Making friends and feeling isolated
Children have missed out on a huge amount of social interaction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time usually spent going to school and interacting with family and friends was replaced with staying at home and limited contact with the outside world.
Play is a wonderful way to help ease worries about stepping out of that comfort zone.
How play can help
Help your child prepare to make or re-establish connections through role play. You could act out where you would go, what you would play with when you got there and what you might say to other children you meet there. It can be useful to find small ways to engage, like sending a note to a friend to say hello or asking if they want to come and play.
