These links from trusted sources have been grouped by age category to make it easier for you to find age-appropriate information for your child/ the child you’re supporting.
You know your child/ the child you are supporting best so please use these groupings flexibly.
For younger children
- Nanogirl Live has produced a couple of videos explaining COVID-19 and why it is important to wash our hands/ sneeze and cough into our elbows
- This comic strip provides a visual explanation of the COVID-19 outbreak and what we can do to stop its spread
For school aged children
- BBC’s Newsround has a COVID-19 website featuring a range of stories and videos on the outbreak
These include: - Facts and myth-busting
- Newsround advice on how to manage worries about COVID-19
- Brave program YouTube series teaching coping skills for dealing with difficult situations
For older young people/ adults
- The World Health Organisation has released this video containing facts about COVID-19 and ways in which the spread can be prevented
- The Centre for Disease Control has produced a 1 page COVID-19 fact sheet
Resources for parents/ carers explaining COVID-19
- UNICEF’s 8 quick tips for talking to children about COVID-19
- The Flourishing Families Clinic (at the University of Sussex and Sussex Partnership NHS Trust) has produced some tips and advice on how to talk to your child about their COVID-19 anxieties
- The National Association of School Psychologists have produced a resource for parents for talking to children about COVID-19 anxieties
- Wandering Minds of a Psychologist explains why it is important to talk to children about COVID-19 and provides concrete examples of things to say/ questions to ask
- The Guardian – Advice on both how to talk to your child about COVID-19, and what to cover
Resources for those working with children
- The National Association of School Psychologists has a resource preparing mental health professionals in schools for infectious disease epidemics and outbreaks
- UNICEF has published advice for teachers
- The Centre for Disease Control – General principles for parents, teachers and any other professionals working with children
- The British Psychological Society have published some tips talking to children about COVID-19 concerns. It refers to “your child” but the tips and strategies are the same for any adults working with children, not just parents
Videos and Podcasts
- BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour: How to talk to children about COVID-19
- This Vimeo provides tips and advice about how to talk to your child about natural disasters and news events
- Ehrenreich-May is a child psychologists and has produced a Vimeo outlining three tips for talking to your child about COVID-19
- The Child’s Mind Institute has published a video providing advice on talking to children about COVID-19
Resources for children and young people with specific needs
- Additude has published some advice for parents of children with ADHD
- Anna Kennedy Online has provided some advice for parents of children with ASC
- Advice for reducing the impact of routine disruption for those with ASC
- Social story about COVID-19
- The international OCD foundation has published advice for parents of youth with OCD
- Mencap easy-read
Resources for adults
- The University of Oxford’s Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma has shared useful mental health advice for adults.
- OCD-UK have published advice on managing OCD symptoms with COVID-19
- OCD-UK have published advice on managing OCD symptoms with COVID-19
- Rethink have published general guidelines on managing mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak
Self-Isolating
- Ehrenreich-May has produced a Vimeo on dealing with strong emotions when self-isolating with children
- BBC Bitesize – Advice on learning at home
- BBC Bitesize also has a range of home education activities
- 10 indoor activities for children if self-isolating
Information for parents and carers on online safety
- Safety Net Kids – This resource has some really clear messages for children to help them stay safe online during social distancing
- NSPCC – This resource has some helpful information for parents, carers and professionals about online safety
- MyTutor – Parent’s guide to teaching online safety