Children who have experienced war, loss, or evacuation often remain silent. Not because they don’t want to talk — they simply don’t know how. It’s hard for them to express emotions with words, to connect with others, or to explain what hurts.

At the day center in Irpin, our psychologists found a language children are ready to speak: the language of play.

During art therapy sessions, toys, dolls, and fairy tale characters come to life. They “speak” first — showing that it’s possible to be heard without fear or judgment.

In this safe environment, children learn to recognize and name their emotions, develop speech, make connections with peers more easily, and gradually overcome anxiety and fear.
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This project was created by Save Ukraine with the support of a grant from the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations. The program is implemented by Crown Agents in Ukraine and Integrity Action. The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of Integrity Action or Crown Agents in Ukraine.