Article Source: Licketyspit
Last Updated: 6 April 2020 10:30
Image Credit: Big Porridge & Play Whiteinch 2019, Photographer: Eoin Carey
The global spread of Covid-19 is a confusing and anxious time for many children and they find themselves separated from their daily routine and friendships. To help families deal with this, pioneering Scottish children’s theatre and family play charity, Licketyspit, have created two videos for children explaining the Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown.
VIDEO: Licketyspit Children’s Guide to the Coronavirus
VIDEO: Licketyspit Children's Guide to Coronavirus 2: Lockdown
Licketyspit believes it is important and in the interest of children's rights to give children an explanation they can understand. With 20+ years’ experience in child-led creative engagement with families, the charity was well placed to address this concern in these accessible short video clips for 3-12s and their families.
Overwhelmingly positive feedback has encouraged the company to continue to produce further updates, which also include coping strategies and demonstrations of imaginary play & games to try at home.
The first video has now been translated and filmed by volunteers for Licketyspit in Arabic (Asem Mustafa) Spanish Itxaso Moreno and Polish (Joanna Jaworska-Dorozynska).
Artistic Director and CEO of Licketyspit Virginia Radcliffe said: “As the world’s play experts, children are have great resources to help them cope with this huge challenge if supported in the right way. Licketyspit will continue to draw on our engagement with children and consult families to create fun, inspiring play and learning resources, for families to enjoy together. However, we remain deeply concerned about the many families in our network and more widely who have no or limited access to the internet.”
Sharing the video on Twitter, Minister for Children & Young People Maree Todd said: “Excellent explanation for young and old. Thank you.”
Easterhouse Head Teacher, Vanessa Thomson (Oakwood Primary), who advised Licketyspit, said: “A suggestion put into your hands turns into something very special indeed and so helpful for all our children.”
John O’Donnell, Head Teacher of St Martha’s Primary in Springburn, said: “Please watch Virginia with your child. It will help that very difficult conversation. Then draw!”
Oakwood and St Martha’s are two of Licketyspit’s Storyplay Schools – a project supporting schools addressing the poverty-associated attainment gap through drama-led play and family engagement. The charity plans to continue to support schools through online and printable resources throughout the lockdown period.
FARE Scotland said: “Brilliant, Licketyspit, keep up the great work for our little people.” (Family Action Rogerfield and Easterhouse)
Licketyspit’s Children & Families Network currently engages with 800 families in Glasgow and Edinburgh, most of whom experience socio-economic challenge. The Network is an inclusive, multi-cultural community that fosters integration and children’s rights.
These relationships put Licketyspit in a strong position to adapt its output to provide inventive, high quality online play and wellbeing resources to support families across Scotland and beyond during this time.
Licketyspit is currently collaborating with public and third sector partners in both cities to support the Network and other families during the Coronavirus crisis.
Flight Club is inviting Glasgow AJ Bell Great Scottish Run participants to celebrate their incredible effort with a complimentary drink on Sunday 5th October!
READ MOREThe team behind the home of Social Darts is embarking on a nationwide charity tour in celebration of its 10th birthday and dishing out treats to its fans along the way!
READ MORECity's biggest Halloween show extended as nostalgia-fuelled 'Miles Better' theme takes Glasgow by storm, with new dates on sale on Wednesday 17th September at 7.30am!
READ MOREScotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MOREThe full cast has been announced for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile which comes to the Theatre Royal Glasgow in February.
READ MOREPaisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MOREEdinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MOREThe Royal Shakespeare Company's smash hit production of Matilda The Musical, based on Roald Dahl's beloved book, will come to Glasgow for the very first time in 2026!
READ MORECineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MOREFamily-owned national diamond, jewellery and watch retailer, Beaverbrooks, is doubling the size of its Glasgow Fort store with a £1.3m investment.
READ MOREThis festive season at SWG3, Bongo's Bingo is transporting everyone back to the time where coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme!
READ MOREScotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MOREOne of Glasgow's favourites is flipping the idea of a traditional roast on its head with the return of its Sunday BBQ later this month.
READ MOREMarston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MOREÒran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MOREThe Barrowland Ballroom was filled with love, laughter, and music as friends, family and supporters came together for SOAPYFEST, raising over £18K in support of Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
READ MOREM&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORETopgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MOREGlasGLOW fever has gripped Glasgow once again, with more than 20,000 tickets for this year's GlasGLOW's Miles Better show snapped up within just 60 minutes of being released.
READ MOREIconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MOREThe Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORELove Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MOREMulti-venue music festival taking over Glasgow's East End this October confirms Dead Pony and 14 new acts!
READ MORETickets will go on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow's long-established and much-loved book festival, at 11am today.
READ MOREIt might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MOREBirds Fried Chicken is taking its signature Southern-style fried chicken out of its natural Shawlands habitat and into new, unexpected settings with the launch of Rare Birds!
READ MOREBuchanan Galleries is marking Zero Waste Week (1 – 5 September 2025) by showcasing the centre's wide range of sustainable retail initiatives!
READ MOREBusiness Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MOREA new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORESummer may be over, but music festival season is still here, with an exciting outdoor concert in aid of Mary's Meals taking place in Glasgow's West End on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE