Feelings Wall
Suggested Group(s): Young/Middle/Teen
Purpose: To begin to explore different feelings and begin to identify those they might share with others.
Task/need: Group structure, approaching the pain of the loss
Activity Setup Ideas:
- Discuss some basic feelings with which the group may be familiar and the fact that feelings can be both comfortable and easy or tough and hard.
- Ask whether the group feels that it is okay to have both types of feelings.
Materials:
- Markers
- Construction paper
- Masking tape
Description: Allow the group members to brainstorm, either as an entire group or in 'teams,' to list as many feelings as possible on pieces of paper. As the group members add words, hang them on the wall, with the goal of filling as large an area as possible with different feelings words.
Once a large group of words has been created, sit with the group and make some observations:
- Are there duplicate words?
- Which feelings were listed most frequently?
- How are the feelings alike or different? Unique or similar?
- When did group member experience some of these feelings?
- Talk about the best feeling ever or worst ever.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas:
- Invite the group to continue to think of new feelings and add them throughout the remaining meetings
