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The Rhino Suit

Suggested Group(s): Preschool/Young/Middle

Purpose: To help children identify ways to manage and cope with all of the intense feelings and experiences that are a part of their grief journey.

Task/need: Living on the grief spiral, continued support

The Rhino Suit by Colter Jackson

For one little girl, the weight of the world feels like too much to bear. She feels everything so deeply, it makes her want to hide. One day, when the tenderness and pain of the world feel like they are more than she can handle, she has a grand idea. She decides to build a rhino suite to keep herself safe. Inside the rhino’s armor, the pain of the world is easy to ignore, but the beauty and joy the world has to offer are hidden too. The Rhino Suit is about moving from fear to courageousness, from brokenness to wholeness and from feeling shut down to letting all of life in.

Materials:

  • The Rhino Suite by Colter Jackson
  • Cardboard Shields
  • Paint, paint brushes, paint cups
  • Markers and Glue
  • Embellishments (glitter, pom-poms, letter stickers, stickers, gems, etc.)

Activity Description:

The purpose of this activity is to help children identify ways to manage and cope with all of the intense feelings and experiences that are a part of their grief journey. Begin by reading The Rhino Suit and engage the kids in a discussion with the following questions:

  1. Why did she make a Rhino suit? How did the Rhino suit help her?
  2. What were some of the problems with wearing the Rhino suit?
  3. What did she decide to do about the Rhino suit?
  4. What did she do when her feelings were overwhelming?
  5. What are some things that could help us manage hard or scary feelings/experiences?

Next, explain that sometimes we need ways to manage big, overwhelming feelings. It is important to find ways to do this that don’t stop you from letting feelings and experiences that are important to you in. A shield can provide some protection when you need it, and still will let you keep your heart open to feelings and experiences.

As a group, brainstorm some positive coping skills and ways to manage hard or overwhelming feelings and experiences. Give examples if they need help thinking of ideas (take a walk, journey, color/draw, talk to a trusted friend or adult, listen to music) Then, provide each child a shield and explain that they are going to create a shield that represents the coping skills they might use throughout their grief journey.

Once everyone is done creating their shields, invite the kids to share their shields and the coping skills they will try to use. You can help them think about how they might use different coping skills by asking some of the following questions:

  1. When is a time you might use that coping skill?
  2. Are there any of these coping skills or activities that you would prefer to do alone? With a friend or adult caregiver?
  3. How will you know when you need help managing your feelings? *You may want the kids to draw/ write times they need to use their coping skills on the back side of the shield*