking place in dialogue, will be essential when children return to school and play with their friends.

Communicate, give children clear facts

Tracy Rose, director of Memorial University Childcare Center, said:

“I encouraged parents to keep communication open to children’s questions – but also to be aware of the transfer of stress from adults to children.”

Many teachers understood at the height of the pandemic that it would be essential to strike a balance between their own fears and the needs of children. A teacher told us that she had read the book Why has the whole world stopped? Talking with kids about COVID-19 just before the departure of the children for prolonged confinement:

“It was factual and honest, and told them a truth they could understand.”

Children are able to take understandable facts and transfer them to play spaces to struggle with their meanings. This gives children some of the essential tools they need to interpret stressful times and build their resilience.

We’ve already seen how kids play out their COVID-19 experiences in classrooms – for example, kindergartens pretending to give vaccines. While parents and teachers do not always include children in discussions about the pandemic, children always listen and learn through play.

Collaborate on the importance of play

Understanding and promoting children’s play during COVID-19 requires global collaboration and knowledge exchange between researchers, educators and policy makers.

Read more: Coronavirus highlights issues of equity and access with children’s right to play

We believe that our global research efforts can help advance our society’s understanding of the role of play in supporting resilience, renewal and recovery in diverse contexts and cultures. This knowledge can better mitigate many negative societal effects experienced by children and families during times of crisis like the pandemic. It can also further amplify children’s often unfamiliar voices.

Recover lost ground

Despite the hardships of the past year, children will thrive if play provides them with opportunities to build resilience and emotional health.

The game develops children’s resilience, their best defense mechanism in times of stress, confusion and crisis. As we move beyond COVID-19, opportunities to play will be paramount in reclaiming lost ground in a changing world.