When the shops put Back to School signs in their windows, at a date that can seem way too early, it has always been a reminder that the long summer days of the holidays really did have an end in sight.
After an imposed period away from school for reasons that few of us could have imagined, there are more things to be concerned about than just a having few fewer long lies or whether your old school uniform still fits. New anxieties about going back to school could prevail, and with this in mind Puppet Animation Scotland has collaborated with school teachers, child psychologists and the lead puppeteer on their Emotional Resilience programme, Ailie Finlay. Together they have created four short videos focused on giving children the peace of mind they need to enjoy being back at school again and make children’s transition back to school as enjoyable as it can be at this challenging time.
Ailie and her puppet, Little Mouse, teach children easy to remember rhymes they can say to themselves to give them comfort if they feel worried or anxious. Each of the videos focuses on a different topic and includes an easy to remember rhyme for children and their adults to learn. The videos can be shown in class and circulated on social media.
The videos are all subtitled and can be found on the Puppet Animation Scotland website and on their YouTube channel.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 