Veterans help UK children keep calm, cope with virus stress

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Hula hoops, camouflage mats and tires aren't typical supplies needed during the coronavirus pandemic. But they’re useful props as British army veteran Mike Hamilton prepares to lead children in a military-style game designed to boost their resilience and mental health at a time of atypical stress.

Hamilton, who served with bomb disposal teams in Afghanistan and Iraq, is working with 10 children in a schoolyard in Manchester, England. The mission: Picking up the virus — a small ball — with wooden blocks, racing to a trash can and dropping the ball inside before pretending to wash their hands.

It’s one of many games devised by Hamilton, the founder of a company called Commando Joe's that sends former soldiers to U.K. schools to guide exercises in teamwork, dealing with adversity and staying calm under pressure. The firm, which is partly funded by the government, works with hundreds of schools. Hamilton says that since the pandemic began, he has received many calls from teachers looking for lessons to help their overwhelmed students cope.

“Schools are wanting programs to focus on character, mental health and well-being and probably getting the children used to having a routine again,” he said. “We’ve got lots of tactics to help build up positivity in a time of stress — that’s part of our training.”

In Britain, schools never completely closed during the virus lockdown. Some remained open for students whose parents still had to work outside home in key professions, as well as for children under social care.

The familiar routine may be reassuring, but it's an unsettling time for many of these children. Playgrounds and classrooms typically bustling with hundreds of kids are now hushed and quiet.

Sienna-Leigh Murphy attends school while her mother goes to work as a nurse....