They come in many shapes and sizes, from open-air tents to repurposed subway stations, but every one of the 182 Spilno Spots that UNICEF and partners have set up in Ukraine is a comfortable, nurturing space where children can go to just be kids again for a while, away from the pressures of growing up in a war zone.
Children play a game at a newly opened UNICEF Spilno Spot in Vyshgorod, Ukraine, on Feb. 11, 2023. © UNICEF/UN0781867/Khomenko
Spilno means “together” in Ukrainian; the multipurpose Spilno centers are much-needed places where out-of-school children can get together with other children, playing and learning and making new friends.
A place for children to play, and for families to connect with vital services
A mother kisses her child goodbye at a UNICEF child-friendly Spilno Spot in Kyiv, Ukraine. © UNICEF/UN0721385/Latayko
Spilno Spots also give displaced parents the chance to take a break while professional teachers and psychologists conduct master classes and play developmental games with the children.
The centers serve as a hub, connecting children and families with child protection services, mental health and psychological support, referrals for additional health services and registration for humanitarian cash transfers.
A child-friendly space underground in a Kharkiv subway station
Children line up to play a game at a holiday party held at a UNICEF Spilno Spot in a metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in Dec. 2022. Mothers and children moved into the station to avoid shelling and gunfire above ground. Other children visit the Spilno Spot during the day to play with toys, art supplies and games. © UNICEF/UN0760151/Pashkina
When the war escalated in March, thousands of people fleeing gunfire and shelling in the streets of Kharkiv took refuge in the city’s subway system. By April 2022, an estimated 1,500 children and their mothers were living in 29 metro stations. UNICEF set up an underground Spilno Spot to provide activities and a sense of normalcy for displaced children.
Art projects give children a chance to heal
A boy paints at the UNICEF Spilno Spot in Odessa, Ukraine. © UNICEF/UN0779547/Makalis
Art supplies and craft materials are always on hand at Spilno Spots. Expressing themselves through art can help children cope with some of the trauma they’ve experienced.
Classes and activities help displaced teenagers adapt to their new reality
In August 2022, teenagers displaced by the war study English at a UNICEF Spilno Spot in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine. “You can stay here as long as you like,” it says on the white board. © UNICEF/UN0705051/Kozlovskyi
At a Spilno Spot in Kropyvnytskyi, in central Ukraine, parents and babies play on rugs, children play board games and teenagers take English classes. Many are displaced, like 15-year-old Bohdan. “I’d go crazy if I just got stuck in my apartment,” he said. “I think I would keep saying ‘I want home.’ “
“The most difficult cases involve the teenagers,” said Olena, a professional teacher at the center. “They need to find friends with the same interests and views. My goal is to push them forward and show that they’re not guilty, that they can continue living their happy life.”
A UNICEF Spilno Spot provides a safe space for children to play, learn and receive social services in Balakliya, Kharkiv, Ukraine. © UNICEF
As soon as the city of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region was liberated in Sept. 2022, UNICEF set up a Spilno Spot in the central square. Every day, children and parents flock to the tent filled with colorful toys and children’s furniture. The tent is equipped with generators and fan heaters to keep children warm while they play.
“Kids call me fairy here because I give a lot of good to them for free,” Olena, a senior administrator, said in December. “I learn from them and they learn from me.”
During an air raid, children at the Spilno Spot in Balakliya, Ukraine, move to a safer space and continue working on their art projects. © UNICEF
“Each child is an inspiring, huge world,” says Olena. “I always ask what they would like to do. I am a psychologist, a mother and an entertainment center all in one. Now, the Spilno Spot is the only place in Balakliya that brings them joy.”
UNICEF is working to ensure that Ukraine’s children can have happy, healthy childhoods. Your contribution can make a difference. Please donate today.
Top photo: On Sept. 1, 2022, in Lviv, Ukraine, a girl draws at a Spilno Spot set up by UNICEF and partners to provide a safe place for children affected by the war to make friends, play, learn and connect with support services. © UNICEF/UN0698525/Kulakowskiy