Too often individuals with disabilities and those in residential facilities get limited opportunities to interact with nature. This is unfortunate because a connection with the natural world offers many health benefits. Among other things, time in nature triggers a calming effect where one could gain new perspectives while disconnecting from the screens begging for attention.
If you’re looking for some ideas for group therapy activities, scribble swap drawings can be fun and stimulate good reflection and discussion from the art process. Materials:PaperPencilsOther drawing media – colored pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, pastels, etcPaint (maybe – I find that paint tends to lead to longer projects, so be aware of this …
Objective: participants work together to move entire group across simulated “lava river” Emphasis · Develop cohesion and teamwork · Enhance communication skills · Stimulate care and concern for others through individual and group responsibility · Identify or improve leadership potential · Establish support systems Materials · A large open area, a hallway or gymnasium floor · One block, brick or rock for each participant (various sizes of cut 2”x4” work very well. Pick up scrap lumber, different shaped wood from a construction site or a piece of paper if you are really low on budget/time) Instructions · Mark a start and finish line on the field · Give each participant one block. Explain the only place a team member can step is on the blocks · Team members lay down the blocks one at a time in a line toward the finish point, with team members standing on the blocks. It will be necessary to share blocks in order that an extra block is made available · Pass the extra block to the front team member who places it on the ground in front of him · Repeat this process until all have crossed the “lava river” Variations · Have each member choose a block that represents them. then allow each member to share with the group the attributes that the block possesses that are similar to the individual. Do not give any instructions as to how to complete the task. Remind them the block represents themselves and others and they need to learn and practice using themselves and others as a support system · Teach social responsibility by establishing the rule that if one team member steps off the blocks or has some other miscue where the floor is touched, the entire team must return to the beginning to start the exercise again · Divide large groups into competing teams and challenge each other to the finish line, or race against set time · Give an extra block to the group, or take one block away · Blindfold a member of the group to increase care and responsibility for one another · Individuals must step on the blocks and not skate across the area on them · Do not give specific instructions, but tell group to figure out possibilities The group must get everyone through an electric tunnel. No one can touch any of the interior or exterior sides of the tunnel or anything that is touching those sides. The group is provided with some “insulated blocks.” Location should be any open area where a tunnel can be improvised out of boxes, etc. or an area where a tunnel area Image credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O1D-3RK-FCODUOUGrWnSDhDGxzyAiY3WvVV8MLp8KthusIvKK93UaXPNmnHuMupkhxG43d4ucf6RkvPMKuLXzmCXsZd6I7MDH7f6Jid5TD3mEZVhiIY1PobBqmxLSFBn2AJCLnXE3yE/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG
These following directions drawing activity ideas will teach kids to listen carefully to instructions and interpret them.
Outside/Inside Masks An Art Therapy Directive www.creativitymatterllc.com Description: People often do not realize that they put on masks when interacting with others. We wear masks to get through stressful times. We put on masks when we are with our children being loving and nurturing, at work being professional, and with strangers to keep them from seeing too much (to name a few). There are thousands of masks we wear, sometimes all within one day. This directive is designed to help clients begin to become aware of these masks so that they can choose what masks to wear. They will also become more aware of what is really going on behind the masks in order to learn how to deal with them in healthy ways. Materials: There are a multitude of ways clients can make masks. The simple way is to use regular paper and markers or colored pencils. You can also have the client make a mask out of paper Mache, or buy a mask at Hobby Lobby and have the client decorate it. Instructions: First – Explain the nature of “masks” to the client. Have the client identify some of the “masks” she wears and why. Second – Draw an oval shape on a piece of paper, taking up the whole sheet. Put eyes, nose and mouth in a general shape on the paper, inside the oval. Put the word “Outside” at the bottom of the sheet to identify that this drawing will be the mask that the client shows to others. Third – Ask the client to draw what comes to mind when she is showing others a (general) “mask”. Fourth – After the client finishes the drawing for the “Outside” mask, take a second piece of paper and draw the oval, eyes, nose and mouth in the same way you drew the first mask features. At the bottom of the paper write “Inside” to identify that this drawing will be what is really going on inside the person, how she is feeling inside. Ask the client to decorate it however she would like. Fifth – When the client is done drawing both the Outside and Inside faces, ask her to tell you about the drawings. Have a discussion about what she sees in her drawings. Write down what the client says about each image they created and color they chose. (Ask permission before you write or mark on the picture, and then I suggest you do it in pencil.) Make an arrow and then write down each meaning indicated by the client. This will enter in words (which will activate the left side of the brain) and the images (which has already activated the right side of the brain). It will also give you a clear guide