Should schools close during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Schools play a critical role for children – not only in providing education, social and emotional development, but also in offering critical support – especially for the most vulnerable of students.Read more
Pandemic has had ‘a major impact’ on children’s experiences and rights
A global survey of children’s views and experiences of life under COVID-19 has found that the pandemic had wide-ranging impacts on youngsters’ experiences and rights.Read more
Are video games good for your health? Apparently so…
Don’t tell the kids but playing video games is good for their health…OK there’s obviously a ‘but’ coming but researchers at Oxford University have nevertheless put forward a new spin on the whole debate over...Read more
UK survey of nursery staff on youngsters’ mental health
The UK’s Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families has launched a survey designed to bring together valuable insights from nursery staff on the mental health and wellbeing needs of under-fives.Read more
EU youth forum: Cities must invest in our children’s future
Disruptions to schooling, an impact on mental health and the suppressing of social skills. These are just some of the dramatic effects which COVID-19 has brought on children and young people. Read more
“Angry, fed up, isolated”: Coronavirus and children’s mental health
Children are no less affected by the worry and stress the coronavirus crisis can cause than adults. While it is reassuring that the virus rarely makes children physically ill, it can still impact on their...Read more
Under-11s reporting mental health problems to Childline
Under-11s are increasingly calling Childline, the UK’s child counselling help service, with mental health concerns and even suicidal thoughts. This concerning trend is highlighted by the organisation as it launches a new nationwide campaign – KIDS...Read more
Decline in playgrounds is a ‘public health issue’
The worrying trend of closing public playgrounds in the UK poses a real ‘public health issue’, say campaigners. Addressing a ‘massive decline’ in mainly urban playgrounds across the country, the Association of Play Industries (API) has...Read more
In area beset by violence and deportations, Chicago opens a mental health clinic for infants and toddlers
Inside Chicago’s first stand-alone mental health centre for young children, new therapy rooms come stuffed with play kitchens, toy police stations, and cuddly plush toys. While the children play — sometimes in view of a two-way...Read more
Maths anxiety affects ‘a third’ of young children
Anxiety about their maths ability affects around a third of young children in the UK, according to researchers. Maths anxiety is defined as a ‘negative emotional reaction to a mathematical problem’ that can affect all ages,...Read more