You will need:

Coloured Magazine pages

Cardboard cut outs of any animal or shape

Glue stick

Googly eyes

 

Procedure:

Cut magazine pages into 1cm strips – glossy pages are better (are brighter and sturdier for little fingers), but not necessary.  Try to use a variety of colours and images so the finished product is bright and interesting.  This can be done prior to the activity on a guillotine.

Select a shape – these can either be made by the student, or bought in pre-cut packs from a craft store.

Starting at one side of the image, at the very edge, glue down a strip of paper.

Glue another strip, slightly overlapping the last one.  Try using a strip that is totally different in colour to your first one.

Continue until you have finished.  You can choose to both sides.  Let your masterpiece dry completely.

 

Teaching points:

Cut out shapes to fit with a literacy or numeracy activity you are presently doing – an animal, a shape, a number, a letter of the alphabet

These look great if you add some string or fishing line and then hang up, or displayed on a clear window.

They can also be laminated for strength and made into a bookmark.

 

For grief and loss:

This would be a great activity for helping children to feel relaxed and to build rapport over a chat.

Most children will have success with this and it can help give a positive sense of achievement and self-esteem.

Some children may be overwhelmed when talking about emotions.  This activity could help the child focus on something other than the emotion, and soften to impact if talking about strong emotions such as anger or rejection.

Helping the child to identify their emotions can then lead to asking them where in their body they feel this emotion. Maybe they have a fluttery stomach, or a knot in their chest, or feel tight between the shoulders, or get a headache.

Helping the child make the connection between their emotions and what is happening in their body, will help them to recognise something has triggered them to feel that way.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy tells us that thinking can effect our emotions, which in turn effects our body, and then effects our behaviours.  If the child is exhibiting difficult behaviours, then helping them to make good choices at this point is very beneficial.

Coping strategies can include, stopping and taking 10 deep breaths; imagine a lovely place and visualise the colours, the textures, the sound; go play with a pet; go ride a bike; play with a friend; listen to some music; do some craft (this activity!); do some drawing; do some reading; or doing something pleasurable such as working on a hobby.

These strategies can help in lowering the stress levels of a child, but changing behaviour comes from changing cognitions.   Helping the child to change their thinking and beliefs so attitudes and faulty thinking patterns can be addressed may be further required through clinical support.

 

Links to the Australian Curriculum:

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/health-and-physical-education/curriculum/f-10

ACPMP010 , Foundation Year, Health and Physical Education

Explore how regular physical activity keeps individuals healthy and well

• describing their feelings after participating in different physical activities
• describing how the body responds to participating in different physical activities
• social, emotional and cognitive benefits of regular physical activity
• strategies for minimising sedentary behaviour and including physical activity in daily routines.

ACPPS005, Foundation Year, Communicating and interacting for health and well being

Identify and describe emotional responses people may experience in different situations

• identifying and describing the emotions of people who are happy, sad, excited, tired, angry, scared or confused

• talking about connections between feelings, body reactions and body language

• recalling and sharing emotional responses to different situations and representing this in a variety of ways

ACPPS038, Year 3/4, Communicating and interacting for health and well being

Investigate how emotional responses vary in depth and strength

• recognising own emotional responses and levels of their response in different situations
• analysing scenarios and identifying possible triggers and warning signs to predict emotional responses
• describing strategies they can use to identify and manage their emotions before making a decision to act

ACPPS075, Year 7/8, Communicating and interacting for health and well being

Analyse factors that influence emotions, and develop strategies to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity

• recognising and interpreting emotional responses to stressful situations and proposing strategies for managing these responses

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Health and Physical Education, Ver. 8.3, http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/health-and-physical-education/curriculum/f-10

Simmons, J. & Griffiths, R. (2012) CBT for beginners, SAGE Publications, London

Geldard, K. & Geldard, D. (2008) Counselling Children, SAGE Publications, London

 

For more information on grief and loss visit blueskiestomorrow.com

 

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Blue Skies Craft – Using Craft to Restore