Activities That Build

Simple Activities to Do At Home That Teach

Simple Games to Play that Teach

The concept is to use simple games and use them to teach skills such as:

• Self -Esteem
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Anger Management
• Coping Skills

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Most activities and lessons are from 104 Activities That Build, by Alanna Jones

Self-Esteem

True Talents

Objective: For individuals to recognize that everyone has different talents and gifts, which contribute something to the environment around them.

Description: Have a list of activities that require different talents such as a bubble gum blowing contest, jump rope contest, cart wheel, drawing, etc. Have your family compete in a family olympics competition in different events. Make sure you pick activities that each member in your family will excel in.

Discussion:

1. Was one person good at everything? Why or why not?
2. Is it important to have the same or different talents then everyone else?
3. Why is having different talents important to this world?
4. What type of talents do you have?
5. If a friend tells you he/she is not talented because he/she is not good in sports like other people, what advice would you give him/her?
6. Why is it important to recognize your own strengths and uniqueness?

To You, But From Who?

Objective: For people to give and receive compliments from others, improving self-outlook. (Materials needed: envelopes, paper, pens or pencils)

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Description: Each family member will have an envelope with his/her name on it. The envelope will be passed around to each family member. Each family member will write a positive comment about that person and put it in his/her envelope. After everyone is able to write a compliment to all members the envelope will be given to the leader. The leader will read off the compliments in the envelope and the family members will guess who it is. Once that person guesses who it is, he/she will guess who wrote each comment.

Discussion:

1. How do others feel about the compliments you made about them?
2. How do you feel about hearing compliments about yourself?
3. Explain why compliments are given?
4. Do you believe in the compliments that were given to you?
5. How can I keep this going?

Teamwork

Cooperative Drawing

Objective: Learn how to work together through communication and cooperation. (Materials needed: color crayons or pens, paper, pencil)

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Description: The entire family needs to create a picture together. Family members take turns drawing 3 lines at a time. No one can talk or tell each other what to draw. After completing the drawings, have a discussion.

After discussion try to do the drawing activity again, but this time, allow planning time prior to starting. Have another discussion.

Variation of game:

1. Have communication throughout activity but you have to whisper
2. Not using words, but using body language instead.
3. Color the drawing but each person can only use one color.

Discussion 1:

1. What was challenging about the drawing?
2. What could make it easier? What other rules should we put in place to make sure we are working together?

Discussion 2:

1. Did talking make things easier? How?
2. How did we have to talk to make sure we respected our teammates? (tone, volume, and voice)

Mine Field

Objective: Communicate effectively with others while also practicing active listening. (Materials needed: blindfold and various objects to use as land mines)

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Description: Find an open space in your house. Place the objects (pennies, chopsticks, rubber bands, etc.) sporadically across the open space. Have everyone pair up, and make one person from each pair put on the blindfold. The other person must lead his/her teammate from one side of the open space to the other without stepping on the objects — using only the verbal instructions. The blindfolded person cannot speak at all. To make it more difficult, create specific routes the blindfolded team members must walk.

Discussion: (Differs for blindfolded person and direction giver):

• What was challenging in this activity?
• What did you need to do in order to be successful?
• Is how we say things important? How do we have to remember to communicate?
• WHat about listening? What did you have to do in order to be successful?
• What other areas in your life are these skills important?

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Communication

Sounds Around

Objective: To be mindful and listen to all the different sounds around us when we truly decide to listen. It is amazing how much information we can pick up through our senses if we concentrate.

Description: Each person has a piece of paper and pen. Each family member needs to close their eyes and listen for 1 minute. During this minute they are only listening and not writing or doing anything else. After one minute, they can write down all the different sounds they heard.

Discussion:

1. Were you surprised by the number of sounds you heard?
2. Did you hear things that you would not ordinarily pick up?
3. What is the difference between hearing someone and listening to someone?
4. Do you feel you are a good listener? How could you improve?
5. How can you keep from being distracted?

