Sharing experiences of empathy and resilience 

Help children and young people build understanding, resilience and empathy by exploring other young peoples’ stories. 

Young people talking about experiences to camera
Age:
7-18
Type:
Activities
Subjects:
Citizenship, PSHE
Topics:
Kindness, Refugees and migration, Home learning resources

COVID-19 may have had an impact on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as they have experienced such change to their daily routines. These activities explore how children and young people have coped with their own challenges and how this has helped them develop their own resilience. 

Learning objectives

Learners will: 

  • explore different stories to build understanding and empathy
  • hear stories from other young people across the UK about their experiences and resilience 
  • learn what is resilience, why it is important and reflect on their own resilience 
  • reflect on the importance on listening to others’ experiences 
  • understand how people cope with challenges and change

Resource overview 

There are activities for both primary and secondary learners.

Coping with lockdown (for 11-18 year-olds)

Young people talk about their experience of lockdown in a series of videos filmed by young people. 11-18-year-olds will: 

  • think about coping and resilience 
  • consider how others have coped 
  • think about why empathy is important

  • reflect on what skills they’ve developed 
  • explore ways to further build resilience. 

Activities include role-plays, videos, reflection and ways to cope and plan for the future. 

Drawing stories 

Help primary and secondary learners build empathy and understanding through comics created by young refugees in the UK. Through listening, discussion and creative activities learners will reflect on how people cope with challenges and change and how stories can show us a person’s journey. Learners will also have the opportunity to draw their own people and story using videos from the graphic artist Dan Archer

This resource was developed in June 2020 by the British Red Cross.