Library

At the Voices of Children library, we have gathered materials that make it easier for adults to support a child through difficult times. Here you will find coloring pages, ideas for creative activities, and guides created by the foundation's team together with psychologists. You can download every file for free, print it, and use it at home, at school, in a shelter, or during sessions with children.

Color and Create

Explore and Learn

Coloring Book "Self-Care Skills"

Printable PDF

The "Self-Care Skills" coloring book helps children learn, through play, simple daily habits that keep up their energy and good mood. Its pages follow a cat who enjoys a tasty meal, sleeps soundly, goes for walks outside, and looks after itself throughout the day, and a child can color each of its adventures however their imagination suggests. While the child is coloring, adults can ask what helps the cat feel good and compare it with the child's own day: whether they had breakfast, got some rest, or went outside recently. These conversations teach children to notice what their body needs and to take care of themselves in time, especially after they feel tired or anxious. Download the file, print the pages you need, and color together at home, at school, in a shelter, or during activities with children.

Coloring Book "Cats"

Printable PDF

The "Cats" coloring book is for children who love animals and drawing: they can color the cats on its pages however their imagination suggests, whether ginger or purple with polka dots. While coloring, a child calms down, focuses on colors and lines, and practices the fine motor skills they will need for writing. Adults can sit nearby and ask about each cat: what its name is, what mood it is in, and what it likes to do. Children often find it easier to talk about a made-up character's feelings than about their own. Download the file, print the pages you need, and color together at home, at school, in a shelter, or during activities with children.

Make a Butterfly

Printable file

Print the template and make a bright butterfly from it. As you work, talk about the butterfly: where it will fly, what it likes, and what mood it is in. Create together at home, at school, in a shelter, or during activities with children.

Emotional Stabilization Guide for Adults

Voices of Children created this guide for adults who need to regain strength and calm down in difficult moments. When adults feel more stable, it is easier for them to support their children and families, so caring for your own well-being matters too. The guide brings together simple emotional stabilization exercises, including "Resource Palm" and "4 Elements," which you can do on your own at home, at work, or in a shelter. At the end you will find mandala coloring pages: coloring helps you slow down, focus on colors and lines, and take a break from anxious thoughts. Print the file and come back to the exercises whenever you feel tense or tired.

Emotional Stabilization Guide for Children

Voices of Children created this guide for children who sometimes feel scared, anxious, or sad, and for adults who want to help them calm down. It brings together simple emotional stabilization exercises that children can do with parents, teachers, or a psychologist, and later on their own: at home, at school, or in a shelter. Each exercise is explained in clear, simple language, so children can easily remember the steps and come back to them whenever they feel worried. At the end you will find coloring pages: coloring helps children slow down, focus on colors and lines, and take a break from anxious thoughts. Print the file and do the exercises together with your child, so they can gradually learn to take care of their own feelings.

Guide: Self-Regulation Exercises

This guide brings together four basic self-regulation techniques that help children calm down and regain control when they feel scared or anxious. The exercises are shown by Liuba, Lev, Liubomyr, and Myroslava, the heroes of the Voices of Children campaign "Superhero Kids," who turned these techniques into real superpowers during air raid alerts and danger. One of them is the "Butterfly" exercise: the child crosses their hands on their chest, links their thumbs, and rhythmically taps their chest until their breathing slows down. Each exercise comes with pictures, simple prompts, and a QR code that opens a video, so children can repeat the movements along with the heroes. Print the file and practice together at home, at school, in a shelter, or during activities with children.

Guide: Supporting Children Returned from Deportation

Voices of Children and the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine created this guide for adults who work or live with children who were forcibly deported from Ukraine. Children who went through deportation may behave in unexpected ways: they may feel anxious, withdraw, get irritated easily, or sleep badly. The guide lists typical reactions to stress and traumatic events, so adults can recognize them and understand what the child is going through. The authors also explain how to talk to such a child and support them, so they can gradually feel safe again. The guide will be useful for parents, caregivers, educators, psychologists, and social workers.

Brochure: How Teens Can Protect Themselves from Violence

This guide helps teenagers understand what violence is, what forms it can take, and how to avoid it. A separate section covers bullying and cyberbullying, with advice for the person being bullied, the person who bullies, and those who witness it. At the end of the brochure, teens will find contacts they can reach out to if they are in danger or want to support a friend. The brochure uses simple language, so teens can read it on their own and come back to it whenever they need advice.

Booklet: How to Protect Your Child from Violence

This guide helps parents and caregivers notice early signs that a child is being mistreated and support them. Children often cannot ask for help on their own because of their age, their stage of development, limited knowledge of their rights, or lack of access to a phone or other means of communication. For this reason, adults should pay close attention to any signals of violence at home, at school, or anywhere else the child spends time. The authors also explain that a child who has witnessed domestic violence has experienced psychological violence as well and needs help to cope with its consequences.

Booklet: How to Help a Child Cope with Stress

Traumatic stress is a normal reaction of the mind to events beyond ordinary life experience. Children feel it more intensely than adults because they have lived through less and have not yet developed ways to protect themselves. Moving to a safe place does not stop the stress on its own, and without support, trauma can grow and lead to PTSD or depression. At the same time, a child's mind is flexible and responds well to adult care, especially within the first month after a traumatic event. The guide offers psychologists' advice for children of different ages: how to respond to anger, despair, sadness, and fear of separation, and how to help a child cope with sleeplessness and nightmares.

Guide for Journalists: Talking to Children

Voices of Children created the guide "Children Are Not Little Adults" for journalists who interview children, especially those affected by the war. These children may be in very different emotional states, so talking to them calls for a special approach, knowledge, and preparation. The guide's main rule is that protecting a child from re-traumatization matters more than getting an emotional shot. It offers practical recommendations to help journalists conduct ethical interviews with children and report accurately and sensitively on their condition, the trauma they have experienced, and crimes committed against them.

Parent Guide: Helping Your Child Cope with Stress and Trauma

This guide helps parents support a child who has been through war, evacuation, or the loss of a familiar home. Trauma heals gradually, and during this time a child needs patience and gentle care from the adults around them. Professional psychologists explain how to help a child in ways that suit their age and how to respond when the child feels angry, sad, desperate, or afraid of being separated from loved ones. The authors also offer advice for nights when the child cannot fall asleep or wakes up from nightmares. Download the file and come back to this advice whenever your child needs your support.

Guide: Talking to Journalists

Voices of Children prepared this guide for staff and partners who give media interviews about the foundation's work. Before an interview, the authors suggest reviewing the topic or list of questions, choosing a few key messages about the foundation's work and values, and thinking through real stories that can illustrate them. The guide also explains how to share these stories in a way that keeps children safe. You can only talk about people who have given their consent, or change the details that could identify a child: their name, age, and place of residence. It is better to name the region, such as the Kherson region, than the specific town. You should also leave out any facts that could harm the child.

Guide: Helping Yourself and Your Loved Ones Cope with Trauma

The authors explain in simple language how and why the mind can be traumatized and what determines whether an event becomes traumatic. The booklet also describes post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, how to help children and adults cope with their symptoms, and how to look after your mental health every day so you can feel better. The authors also explain the term "mental disorder," which many people find unsettling, so readers can talk about it calmly and without fear. Download the file and come back to this advice whenever you or your loved ones need support.