What’s Different?

Objective: Practice using eye contact and observation skills while listening to others.

Description: Choose one family member to stand in the middle. Everyone must look at this person and try to remember every detail about him/her. Then everyone except the person in the middle must walk out of the room. The person in the middle must change something about him/herself (ex. roll up sleeves, watch on different wrist, take off one earring, unbutton bottom shirt button, etc.) Make sure family members do not blurt out, but raise their hands when they want to guess. Other members need to guess what is different. Once you get really good at this game, you can change it to the entire room.

Discussion:

1. What did you have to do before you made a guess? Why is that important?
2. What did you have to do to be successful in this game?
3. How do you feel when you are talking and someone is not paying attention to you?
4. Do you give the same respect to others?

Anger Management

Anger Gauge

Objective: To identify triggers of anger, anxiety, or stress in your life.

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Description:

Have your child draw out a thermometer and draw 3 lines across, labeling it one, two, and three. Name different situations that may cause anger, stress, or anxiety to your child. Ex. losing in a game, having to make corrections, no one listens to my ideas, etc.

Ask your child if they can give more situations that may put them at a level 1, 2, or 3. Ask your child how does their mood and body change at each level (clenched fists, breathing heavy, etc.)

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Explain to your child that there are different triggers to our anger, anxiety, or stress. Knowing the triggers can help us use some calming strategies to help us. When we are at a level 3 it is hard to calm down at that point but if we catch ourselves when we are at a level 1 or 2 we have a better chance of calming down effectively.

Discussion:

1. Now that you know your triggers what strategies can we use to get us to go down a level?
2. How can you tell that you are moving up levels? (Body, mood)
3. Why is knowing your triggers so important?

Connection With Body and Mind

Description: Look back at the anger gauge you did earlier. Make another gauge but this time list the body changes you go through when you experience each level. (1, 2, 3). What changes in your hands, breathing, and heartbeat. Try to also pick up on other changes like, headaches, sweaty, face or skin color, clench teeth, etc.

Discussion: When we feel emotion our body reacts to it. If we are aware of our body and how it reacts to anger we can start to recognize where we are and what we have to do. Concentrate on calming your body down and not on changing your emotion.

1. What are some things that might help our body calm down? (breathing, a walk, exercise)
2. When should I start to do these activities? What level?

Objective: To get students to realize the connection to what they are feeling emotionally to their body.

Coping Skills

Resource Scavenger Hunt

Objective: For child to recognize the resources they have around them to help them cope with anger, stress, anxiety, etc.

Description: Have your child write the following things on a piece of paper:

• A place in this house where I can do exercises (jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups)
• 3 things I like to do
• A jump rope or something I can jump rope with
• A nice pillow I can yell into
• My favorite video games
• A friend’s phone number or favorite person to talk to
• My favorite snack
• Written directions on how to belly breathe

Continued:

Give your child a given amount of time to complete scavenger hunt, 5 minutes should be sufficient. After your child has collected all of the items, explain to him/her that all of the things he/she has collected are strategies to deal with stress, anger, etc. Keep all of the resources in a designated place where your child can pull it out when he/she needs it.

Use of Strategies

Objective: Implement strategies to effectively help manage emotions.

Description: Now that you have established levels and strategies it is time to implement them. While your child is doing different activities be aware if any of them are potential triggers (homework, new activity, undesired activity). Explain to your child before the activity that he/she may get frustrated and that is okay. The focus is to manage his/her emotions and not the success of the activity. Remind your child to use the strategies if he/she starts to get frustrated. If your child is getting overly frustrated, stop the activity and reconvene at a later time.

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Positive Reinforcement: Reinforce your child with positive praise for using the strategies. It is important you and your child recognize the small victories.

Reflect: If your child is not able to use the strategies take a break. Reflect with your child about his/her feelings and process after he/she has calmed down. Encourage your child to try again and let your child know he/she can do it!