Earlier this month, Hop! Media Group in Israel and the Bernard van Leer Foundation proudly launched “Magic Moments”, a national campaign for Arabic-speaking parents, offering practical guidance on how to turn everyday activities with babies and toddlers into special times of bonding that enhance the child’s development.
The project focuses on the early years of a child’s life, a period where parents can feel isolated and lack the time and financial capacity to seek help.
A campaign with the same name was launched in Hebrew last year, creating a high demand for similar content for the Arabic-speaking population. However ‘’Magic Moments’’ is not a transcription of the Hebrew project – it is an original production tailored specifically for the Arab population, featuring Arab experts and families. The content is being driven by a national steering committee comprised of leading Arab experts and practitioners in early childhood and digital media. An evaluation agency will be reviewing the content and distribution’s suitability and impact.
The campaign was launched despite the Covid-19 pandemic, since many children are currently home-bound, and families are receiving less support from services than usual. The project team found creative ways to overcome existing limitations to promote the launch. The videos are being distributed on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, as well as via live Facebook broadcasts called “Dad’s Diaries” with a famous celebrity featured as “The Confused Dad’’, who will cover Covid-19-related issues. Also a popular ‘momma blogger’ was involved in the expert videos, to reach the digital community. The Ministry of Education is also a strategic partner, participating in the development of content and distributing to all preschool teachers of Arab children nationally.
