What animals can teach children about resilience

In nature, animals try things over and over and they don't get them right first time. However, instead of letting it hold them back, it's a key way they learn.

In Hamza Loves Animals, wildlife expert Hamza meets a whole host of exotic creatures in Africa, including lions, elephants and monkeys.

Watch our exclusive film with Hamza, where he explains how the show can give you some great talking points to teach children about resilience…

Watching CBeebies shows together

Watching CBeebies shows together like Hamza Loves Animals is a great way to start conversations and games with your child.

Just like in the film above, you could pause the show and chat about the different animals you've seen together and what your favourites were.

You can use moments from the series to talk with your child about how animals might feel when things do or don't go to plan and what they can learn from them.

Three emotions to talk about with your child

1. Being brave

The animals in the show might do some extraordinary things, for example, going out of their ay to make new friends or going out into the wild for the first time.

Can your child spot a moment when an animal is being brave?

Try pausing and talking about these moments, so they can understand how it feels to take a risk. Maybe they don't get things right when they try something new - what do they do then? Seeing others try again can help children see that learning comes from having a go.

2. Being sad

Things don't always go to plan in the animal kingdom, just as they don't in human life either.

It can be helpful to use shows like this to help your little one talk about what makes them sad and how they can help themselves to feel better.

It might be worth pausing to talk about how an animal is feeling, why they might be feeling that way and to think of ways they might feel better again with the help of those around them.

3. Being proud

There are lots of things that the animals do that are real achievements. It might be learning a new skill or making a new friend.

Try seeing if your child spots these moments. Pause the programme and talk about things they are proud of in their own lives. Is it something they've done recently?

There are all sorts of emotions that you might be able to spot in Hamza Loves Animals. Talking about feelings is a skill that can help set your child up for life.

And remember, you can also do this out and about too. You might notice a squirrel not quite making a jump, getting back up and trying again. Or maybe a bird drops something as it flies through the sky. These are moments where you can talk to your little one all about trying again without giving up.

The more you chat to your little one about emotions and the emotions of others, the more they'll build emotional literacy and empathy.

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