Two activity books and fun-to-follow maps have been developed by Barnardo’s NI Parenting Matters Service and are available for families visiting each of the prisons in Northern Ireland.
Parenting Matters Manager Deirdre Sloan said:
“Making a visit to prison can be very intimidating. It can also be a lengthy process and these new resources give children, 8 years and under, engaging activities to help occupy them. We have also created booklets for 8-18 year olds which parents can also become involved with, with the aim of creating opportunities for meaningful discussion.”
The books and maps were developed as a result of a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship awarded to Bronagh Malcomson one of Barnardo’s Parenting Matters staff in 2016. Bronagh visited a number of prisons across Europe to look at areas of good practice for children and families. She saw similar books and maps being used at a prison in the Netherlands and permission was gained to adapt them for use in NI.
The booklets are available for download below:
