How can Little Troopers help military children in my school?
Little Troopers is the only UK registered charity solely supporting all children with serving British Armed Forces parents, ensuring they have resources and initiatives to help them through the unique daily challenges they face due to their parents’ choice to serve their country, making sure they do not experience disadvantage.
Military children can move around a lot, transition through many different counties and sometimes countries due to postings and this affects them in school. Additionally military children are often experiencing separation from a parent, that parent may be away for 4 weeks on an exercise in the UK or they may be away for ten months on a submarine, every scenario is different but to the children the feelings are so similar.
As a charity we have been in existence for over five years working to ensure tangible, military specific, age appropriate resources, initiatives and support are available and many of these are just as appropriate to use in schools as at home.
What support is available for military children that I could use in my school?
Little Troopers resource packs are full of ideas for working with children on issues surrounding separation. look out for school specific material but many of our resources can be used at home and in school.
Resources
Separation Packs
A great pack of resources to support through a period of separation, would be great to use in a military child lunch club for example. Elements are tangible and help the children feel included in the process as well as educating on the world.
Include: A2 World map with Sticker Sheet for where parent has been where they have been on holiday where they have lived. 10 x monthly Chuff Chart Sheets with stickers for competed month. Postcard Pack of 6 cards, Photo Frame, Separation Booklet for Adults with ideas of activites and Little Trooper passport
Send a hug Kits
Ideal craft activity, children measure and send their ‘hug’ to their parents. Includes a Letter writing sheet, badge for the child and instructions and envelope for how to create your ‘hug’
Little Trooper Medals
Have you had lots of military children experience a long deployment within your school recently? Want to recognise how brave they have been then our mini medals for Little Troopers will be perfect
Initiatives
Crafty Little Troopers
Every week a new activity sheet is uploaded to our website, head over and print off for free. Beautifully illustrated crafts and many are military themed.
Little Trooper of the Month
This is our monthly scheme that recognises a military child a month who not only is dealing with the daily challenges of having a parent serving their country but also have been exceptionally brave, special or inspirational. Nominate them and they could win a special prize and certificate!
Fundraise February
Every year we run a campaign nationally of Fundraise February a great opportunity for everyone to come together across a month and raise pennies for Little Troopers, proving that together we are stronger!
So join in the fun! Hold a coffee morning, have a cake sale, a non school uniform day at your school, a sponsored event, a car wash day….the list is endless.
Little Troopers at School
This is a project that will organically grow over time but was created to support Schools who have military children in their communities and also for parents to ensure support can be available to Little Troopers consistently at home and school with maximum benefit to all. The information sheets and resources available within the Little Troopers at School project will be expanded so keep checking back and your feedback is always valuable.