Facing Trauma: A Toolkit on Trauma-Informed Support for Children and Youth

Aims of the tool

The aim of this toolkit is to provide simple tools to explore important topics like trauma, stress, self-care and emotions in a way that’s easy to use with different target groups. With playful exercises, the toolkit makes it easier for children to cope with their feelings and behaviours, while remaining practical and easy for youth professionals to use.

Description of the tool

Find all materials for free on https://www.street-smart.be/facing-trauma

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.

EDUCATIONAL POSTERS
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.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES
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.

AUDIO STORIES & INSTRUCTIONS
“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!

SHORT TRAINING
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.

This toolkit was developed with the support of Erasmus+ (KA2), Minor Ndako, SolidarityNow and Save The Children Bucharest.