Remembering You - Bereavement and Grief

Bereavement & Grief Support Through Creativity

Gentle creative support for children navigating grief, loss and remembrance.

Grief in childhood does not always look the way adults expect it to.

Some children may openly talk about sadness or loss, while others may express grief through play, creativity, movement, behaviour changes, questions or moments that seem unexpectedly ordinary.

Children often move in and out of grief naturally. They may laugh, play and create one moment, then revisit difficult feelings later. This does not mean their feelings are any less real or meaningful.

At Wild Hearts Creative, we believe children should be given emotionally safe, compassionate spaces to remember, express and process feelings at their own pace.

Creativity can sometimes offer a gentler way for children to hold memories, feelings and connection when words feel too difficult.

Why creativity can help with grief

Children do not always have the language to fully explain loss.

Creative activities such as drawing, painting, storytelling and memory-making can help children:
- express feelings safely
- revisit memories
- explore emotions without pressure
- maintain connection and remembrance
- communicate thoughts that feel difficult to verbalise
- process grief gradually over time

Sometimes a child may draw, create or talk about memories long before they are ready for deeper conversations.

Understanding grief in childhood

There is no “correct” way for a child to grieve.

Feelings may change over time and can include:
- sadness
- confusion
- anger
- worry
- numbness
- curiosity
- fear
- relief
- longing
- joy when remembering someone special

Children may revisit grief at different ages and stages as their understanding grows and changes.

At Wild Hearts Creative, we believe children should never feel rushed through grief or pressured to hide emotions in order to protect others.

Gentle approaches that may help

Many children benefit from support that feels:
- calm and emotionally safe
- child-led
- creative rather than heavily question-based
- open-ended
- accepting of mixed emotions
- flexible over time

For some children, creative expression may become part of remembering and maintaining connection to someone important in their life.

A note from Wild Hearts Creative

Wild Hearts Creative was created with the understanding that children often express emotions differently from adults and may need gentle, compassionate ways to process difficult experiences.

Our creative kits are designed to support emotional expression through creativity, reflection and connection in a calm, child-led way.

Further support

This page is not therapeutic advice, but a gentle starting point for families looking to support emotional expression through creativity during experiences of grief and loss.

Additional support from bereavement charities, schools and therapeutic professionals may also be valuable depending on a child’s individual needs and experiences.

Explore grief and remembrance resources

Remembering You

A gentle creative kit designed to help children remember, reflect and express feelings connected to grief and loss through open-ended creative activities.

Created to support emotional expression, memory-making and connection in a calm and compassionate way.