Reunion Building
Suggested Group(s): Preschool/Young
Purpose: To invite memories and wishes about what a child and the person who died did together or that the child wishes they might have done together.
Task/need: Converting the relationship…to one of memory; acknowledging the reality of the loss, developing a new self-identity
Activity Setup Ideas:
- Ask "who was the person who died — what did they like? What did you two like doing together?"
- Discuss memories, maintaining a relationship with the person who died, expressing wishes, playing with the idea that you wish the person could come back but grappling with the fact that they cannot.
- Ask the children to imagine, "If the person who died could come back and spend a day with you, where would it be?"
Materials:
- Wooden blocks
- Art Materials
Description: Encourage the children to use the blocks and art materials to build a place where that person might like to visit and be with them for a day, or to build a place where they spent happy time together.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas:
- Discuss their creations with them individually, and encourage them to share their special place and stories with group members
