EUROPE — Among the hundreds of thousands of people making their way across Europe, fleeing conflict and poverty in places like Syria and Iraq, there are many families whose young children find things to smile about even after harrowing experiences and long journeys.

Their parents often carry everything they own in a backpack or two, making dolls and Legos an impossible luxury, but children are resourceful and find joy and distraction for hours in simple things — an empty can to kick around, cardboard boxes to build a fort, or a cemetery transformed into a hide-and-seek labyrinth.

Volunteer groups aiding migrants ask for donations — not just food, clothing and medical supplies, but balls, balloons, teddy bears, magic markers, colouring books or paper and any simple toy children can use while they wait at border camps or train stations for the next set of authorities to decide their fate.

Until they reach their destinations, smiling adults are hard to find. Their faces reflect their travails and the uncertainty they’re dealing with. Making a child smile is easier. A candy bar, a small toy, even a game of peek-a-boo brightens their day. AP