The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens of related interest Games and Activities for Exploring Feelings Vanessa Rogers ISBN 978 1 84905 222 1 How to Be Angry An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens Signe Whitson Foreword by Dr. Nicholas Long ISBN 978 1 84905 867 4 Creating Children’s Art Games for Emotional Support Vicky Barber ISBN 978 1 84905 163 7 Creative Coping Skills for Children Emotional Support through Arts and Crafts Activities Bonnie Thomas ISBN 978 1 84310 921 1 Creative Expression Activities for Teens Exploring Identity through Art, Craft and Journaling Bonnie Thomas ISBN 978 1 84905 842 1 Helping Children to Improve their Communication Skills Therapeutic Activities for Teachers, Parents and Therapists Deborah M. Plummer Illustrated by Alice Harper ISBN 978 1 84310 959 4 Helping Children to Cope with Change, Stress and Anxiety A Photocopiable Activities Book Deborah M. Plummer Illustrated by Alice Harper ISBN 978 1 84310 959 4 The Expressive Arts Activity Book A Resource for Professionals Suzanne Darley and Wende Heath Illustrated by Mark Darley Foreword by Gene D. Cohen MD PhD. ISBN 978 1 84310 861 0 Arts Activities for Children and Young People in Need Helping Children to Develop Mindfulness, Spiritual Awareness and Self-Esteem Diana Coholic ISBN 978 1 84905 001 2 The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens Inspiring Arts-Based Activities and Character Education Curricula Lindsey Joiner Jessica Kingsley Publishers London and Philadelphia Scripture on p.5 is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Activities on p.73, pp.236–237 and pp.238–239 are adapted by permission of Joe Ray Underwood and Nancy Underwood. Quotation by Duke Ellington on p.104 is reproduced by permission of Scarola Malone & Zubatov LLP. First published in 2012 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.jkp.com Copyright © Lindsey Joiner 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying of any pages other than those marked with a , storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of an unauthorized act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. All pages marked  may be photocopied for personal use with this program, but may not be reproduced for any other purposes without the permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84905 865 0 eISBN 978 1 84905 865 0 Printed and bound in the United States To Win and Drake For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37 Contents ACKNOWLEDgEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Chapter 1 Opening Activities: Warm-Ups, Icebreakers, and Other Brief Activities 17 Picture Prompts 18 Journal Jars 29 Initially Yours 20 Journal Jams 30 It’s a Dog’s Life 22 Covered with Love Journals 31 What’s the Story? 24 CirCle time ideas 32 Creative forms of journaling 25 Sign In and Begin 32 gratitude Journals 26 Stories and Snacks/Chips and Chapters/ Books and Breakfast 33 Art Journals 27 “Beanie Baby” Beginnings 34 UP Day, DOWN Day Journals 28 Chapter 2 Cinematherapy and Bibliotherapy Activities 35 Cinematherapy aCtivities 36 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst 49 The Blind Side 36 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Legally Blonde 38 by Jon Scieszka 52 The Wizard of Oz 40 Purplicious by Victoria Kann and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 43 Elizabeth Kann 54 Mean girls 45 Enemy Pie by Derek Munson 57 BiBliotherapy aCtivities 47 Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister 60 If by Rudyard Kipling 47 Chapter 3 Therapeutic Arts Activities 64 Timeline 65 Removing the Mask 78 City of Hope 67 Positive/Negative Word Walls 80 Mosaic Mascots 69 Soul Shine Sunshine 81 Knocking Down Negativity 71 Bead Meaning Bracelets 82 Quote Quests 72 Zoo Crew/Jungle People 83 Crush the Can’ts, Raise Your Cans 73 Creative Cookbook 84 Color Coding 74 What’s Bugging Me? 85 Dream/goal Boards 75 Social Butterflies 87 Dear Younger Self 77 Chapter 4 Month-by-Month Character Education Calendar 89 january 90 june 115 Chinese Dragons (New Year’s Day) 90 Bead Buddies 115 “I Have a Dream” Day (Dr. Martin Luther Anger-Control Totem Poles 116 King, Jr.’s Birthday) 93 july 127 Recipe for Success/“When Dreams Come group Sand Castles 127 True” Day (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday) 95 Sand Art 128 feBruary 100 august 129 Stuffed with Love (Valentine’s Day) 100 Back to School Survival Kit 129 Candy Cards (Valentine’s Day) 102 School Pride guide 131 Rhythm and Blues (Black History Month) 104 septemBer 132 Black History Program (Black History Month) 105 Tailgate Party 132 marCh 106 Family Tree (grandparents’ Day) 134 Pot of gold Scavenger Hunt (St. Patrick’s Day) 106 oCtoBer 136 Take a (Spring) Break and Relax (Spring Safety Spiders (Halloween) 136 Break) 107 Painted Pumpkins (Halloween) 138 april 109 Scaring Away Bad Behavior (Halloween) 139 April Showers Bring May Flowers 109 novemBer 140 Peaceful Earth (Earth Day) 110 Thankful Turkey (Thanksgiving Day) 140 may 111 giving Back Baskets (Thanksgiving Day) 142 growing a garden of Mental Health deCemBer 143 (Children’s Mental Health Week) 111 Warm Hands, Warm Hearts 143 Step by Step (gardening Activities) 113 Polar Express 145 Chapter 5 Therapeutic Day Camp Activities and Day Program Ideas 147 goal-setting therapeutiC Camp series 149 group Cheers/Chants (Camp 1) 157 Recipe for success 149 Banking on goal Setting (Camp 1) 158 Camp 1: getting Excited about goal Setting 150 goal Progress Check (goal Tree) (Camps 2, 3 and 4) 159 Camp 2: getting Our goals on Paper 151 Positive Parachute (Camp 2) 160 Camp 3: Maintaining Motivation by Developing good Character 152 Poster goal Commitment (Camp 2) 161 Camp 4: Making a Plan for Continued The Butterfly Story (Camp 2) 162 goal Setting 153 Sticks and Stones (Camp 3) 164 Camp 5: Celebrating good Behavior and Mirror, Mirror (Camp 3) 165 goal Achievement 154 Excellent Egg Relay Race (Camp 3) 166 Activities 155 Dream Catchers (Camp 4) 167 Preliminary goal Setting (Camp 1) 155 Action Steps Windsocks (Camp 4) 168 Spirit Banner (Camp 1) 156 Bead Bowl (Camp 4) 169