Caring Place Reporter
Suggested Group(s): Young*/Middle/Teen
Purpose: To facilitate group building and allow the children to get to know something about other group members. Begin to build a safe environment for the children to process their grief
Task/need: Group building & acknowledging the reality of the loss
Activity Setup Ideas:
- Ask, "How many of you have ever seen the news on television?" Begin a discussion of the role and importance of reporters in the news. They investigate the story by asking questions, and then they put their findings together and report them back to the audience. Tell the group that they will all have a chance to be their own "Caring Place Reporters." As a Caring Place Reporter, their assignment will be to get to know something about fellow group members and report back to the group.
Materials:
- List of interview questions for each child
- Pencils, markers or pens
- Toy microphone (optional)
- A cardboard “TV screen” from which to report (optional)
- Any other props to support the ‘reporter’ theme (optional)
Description: Have the children pair up, interview each other, and take notes about the conversation. Then have the children introduce "new friend" to the group. You can make the experience more creative by asking them to play the role of a reporter, including the use of a pretend or toy microphone to make the activity more "realistic." The activity can also be recorded for realism.
*If using this activity with younger children you may need a "scribe" to help them write down and read the responses. Therefore, you need plenty of time and volunteers to do this with younger children.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas:
- Have the children reflect on similarities found between group members.
- Did you meet someone who has something in common with you?
- Are there any unexpected similarities or differences found?
Suggestions: For younger children, you may want to have them 'dress up' for the part of the reporter using hats or a thrift store jacket for a prop.
Caring Place Reporter Questions
- What is your name?
- Who is in your family?
- Are you the oldest? Youngest? In the Middle of your family?
- What grade are you in?
- What is your favorite food?
- Do you have a pet? What kind? What is its name?
- If you don't have a pet, would you like one? What kind?
- What is your favorite thing to do?
- If you could invite any three people to dinner, whom would you invite?
- What makes you laugh?
- What is your favorite kind of music or your favorite musical group?
- What do you think you are good at doing? What do you wish you were better at doing?
- If you were trapped on an island for a year, what three things would you like to have with you?
