Group Activities!

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

1.:- Lifeline:-
 (adapted from a standard Expressive Therapies activity I learned at Lesley University)

On a piece of paper, make two points on the opposite ends of the paper, one labeled "birth" and the other labeled "now."  Draw a line between the two points.  Identify at least three high points and three low points in your life and graph them according to your age (horizontally) and according to the feelings in the experience (vertically).  Low points will be below your lifeline and high points will be above your lifeline.  Connect the points with lines making a zig-zag line.  Share the events with the group and the group responds with cheers, applause, and praise on the high points and boos and words of encouragement at the low points.  If participant doesn't feel comfortable sharing details of their lives, they can simply say, "Age 6, high point." 

2:-  Inside - Outside Bags/ Boxes:-
 (standard Expressive Therapies activity used at Lesley University)

Decorate a bag or box with images and words on the outside to represent the qualities you show to the world.  Decorate the inside of the bag or box with images and words that represent the inner qualities that are hidden to most people. 

3.:- Feeling Code Collage:- 
 (learned from my art therapy supervisor, Susan La Mantia)

Take one sheet of paper and draw and color an image to represent various feelings, such as happy, sad, mad, scared, embarrassment, love, peace, crazy, bored, etc.  Label each image with the feeling.  Participants can also choose feelings to add to the list.   Encourage participants to use creativity; i.e. "happy" might first make you think of a smiley face, but it could also be like a purple and green spiral or a puppy.  On a second sheet of paper, use the feeling code to make another drawing in which the images can be made bigger, smaller, repeated, overlapped, or arranged in a unique relationship to other images.  Title the new drawing and discuss. 

4:- Cooling My Hot Spots:-

Using a pre-printed picture of a human silhouette, use color and image to represent feelings of anger or emotional pain on the place of the body associated with the feelings, i.e. black pit in the stomach, red squiggles on the fists wanting to punch, etc.  Draw a cooling image and phrase beside each of the hot spots, i.e. a waterfall with the words, "Let go," or music notes with the words, "Don't let other people get you down."

5:-  Three Animals:- 
  (adapted from a game I used to play with friends - I have no idea where we learned it from.)

On a sheet of paper, write the name of your favorite animal and three qualities you like about that animal; i.e. cheetah: sad, caring, and shy.  Next, write the name of your second favorite animals with three qualities, and finally, your third favorite and its three qualities.  Consider the possibility that the first animal represents how you want others to see you, the second animal represents how people actually see you, and the third animal represents who you really are.  (Reading them aloud with their meanings with the group can be quite humorous.)  Next, draw, color, or paint a mixed breed animal with the three animals you chose, such as a creature with a cheetah head, a mouse body, and a fish tail.  Add a habitat, food, family and friends for this animal.

6:-Relationship Needs:-

Select a magazine picture to represent you and glue it to the middle of a large piece of paper.  Select magazine pictures to represent the six most important people in your life and glue them in a circle around you.  Draw a line connecting each of the people to the picture of you.  On the top of each line, write a word or phrase about what you need from that person.  Under each line, write a word or phrase about what that person needs from you.

7:-  Wise Puppet:-

Using craft materials, create a puppet of a real or imagined character that represents wisdom, such as a grandfather or Yoda.  Each person enacts a skit with their puppet in which the participant asks the puppet for advice about something in life.  Participants should use a special voice for their puppet characters and keep the conversation with their puppet going as long as possible.

8:- Good and Bad Mandalas:-

Discussion: The world has happy and sad aspects, but sometimes negative events can lead to positive events.  Consider the possibility that the negative and positive events are in some kind of harmony and that there is a larger order of goodness.  Draw, color, or paint a mandala that includes both happy and sad things in life, intertwined with each other, in a balanced and colorful harmony; i.e. gravestones next to blossoming trees, broken hearts next to rainbows, thief next to a policeman, etc.

9:- Treasure Map:-

On a piece of paper, label one corner, "The beginning" and another corner, "Success."  Draw a windy path between the two points.  Using collage materials, create stations along the path with creative titles, such as "Crossing the desert of loneliness," "Forgiveness and letting go," "Climbing the mountain of determination," "Resting in the shade of a caring friend," etc.

10:- Affirmation Poster:-

Think of a sentence or expression that makes you feel better when you are depressed/ angry/ anxious.  Make a large poster of the saying using glitter, favorite colors, and/or images to put on your wall; i.e. "This will pass." or "You're worth whatever it takes."