Published March 01, 2022 11:19
Thanks to BGC Canada and many other partners, here's a list of kid, youth, and family-friendly resources that may be helpful at this time.
In addition to past episodes of DCAC TV - The Kids Zone on the Facebook page for the Digital Creative Arts Centre, we have a YouTube Channel! Check our videos from our staff team which are available here.
London and Area - Crisis Support
Children to young adults, 5 to 20 years old can contact trained volunteer Crisis Responders at the Kids Help Phone.
Overwhelmed? Stressed? Need to talk? Our friends at Kids Help Phone provide 24/7 support.
Text BGCHelp to 686868 to be connected with a Crisis Responder. (Adults can also text at WELLNESS to 741741)
Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone (Must be signed into Facebook to use this Messenger tool)
Support Lines
- Tandem (formerly Crisis & Intake Team) - for birth to 18 years old + parents/guardians - 519-433-0334 (en français - 519-433-3101, poste 228)
- Together All - for ages 16+ - Peer-to-Peer Support Community
- CMHA - Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Centre - 519-433-2023 - for ages 16+
- CMHA - The Support Line - for ages 16+ - 519-601-8055. The toll-free number is 1-(844)-360-8055.
- Call or text Naseeha - Mental Health Youth Line at 1-866-627-3342 (available 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., every day including weekends)
- Muslim women can call NISA Helpline - 1-866-315 NISA (1-866-315-6472) (available 12 hours per day, 7 days per week.)
- Atlohsa Family Healing Services - Call 1-800-605-7477 (24/7 crisis support)
Our sibling Club, BGC Ottawa, has compiled a list of mental health and wellness supports for African, Caribbean, and Black diaspora. You can find the list as a shared Word document here (select "Mental Health & Wellness Resources"). Please note that this is an on-going list, not a complete list of every resource available.
211 Ontario - during COVID-19
CMHA Middlesex
For more information on the Coronavirus, please refer to the following websites:
Supports for Seniors (55 and older)
- United Way Elgin-Middlesex - Community Helplines for London & Middlesex (download PDF poster)
- United Way Elgin-Middlesex - Community Helplines for Elgin & St. Thomas (download PDF poster)
General
- Coronavirus tracker (from CBC)
- How to protect ourselves at home during coronavirus (from The Conversation)
- A drawn-comic explanation of coronavirus for kids (from NPR)
- Advice to parents on coronavirus (from New York Times)
- How to talk to children and address their coronavirus concerns (from CBC)
- How to work from home with kids when you’re socially distancing (from Lifehacker)
- Talking to your anxious child about COVID-19: Tips for parents and caregivers
- Avoiding COVID-19 scams (from CBC)
- Indigenous-focused community care kit (from 4Rs Youth)
- Social media and screen time during a pandemic (from MediaSmarts)
- A very comprehensive list of resources (US-based)
- Videos with simple language and visuals to address kids’ questions about COVID-19 (from Dr. Michelle Dickinson, New Zealand)
- FAQs about COVID-19 (from The Conversation)
- Free pre-recorded webinar: Digital parenting in a pandemic (from Family Online Safety Institute)
- Information hub for COVID-19 support, organized by category (from WeGotchu)
- 42 easy activities to keep kids busy while parents work at home (from Active for Life)
- KidActivities.net - Free resources for parents and teachers (from kidactivities.net)
- Health Heroes vs the Coronavirus (soon to be an e-book with proceeds benefitting WHO's emergency fund) (from The Happy Broadcast, follow them on Facebook or Instagram)
- Virtual map of local community foundation responses to COVID-19 (from Community Foundations of Canada)
- Kids and masks: FAQ (from The Conversation)
Educational / Tech
- Curated educational videos for kids (from The Kid Should See This)
- Daily home schedule example (from BIAS)
- Tech reviews and suggestions for parents and educators (from Common Sense Media)
- At-home resources for Kids (and their grown-ups) (from KiwiCo)
- A list of live animal cams (from Adventure Journal)
- 5 online art clubs (from My Modern Met)
