This thesis was implemented as development, work the purpose of which was to create a pedagogical tool for support upon experiencing the death of a close person. The goal of the development work was that the tool can be used in a situation where a relative of a child in the early childhood education group has died. The commissioner needed a grief processing tool.

The commissioner for the work was Päiväkoti Simpukka in Iisalmi. It is important for Päiväkoti Simpukka that the children are heard. A work tool called Briefcase of Grief enables the child to be heard in the moment of grief, easily and reliably. With the help of the tool, early childhood educators can support the children to express themselves in the moment of grief, in natural way for the child.

The work developed a tool that contains information about the child's grief, guidance methods and tools for handling the child's grief. The goal of the development work was to produce such methods and means for dealing with grief that are suitable for working with children of early childhood education age. The goal was also that problems caused by the death of a loved one could e prevented in advance. Information for the background of the work tool was researched from the literature, with the help of a survey for early child-hood educators, and by presenting Briefcase of Grief to early childhood educators and children. In the development work, the productization process was applied when preparing the work tool.

As a result of the development work, a work tool was created to support a child's grief in early childhood education along with a theory-based report. The report discussed the child's grief and readiness to deal with death, supporting a grieving child in early childhood education, and methods suitable for support. The development of the tool has been guided by the learning areas of the National core curriculum for ECEC (2022). The control methods of the work tool consider children’s way of handling concepts through functionality, playfulness, and creativity. The wishes and feedback of the commissioner’s principal, early childhood educators and children have been considered in the development of the Briefcase of Grief work tool. The Briefcase of Grief work tool will be given to the use of Päiväkoti Simpukka, when the thesis is ready.