Because of my work, I have the great fortune of meeting incredible people who care deeply about children and families. Shamika Battle-Packer is one of those people. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 20 years of experience. Jambo Books asked Shamika to answer a series of questions about how we can better weather the changes Covid has brought upon our families.

We are excited to share a series of short videos from Shamika with advice we can immediately use. The first question is: How do I know if my child is struggling with isolation because of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Picturing Shamika with her son reminded me of the book, Grizzly Boy by Barbara Davis-Pyles. A boy wakes up one morning to find that he’s a bear. His mother meets him where he is and is able to make everything all right with quick thinking and a joyful sense of play.

Errol’s Garden by Gillian Hibbs is another book that offers a great example for starting a hobby with your child. Although the virus might put starting a community garden out of reach, you can start plants in a simple pot on the windowsill or dedicate a small or large patch of yard to a small garden. If both parent and child can enter the activity on the same level of exploration and curiosity, you can prevent gardening from being a chore and lift it to the level of play.

If you want more ideas for activities, try Barefoot Books activity cards. We especially like their Global Kids Activity cards. The activities include recipes, crafts and games inspired by cultures from all over the world.