Activities for understanding crises

We know that young people may experience grief and bereavement in relation to international crises. 

Take a look at our guidance on bereavement support, including links to specialist bereavement support organisations

Some activities include:

• Choose age-appropriate activities from the activities for bereaved children and young people developed by Winston’s Wish, a childhood bereavement charity in the UK.
• Explore ways to make space for grief and bereavement discussions, using #iwill and Woodcraft Folk’s Growing with Grief toolkit.

We all know how important it is to look after ourselves, so why not try an activity with wellbeing in mind? 

Some activities include:

• Build a wellbeing box, full of mood-boosting items.
• Practice mindfulness techniques.
• Go on a mindfulness walk.
• Try some animal yoga to help you to relax.
• Make a calming shaker or breathing buddy.

Take a look at our blog on how to be kind to yourself.

We know global crises, such as conflict or natural disasters, can be difficult for us all, but talking about what’s happening can help.

See our discussion guide to help you use Scout values while talking about these subjects.

Some activities include:

• Explore what it might feel like to flee with only a few of your possessions in Refugee suitcase.
• Learn about the idea of affinity bias, then see what we all share in common.
• Learn about and observe Holocaust Memorial Day with this art activity.
• Look into a recent climate events with When disaster strikes.
• Choose the items you’d need in an extreme weather event in Disaster stations.

Take a look at our blog about welcoming refugees and displaced children in Scouts.

Peace is all about friendship, harmony and a lack of conflict, but how do we talk about this with our young people?

Some activities include:

• Plan an event in your local area to raise awareness of the issues refugees and displaced children face.
• Explore how it feels to be on the receiving end of differential treatment in Equity spaghetti.
• Explore a story of peace from Islam and learn about the black stone, with a balloon-balancing activity.

Take a look at what World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM)  have to say about Peace. You can also find activities to explore and promote peace in WOSM’s Dialogue for Peace resources: Choose your activities | World Scouting

Try out some of our kindness-based activities to show that a little love and compassion will go a long way to making the world a better place.

Some activities include:

• Create a community display to shout about the power of kindness.
• Learn how to use social media for acts of kindness.
• Challenge the headlines in Kind news to build empathy for people affected by conflict.
• Learn about the bystander effect in Kindness in emergencies.
• Discover positive news with Good deed discovery.
• Make Kindness pebbles.
• Explore how Scouts have always helped in difficult situations. 

When they go through difficult times, lots of people find comfort, help and support in their faith or belief. Why not run some activities to learn about different faiths and beliefs?

Some activities include:

• Explore how world religions put their faith into action, Faith feathers.
• Plan a small pilgrimage by visiting a place of worship or a sacred site.
• Learn about different faiths and how to interact with different communities.
• Take a look at all our faith and belief activities. 
• Earn one of our faith-related badges.
• Make a handprint celebration card and give out to your family, friends and neighbours.

Learn about different cultures from around the world. Use our discussion guide to help you use Scout values while talking about conflict.

Palestinian

Some activities to try:

• Try weaving some gauze out of cotton and find out about its history.
• Have a go at making these folded, or Mtabaq, cheese pastry parcels
• Have a go at baking some sesame bread from Jerusalem, known as Ka’ek Al-Quds.
• Try Tatreez Palestinian cross stitch.

Israeli

Some activities to try:

• Make your own dreidel, a four-sided spinning top, and have a go at this traditional Hanukkah game.
• Make triangular biscuits called Hamantaschen to mark the Jewish festival of Purim.
• Make graggers, and explore the story behind the Jewish festival of Purim.

Supporting refugees

Some activities to try:

• Make a kindness jar to show someone how much you care about them.
• Get thinking practically about young people’s experiences when they flee their home because of a conflict, what would you take?
• Can you think critically and challenge the headlines to build empathy for people affected by conflict? - Kind news
• If you want to get more involved, take a look at our activities for supporting refugees.

Explore British Red Cross’ free teaching and learning resources to help connect human crisis with human kindness.