Activities to Help Respond to Events in Ukraine

The current situation in Ukraine is a sad and worrying time and one that can leave us in the UK & RoI feeling quite helpless. We know that children and young people will be aware of the situation and may be feeling a range of emotions about what is happening and what the future may hold.  

As an organisation we want to equip leaders to be able to reassure their young people and provide members with an opportunity to reflect on the situation, helping them to find ways to respond to what they are seeing.  

We have therefore created three activities card that can be used by leaders, centred around what is happening in Ukraine.  

Get into the Bible: A Prayer for Ukraine
A prayer activity that allows children and young people to pause and reflect and direct their worries for the people of Ukraine to God.  

Get Learning: Fact File: Ukraine
The stories from Ukraine are dominating the news, but what do your children and young people actually know about the country? Take on this activity to find out more about our European friends and their culture.   

Get Involved: Ukraine Crisis Appeal
Whilst there may be very little we can currently do to help the crisis that is happening the other side of Europe, one thing we can do is support charities working in Ukraine providing humanitarian aid and support to those who need it the most.  

Tips for Talking to Children & Young People about Ukraine  

• Listen. Allow children to share how they are feeling and understand what they are thinking.  
• Be Age Appropriate. Children and young people of different ages will have different understandings of what is going on. Use age-appropriate words. 
• Don’t Overdo it. Be careful not to over-explain or go into too much detail for younger children. Just a chance to be listened to and reassured should be enough to make a difference. Older young people may wish to talk about things more.   
• Peace not War. Try to focus the conversation more on the work the world is doing to bring about peace rather than spending too much time talking about fighting or weapons, which could upset some children and young people.  
• Reassure. Let children and young people know that it is ok for them to be feeling different emotions. Make sure to take time to reassure them that world leaders are working very hard to resolve the situation.  
• Respond. If you feel it’s appropriate, use the Prayer or Crisis Appeal activities to give children a way of physically responding. This can be a good way of placing their thoughts and feelings into something practical, rather than trapped inside them.  

Useful Links to Support You 

Advice if you’re upset by the news – A Newround video aimed at Anchor or Junior age groups, which explains that it is ok to feel upset. 

Red Cross Appeal – As featured in the Get Involved activity, the Red Cross are working to provide support to the people of Ukraine.  

How to Talk to Children about Ukraine – Some guidance from ‘Save the Children’ on how to talk to children and young people about what is going on.