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My Story

Suggested Group(s): Young/Middle

Purpose: Reinforce a sense of self identity and investigate their feelings and experiences.

Task/need: Living on the grief spiral, developing a new self-identity, relating the loss to a context of meaning

Activity Setup Ideas:

  • Begin by sharing a copy of an autobiography (preferably written by or for a young reader) and ask the group if they know what an autobiography is. Explain that it is a story that a person writes about himself/herself. Let them know that everybody has a story and each person's story is unique to his or her experiences.
  • "In today’s activity, we are going to write (or draw) stories about ourselves."

Materials:

  • Pages with the "My Story" headings (see next page)
  • Markers
  • Art Materials
  • Stapler

Description: Duplicate the pages for each child on acid free paper. Staple each set into a booklet for the child to complete. The children can add drawings and other artwork to personalize.

*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:

  • Encourage the group members to share their stories with other group members.
  • Remind them that as we have new experiences, our stories continue to change. Encourage group members to take them home and keep adding to them.

My Story Page Headings:

Cover: My Story
Page #1: My Family
Page #2: The people who I loved that died
Page #3:
  • Special Memories of the person who died
  • Favorite times
  • Favorite games
  • Special days
Page #4: The things you miss most about the person who died
Page #5: What I remember about being told about the death
Page #6: People die because
Page #7: I would like to ask someone
Page #8: What I would like my family to know about me
Page #9: Changes in my live
Page #10:

Things that make me:

  • Mad
  • Sad
  • Happy
Page #11: Things that I worry about
Page #12: People I can talk with
Page #13: Things I’ll remember about the Caring Place
Page #14: People at the Caring Place

View the My Story document.