UNICEF's 15-Day #StayHome Challenge

(Patria) - UNICEF is launching a 15-day #StayHome challenge consisting of 15 different activities, focusing on play, which parents can use to engage children, "keep them busy", entertain them, pass the time, and at the same time work on stimulating the development of their motor and functional abilities, as well as building stronger bonds.

Spider web, treasure hunt, home concert, "Fortress", little mathematician, "I Spy"... These are just some of the games within the challenge that UNICEF has designed to make it easier for parents and/or caregivers to monitor and support child development while they are together in isolation. The challenge will last for 15 days.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic due to the Covid-19 coronavirus, entire families have been facing a series of new challenges. The circumstances in which parents and/or caregivers find themselves, and the needs of children, vary from case to case, but one situation that all parents face is the same: the entire family spends most of their time at home, children do not attend school, kindergartens, and other institutions, and parents and/or caregivers, in addition to their work and other obligations, need to additionally monitor and support the child's development. All of this can create uncertainty marked by increased levels of stress and anxiety. Optimal child development largely depends on the interactions they have with their environment, including the relationships they develop with important adults, such as their parents and/or caregivers.

UNICEF invites everyone to accept the challenge, to share video clips or photos of daily activities with children on social media. Be sure to use the hashtags #StayHome #LearningAtHome #PlayingAtHome.