Skip to main content

Inside/Outside Feelings Masks

Suggested Group(s): Middle/Teen

Purpose: To begin sharing feelings and discussing the difference between feelings that are shared and those that are kept private

Task/need: Moving toward the pain of the loss

Activity Setup Ideas:

  • Ask, "Do you ever have a feeling that you don't share with many people, if any?"
  • "Are there feelings that you're more comfortable sharing with people?"
  • "Since the person died, is there a face that you 'put on for the world' and one that you keep private?"

Materials:

  • Part #1
    • Mask molds
    • Plaster fabric
    • Water
    • Lightweight paper
    • Pens/pencils
  • Part #2
    • Paint
    • Glitter/glue
    • Arts and craft materials (feathers, jewels, etc.)

Description: Because of the time required for the plaster to dry, this activity takes a minimum of two meetings to complete.

Meeting #1: Begin with a discussion of inside feelings (feelings that we generally keep to ourselves) and outside feelings (what we generally show everybody around us.) Give group members a mask mold and a supply of plaster fabric to create mask of their own. Have them dip the plaster fabric in water and then place it on the inside of the mask mold. Using the inside of the mold creates a mask with a smooth outside and rougher inside, further supporting the image of showing 'smoother' feelings outside and keeping the rougher ones in.) Allow the masks to dry until the next meeting. (Be sure to have the children put their names on their masks so that they can be identified at the next meeting.)

Meeting #2: Reintroduce the activity with another brief conversation about inside and outside feelings. Assist the group members in removing their masks from the molds. Have the group members decorate both the inside and outsides of their masks as they wish to represent the feelings that they show to the world and those that they keep inside. As the painting happens, encourage discussion of these two types of feelings and those in between.

  • Are there some things that are shared with select people, but not most?
  • Who are the 'safest' people with whom to share?
  • What happens when you share some of the inside feelings with someone?

Activity Wrap Up Ideas:

  • Encourage the group members to share their masks and discuss the feelings represented.
  • Continue the discussion about feelings and sharing of feelings.

Suggestions:

  • The plaster will be smooth on the side that touches the plastic mold, whether inside or outside of the mold, and rough on the exposed side. Let the children know this and decide where they want their smooth and rough sides to be, inside or outside of their mask. This can be another point of discussion in the project. Where are their rough sides in real life?
  • It may work better for children to paint the inside of the mask first, to avoid smearing the wet paint on the outside of the mask, (although children may decide to start wherever they wish.)
  • One enhancement is to allow the group members to write messages on small pieces of paper to their family members and embed them in between the layers of plaster cloth. They will know that they are there, but they never have to be shared with anyone else.

Adaptations:

*For a younger group, or one in which there isn’t enough time for a multi-week project, the same concept can be expressed using paper plates with eye holes cut for the mask. These 'masks' can be completed with markers or crayons so that they can be completed and taken home the same week. The plaster layering does add another layer of depth for the project that may not be desired in all groups.

Press| FAQs| Careers