Play in a crisis: giving children space and normality

Play gives children control in a world that is currently out of control. Adults often process experiences by talking; children frequently do it through play. They use it to sort what they have seen and heard, to express feelings they do not yet have words for, and to try out how a story can end well.

At the same time, play is a piece of normality. A child who plays again experiences joy and notices: not everything has changed. Fixed play times also create predictability, which children particularly need in uncertain times.

The adults benefit too. Children at play are usually calmer, and parents get small breaks to deal with urgent matters or simply take a breath.

A fixed place: a quiet corner or a defined area, ideally always the same one. Simple materials are quite enough – paper, pens, cards, dice, balls, boxes, books and a favourite toy. Build play into the daily routine and alternate between quiet and active games.

Accompany, do not steer: let children play what they want. Listen when they talk while playing, and answer questions honestly and in a child-appropriate way. Do not forbid or punish disaster play – it is usually part of processing.

Typical mistakes are forbidding play as “inappropriate”, keeping children occupied with screens all the time, or letting them overhear news and adult conversations about the crisis. The last one in particular can frighten children more than the event itself.

Check every play area for hazards: debris, glass, floodwater, fallen power lines, traffic and generator exhaust. Floodwater can be contaminated and may have currents or hidden holes. Generator exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an invisible and odourless gas – children should never play near a running generator.

Do not let children play unsupervised in unfamiliar surroundings, such as an emergency shelter or a damaged neighbourhood. An adult supervisor always belongs with them. In the dark a headlamp or torch helps – no open flames in play areas.

Many games need almost nothing: “I spy”, stories where everyone adds one sentence, drawing, card games, houses made of boxes. During a power cut, shadow puppets with a torch are fun for many children. Outdoors, ball games are possible if the place is safe.

In emergency shelters several families can take turns supervising; older children take on small tasks and feel needed as a result. Coordinate this with the shelter management. Because noise quickly causes arguments in cramped rooms, fixed times for loud games and quiet games during rest periods help.

A child playing out the disaster is usually normal. You should pay attention if a child plays exactly the same distressing scene again and again over a long period, seems desperate while doing so, if the play stays rigid and unchanging, or if the child stops playing altogether. Then it makes sense to involve professionals such as a paediatrician or a counselling service.

These tips are neither play therapy nor a diagnosis. The IASC guidelines name safe spaces and child-friendly activities as part of basic support in emergencies, and the NCTSN guide describes how caregivers can support children. If a child or an adult is in acute danger, the rule always applies: the local emergency number (112 in the EU).