Ezine Article
Children naturally respond to this period of uncertainty with play centred around the coronavirus. It helps them to act out their fears and emotions within the safety of their imaginary worlds.
The word “coronavirus” is currently very much an integral part of our lives. It seems to have swiftly entered the play scenes of children in different parts of the world. My children, for instance, have started yelling “I’ve got coronavirus! Now you’ve got it!” in a high-energy game of chase around the house that ultimately leads to one child building a contraption out of Lego to kill the coronavirus. At some point, a dinosaur becomes a carrier of the coronavirus, and it gets shot because there are no doctors for dinosaurs. Maybe your children are playing doctor to patients with coronavirus. Maybe your friend’s child is pensively drawing a sketch that depicts social distancing.How playing out the coronavirus helpsWhile storybooks and television shows have introduced many young children to the concept of an emergency, they have probably never before encountered, nor have they been mentally prepared for this particular sort...