Flashlight Talk
Suggested Age Group(s): Young, Middle, Teen
Purpose: To encourage group members to share their experiences and feelings regarding the death as well as memories of their loved ones
Task/need: Moving toward the pain of the loss, converting the relationship, living on the grief spiral
Activity Setup Ideas: Ask your group prior to starting the activity if it is okay to dim the lights. A flashlight will be the only thing lit in the room. Explain that the only person permitted to talk is the person holding the flashlight. Tell the group they will be answering questions about their loved one's death, their feelings after the death and memories of their loved one. This is an intense activity so may not be appropriate for all groups.
Materials:
- Flashlight
- Slips of paper with a variety of questions
- Basket or bowl for the questions
- Markers (optional)
- Blocks (optional)
- Mock Camp fire logs (optional)
Description: Have your group sit on the floor in a circle. Dim the lights and turn on the flashlight. Ask who in the group would like to pick from the question basket first. Reinforce that it is okay to "I Pass" on any question. Pass the first child the flashlight and have he/she read the question on the slip of paper. Once they answer, offer the question to the group. Whoever answers is passed the flashlight. Repeat until all of the group members had a turn or they indicate they are finished answering questions.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas: At the end of the activity ask the group what it was like to answer the questions. Summarize any similarities or themes you heard throughout the conversation. Offer a cool down activity like the Activities Room or model magic to balance the intensity of the night.
Suggestions: Consider asking the group members to write their own questions for this activity. If you have a group that likes to build, ask the kids if they would like to build a "camp fire" out of the blocks. Or if you have mock fire logs, ask the group if they would like to use them as a prop.
