Kids ask the darndest things in the middle of a pandemic. Such as: can they catch COVID-19 from their friend’s pencil and who ate the bat and why do grown-ups have to wear masks but they don’t? But science educator Michelle Dickinson, one of New Zealand’s most recognised scientists, says many parents are nervous about talking to their children about the coronavirus. “There’s lots of children who talked to us through our online platforms ... they are learning about the virus from the playground conversation, which as you know, is full of boogeymen and monsters and is actually much worse.”

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