- Top 10 online resources for kids at home (from Maggy Wheeler blog)
- Things to do at home (compiled by BGC Durham)
- Unique lessons and experiences by artists and organizations (from CBC)
- Add ingredients and find recipes from popular cooking websites (from SuperCook)
- Parents guide to Google Classroom (YouTube video from Mr. Vacca of Mohonasen High School)
- Junior Wildlife Workbook (from Alberta Hunter Education)
- Sensory play recipes (from MotherCould)
- Site to use while schools are closed
- Free online classes for adults (from Brit+C0)
- Educational resources for kindergarten to high school (from ON gov)
- Collection of live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and fun educational sites (from Virtual School Activities)
- High-quality, interactive video lessons for all ages (from TED-Ed)
- 20-minute YouTube “doodle” sessions for kids with Mo Willems (from the Kennedy Center)
- Free e-book about COVID-19 for parents to read to kids ages 3 – 8 (Dr. Yen, professor at California State University)
- List of free educational/tech resources online (from EdSurge)
- Resources, e-learning, and videos for young children (from Sesame Street)
- Dolly Parton reads children’s books on YouTube (from Consequences of Sound)
- Wide Open School: a free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids (from Common Sense)
- Motivate kids to learn during a staycation (from .ME)
- The Essential Quarantine Cookbook - download cookbook with 20 curated receipes (from Kraft's "What's Cooking")
- School Rules! Munsch at Home - free resources, teaching with Robert Munsch books (from Scholastic Canada)
- Virtual programs for all ages designed to keep you engaged and connected (from RBC Future Launch at Home)
- Activities and games to improve literacy and social-emotional learning skills for Pre-K to grade 5 (from Peekapak)
- Comprehensive collection of online and at-home activities (from Kids Up Front)
- Virtual programs for all ages designed to keep you engaged and connected (from RBC Future Launch at Home)
- Parent-child activities for younger children (from Mothers Matter Centre)
- Goodnight Zoom: A colouring book to educate children about coronavirus (from Marissa Kassam, RBC)
- A guide to kids’ learning resources & educational websites (from sitejabber)
- Hanging Hyena - A Family Run Puzzles and Games site
- Dog Man and Friends - Summer Camp - 10 weeks of free downloadable activities (from Scholastic Canada & Dav Pilkey)
- 50 educational brain breaks (from We Are Teachers)
- NEW - Free resources for JK to Grade 8, aligned with the Ontario education curriculum (from TVO Learn)
Mindfulness / Health & Wellness
- Free meditation and mindfulness exercises (adults & kids) (from Calm app)
- Nike Training Club app with free at-home exercises (Android & Apple)
- How to calm down in times of stress (from Mindful)
- Free mental health portal in Ontario (from Big White Wall)
- YouTube workouts for kids and adults (from YMCA)
- Ideas for connecting virtually (from Search Institute)
- Medical and mental health resources (from Well.ca)
- Information and suggestions for coping during crisis (from CAMH)
- Five days of daily challenges—physical, creativity, kindness, brain (from Jays Care)
- Five ergonomic tips for working from home (from Chris Mee Group)
- Yale’s most popular course is free online—The Science of Well-Being (from Business Insider)
- Mental health first-aid (from MHCC)
- Resources for crisis, mental health, youth, and more (from mindyourmind)
- Stronger Minds: a free digital program that provides mental health support for all Canadians (from MindBeacon)
- Healthy at Home resources to Stay Connected, Stay Active, Stay Positive, and Stay Informed (from Special Olympics)
- 5 tips for communicating with your partner while stuck at home (from The Conversation)
- Wellness Together Canada provides tools and resources to help get Canadians back on track, including modules for addressing low mood, worry, substance use, social isolation and relationship issues (from Gov’t of Canada)
- COVID-19 resources for families and kids (from Kids Help Phone)
- Video and print resources for Emotional Regulation and Self-Regulation (from M.I. Understanding and Child and Youth Development Clinic at Western University)