Deployment Activities and Resources for Children

Source: MFRC | April 14, 2020

Even though at this time your child is not able to attend one of our Children’s Deployment Workshops in person, there is still so much you can do with them at home to stay busy and connected to their deployed parent.

Here are a few deployment activities to do at home!  

Make a Memory Box
Decorate the outside of a shoebox with pictures cut out from magazines or old artwork, wrapping paper like a collage.  Add pieces of ribbon, bows, macaroni etc.  If you do not have glue at home you can make it by mixing flour and water together.  If you have paints, you can decorate the box as you like.  You can label it with your name or “Things to show Dad/Mom.”

Make a Deployment Collage
Take a picture every day and either print it to put on a corkboard, or have a space on your wall to add a new picture every day.  (The pictures don’t have to be big)  Or Cut out a special shape and write out 1 thing in a day that you want to remember to tell the deployed parent about.  This can also be put on a corkboard or on the space on the wall.  You can use different colours and make the shape of a rainbow and have a picture of the deployed parent at the end of the rainbow.

Little Chef’s
Have your children help with one dinner or baking project a week.  Let them pick the recipe or what they want to eat.  Have them help get all the recipe items ready, mix, stir, coat, flip then put in the oven.  And, of course, helping with the clean up afterwards.  You can take a picture of what they made and send it to their deployed parent via email or add it to their Memory Box or Collage they are making.

Make up a Scavenger Hunt
Have the kids hunt for clues on pieces of paper that you have hidden throughout the house.  Eg.  “Go to Brian’s bedroom and look under his pillow.”  Under his pillow is another clue “Your next clue is hidden where you eat breakfast” (you can tape the clue under a chair), on that clue you send them somewhere else, and somewhere else, and somewhere else.   The final clue sends them to the prize!   The prize can be a treat, getting to pick a tv show or game to play, or what they want for dinner.  Hours of fun.

Have a fashion show
Make a runway in your living room and have the children dress up in their favourite outfits and give you their “New Names.” Introduce them and describe their outfits as they walk down the runway. Make things up as you go. Lots of laughs.

Parenting tips for deployments (and global pandemics)

  1. Carve out some one-on-one time for each of your children, every day – even if it’s only 10 minutes. They need to know you are present and there for them!
  2. Keep it positive! It’s all in the delivery!  Keeping a calm positive attitude will spill over to your child making each of you feel more supported and connected.  Find the silver lining!
  3. Establish as much of a routine as you possibly can, deployments often mean many new transitions and experiences for everyone, so keeping it simple and predictable can reduce anxiety.
  4. Listen and talk about the deployment and the new, albeit temporary normal. With open dialogue you will be able to monitor your child for any potential stress and implement strategies to bring back the calm.  Things like doing yoga together, breathing exercises or a walk around the block!

Helpful websites for fun activities:

Child-Youth COVID-19 Deployment