Children and adolescents who have experienced trauma often face significant challenges in their emotional, social, and educational development. Those who have been through tough situations — such as abuse, neglect, unstable home environments, or crises like conflicts and natural disasters — are especially vulnerable and can feel overwhelmed by these experiences. While youth professionals play a crucial role in supporting these people, they often lack accessible tools and resources to do so.
The “Facing Trauma” toolkit aims to close this gap by offering youth professionals a practical guide to build safe and supportive environments. Adapted to different age groups, it provides an engaging approach to explore topics like trauma, stress, self-care and emotional well-being.
The toolkit includes four key components designed to deepen understanding of trauma’s impact and guide sensitive responses. Click on each tab to explore more.
Our 10 educational posters offer innovative ways to guide children and young people in understanding trauma, stress, self-care, and emotions. Thoughtfully crafted, they make complex and sensitive topics more accessible, using playful approaches to explore feelings, behaviour, and the impact of trauma in an age-appropriate manner.
Available for free on StreetSmart Play, these posters are perfect for youth professionals supporting children through challenging experiences. Choose your preferred language below each image and download them at no cost.
Follow Ezra, Elias, Atid, Satya, Samir &Viktoria as they share their impactful stories. Listen through the QR codes for an immersive experience, step into their world, and explore their unique coping strategies. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Use fairytale characters to spark conversations about challenging experiences, allowing participants to explore these topics from a safe distance and to change the narrative. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Explore stress and trauma symptoms through animals showcasing different reactions, like the fight, flight, freeze fawn responses. Encourage children to reflect on their own responses to stressful or traumatic events. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Discover self-care activities across six islands in the Self-Care City, with QR codes providing an audio instruction on each island. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Simplify the brain’s functions by introducing its three basic parts, using memories to illustrate how the brain and body react and adapt to difficult experiences. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Identify and reflect on the importance of support networks with this poster, highlighting different groups who can offer help in difficult situations. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Engage in yoga poses inspired by animals, helping children relax and connect with their bodies in a fun way. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Enjoy a calming experience with this poster,focused on drawing and colouring mandalas to promote mindfulness, relaxationand creativity. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Explore and understand emotions through a seriesof fun exercises and scenarios, encouraging conversation and self-awareness. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Practice giving and receiving compliments, building self-esteem and recognising personal strengths in this cooperative game. Download the poster in your preferred language from the options below.
Our games and activities manual provides 60+ trauma-informed games and exercises designed for children and youth. The first section includes activities that complement our 10 educational posters. The second section features standalone activities organised around the four dimensions of our self-care compass: physical, emotional, social, and psychological well-being.
Each game is accompanied by clear instructions to help you run meaningful and engaging sessions with children and youth. Additionally, all activities can be accessed via StreetSmart Play using the QR code, ensuring they are easy to integrate into your daily work.
The complete manual with all 60+ games and activities.
“Facing Trauma” is a fictional, immersive podcast that invites you into the lives of Ezra, Elias, Atid, Satya, Samir, and Viktoria as they share their powerful stories of resilience and strength through challenging times. With vivid sound effects, each episode brings their journeys to life, offering an engaging starting point for meaningful conversations about stress, trauma, self-care, and emotions. Alongside the stories, the podcast features six audio instructions designed to help you relax, stretch, and spark creativity.
Available in eight languages — English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Ukrainian, and Arabic — you can stream the episodes for free on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Music. Tune in today!
Join Ezra on her journey of healing after losing her mother, as she navigates the pain of loneliness and her father's grief. With support from her psychologist, Mr. Theo, and a growing love for books, Ezra starts to rediscover comfort and hope for a brighter future.
Meet Elias, a seven-year-old with big dreams and an even bigger heart. After a devastating earthquake turns his world upside down, he shares his adventures with his beloved bike, his hope to reunite his family and his dream of a peaceful life away from the chaos of the city.
Meet siblings Atid and Satya as they navigate a new chapter of their lives after a tragic accident on their farm. Forced to leave farming behind, they start selling handmade clothes in a lively market. Together, they face challenges and find strength in their unbreakable bond.
Meet Samir, a 10-year-old who had to leave his home and family behind to start a new life in another country. Amidst the challenges of being surrounded by strangers, he finds friendship and learns to cope with being apart from his loved ones. And then, one day, he receives incredible news that changes everything …
Meet Viktoria, a young girl who finds hope and connection through music after escaping the hardships of war. From finding joy in a metro station to meeting Olga, a retired music teacher who inspires her to sing, Viktoria's story takes a heartwarming turn when a video of her performance goes viral.
Dance to the beat, freeze like a statue when the music stops, and adjust your moves to the music’s volume —big for loud, small for soft. With easy instructions and exciting twists, this interactive game guarantees non-stop laughter and energy.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let soothing music guide you as the magical scanner gently explores your body, from your wiggly toes to your busy mind. This grounding exercise helps you reconnect with the present moment and deepen your awareness of your body and its responses.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let soothing music guide you as the magical scanner gently explores your body, from your wiggly toes to your busy mind. This grounding exercise helps you reconnect with the present moment and deepen your awareness of your body and its responses.
Search for everyday treasures like cardboard, leaves, and stones, and transform them into extraordinary creations. Build spaceships, magical creatures, or anything you can dream of.
Picture a flower resting on your tummy, opening and closing with each breath, as the calming sounds of nature bring peace and joy. This simple activity offers a breathing exercise you can practice anytime you feel stressed or need a moment of calm.
Stretch like a snake, roar like a lion, and arch like a cat — each pose introduces a new animal friend, helping you build strength and flexibility while finding relaxation and calm.
Enhance your expertise in trauma-informed youth work with our five self-paced training programmes available on StreetSmart Learn in English, Spanish, Dutch, and French. These programmes provide a comprehensive understanding of trauma-informed practices, combining theoretical knowledge with practical tools and examples. The training is structured around the Four R’s framework, covering key areas as understanding the concept of trauma (Realise), identifying trauma reactions, symptoms, and triggers (Recognise), applying Psychological First Aid and self-care techniques (Respond), and implementing strategies to Resist Retraumatisation.
Access all programmes online for free. Choose your preferred language below each video and start learning today on StreetSmart Learn.
Discover the Four R’s– Realise, Recognise, Respond & Resist Retraumatisation - of Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) and the six guiding principles for creating trauma-sensitive environments.
Trauma can affect anyone, but its impact on children and adolescents is especially deep and long-lasting. Because their brains and emotions are still developing, trauma can interfere with their ability to form relationships, manage their feelings, and succeed in school or daily life. This is even more challenging for young people in vulnerable communities, who face a higher risk of traumatic experiences like abuse, neglect, or unstable home environments due to for example poverty, discrimination, and limited opportunities.
Youth professionals play a vital role in supporting these young people, yet they often lack the tools and resources needed to respond accurately. Whether working with children from deprived families, refugees from conflict zones or communities affected by natural disasters, today’s rapidly changing world calls for a shared understanding of the concept of trauma and trauma-sensitive practices.
To address this need, we developed the “Facing Trauma” toolkit. This toolkit offers a clear framework for understanding and addressing trauma in various contexts. It equips youth professionals with practical strategies to create safe, supportive environments where children and adolescents can heal, grow, and reach their potential. Designed for different age groups, the toolkit takes an engaging approach to explore topics like trauma, stress, self-care, and emotional well-being, empowering everyone to contribute to trauma-informed practices.
This toolkit is a cooperation between StreetSmart, Minor-Ndako, Save the Children Romania & SolidarityNow, cofinanced by the European Union.
