The “Belly breathe” exercise gives families a simple way to pause together when worry, uncertainty or community stress feels overwhelming. Care Cope Connect is aimed at parents, carers and practitioners supporting young children, with calming ideas, child-friendly activities and reassurance-focused prompts for helping kids feel safer, steadier and more connected.
Parents and caregivers can use Care Cope Connect at home, in early years settings, family support sessions or community work when children need comfort after frightening news, disruption or stressful events. It offers practical, gentle ways to support kids’ emotional wellbeing without expecting adults to have all the answers.
The guide focuses on helping children feel safe and secure during community stress. It includes self-care reminders for adults, such as eating well, moving around, resting when possible, limiting children’s exposure to news, and reaching out for community help. The tone is warm and reassuring, recognising that adults may also feel anxious.
Several activities are designed for younger children to use with a trusted grown-up. Visible pages include Hearts & Hope, a shared colouring activity, and Our Favourite Things, a printable memory game using Sesame Street characters and comfort objects. These can be useful for quiet time, settling routines, play-based support or a short emotional regulation break.
The contents also point to sections on steady routines, staying close, a family emergency plan, being dependable for children, and Elmo’s Rainbow Hug. Parents, foster carers, nursery staff, family workers and child support professionals may find it useful when looking for printable coping activities, calming exercises, reassurance tools and trauma-informed support for young children.
Care Cope Connect was produced by Sesame Workshop, with advisers from First 5 Association of California, the National Council of La Raza and The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
