Creating and Evaluating an Arts-Based Online Interview Protocol to Explore Children’s Experiences of Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During COVID-19, social distancing regulations hindered traditional in-person child research. To study children’s lived experiences of resilience during COVID-19, a novel, arts-informed online interview protocol was developed and evaluated for utility and feasibility. In total, 27 children (ages 7–10) participated in an eight-stage semi-structured interview: (1) Introductions and assent; (2) Icebreaker activity; (3) Agenda; (4) Resilience video; (5) Child survey; (6) ME/WE activity; (7) Visioning storytelling video; and (8) Wrap up/Thank you. The online mixed-media, multi-sensory protocol proved effective for building rapport, engaging children, and collecting high-quality data. Future research should consider online arts-based approaches to enhance child engagement.