to the image later when you go over these images at the end of the time with the client, for the review of the artwork created and therapy completed. Follow-up Questions: 1) Tell me about the drawings you created. How did it go? 2) How are the drawings different? How are they the same? 3) What do the colors mean to you? 4) What did she see about herself in the overall process? Objective for this Directive: 1) Allowing the client to have a safe space to begin to get in touch with her feelings is imperative. Each client has different ways of looking at this directive. Some will catch on quickly and be able to express how they are feeling. Others will need more guidance. It is always important to make sure to emphasize to the client that this is a “safe space” where the client can express herself and experience acceptance in the process. Also, by creating a “safe space” the client is beginning to learn who may be a “safe” person to open up to and who is not, trusting herself to know the difference. 2) Increasing the client’s self-awareness and self-acceptance. By encouraging that the client is in a safe space the client is also receiving the message that it is OK to feel what she is feeling, and that it is acceptable. This promotes self-acceptance in general and can increase the client’s willingness to deal with negative emotions, especially when her confidence increases through the use of healthy ways to express and communicate those emotions that may be more uncomfortable. 3) Identifying the difference between what the client communicates with others versus what she is actually feeling can stimulate conversations for healthy communication and increase the client’s sense of self-control. This exercise naturally opens conversation that highlights healthy boundaries and how they work. It is not always appropriate to share everything one is feeling with others. Conversely, it is not always healthy to keep everything inside, not sharing anything. Finding that balance is key to being mentally healthy. It is important for the client to learn when it is appropriate to share and when it is not. NOTE: This mask directive can be applied to any masks you want to create with your client. Have fun with it and allow the client to explore the metaphors in masks. You can add sequence, feathers, beads, and anything else the client would like to utilize. You can pick up basic white masks at Hobby Lobby, which make great canvases to make some amazing masks. There are a myriad of ways to create masks. Explore and have fun with it!
Group activities are a relatively modern way of therapy, and evidence shows that they are one of the most effective ones. Trust is a very important group therapy topic, since it helps build confidence in the participants and helps them in cultivating new relationships. Divide the participants in pairs; blindfold one member and make him draw a diagram by listening to the instructions of the other teammate. After the diagram is finished, give another diagram, this time reversing the roles.
Discover the benefits of Drumming Circle exercise for seniors. Enhance physical and mental health with this fun and engaging activity!
if poetry is not therapy, i lost my chance to be normal Over the ages, writers, mental health clients, mental health nurses and other professions across the globe have employed the use of poetry an…
Through my experience working in a skilled nursing and long term care facility, I have found that patients can greatly benefit from therapy exercises and strategies to improve their breathing coordination as well as expiratory duration and strength. This in turn will positively affect their breath support, swallowing and communication skills. Patients who have are ... Read More about When Communication, Cognition And Swallowing Are Affected By Decreased Breath Support
Art Therapy Activity for Depression Today, I'll show you how to make art when you're feeling depressed or down.
Teach kids self-regulation in the classroom and beyond with this collection of super fun Zones of Regulation activities, games, worksheets, and lesson plans!
Motivational and easy group therapy activities for children and adults that requires little or no preparation and is effective and beneficial.
ACTIVITY OUTLINE Title: Musical Bingo Domain: cognitive, music Population: Adult Mental Health (Forensics) Category: memory, leisure activity, reality orientation Materials: pre-made Bingo cards, chords to all songs on sheets, guitar, bingo card markers, papers with songs/artists to draw, prizes for winners Procedures: 1. Let clients choose a Bingo card and give them place markers 2. Begin drawing songs and singing them 3. Clients mark off either song names, singers, or both from their cards. 4. When someone gets 5 in a row, they yell “BINGO!” 5. Check to make sure they had all of their answers correct. If they do, they win and get a prize. Behavioral Observation: Participation, reality orientation, leisure skills, memory Source: Songs by various artists, compiled for specific population by me Submitted by: Bethany Clayton; 3/23/2010 Bingo cards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Therapy Resources: We provide mental health professionals with worksheets, group activities, & more!
Group therapy is something that is offered in most drug and alcohol rehab programs. Games can be therapeutic in these settings. It is a relaxing and entertaining way for the participants to see themselves as others may have seen them while they were using drugs. It offers them a look at how their behaviors affected ...
This creative exercise uses art and writing to explore what we need to keep in our life and what we need to let go of or keep out.
When working PRN at a SNF, I often encounter patients with deficits that are apparent but have activities that are limited. Today when I was working with a patient who had apparent working memory deficits, I got an idea that took very little time to prep. I had my tablet with me of course, so ... Read More about A Quick Fix for a Working Memory Activity
Therapy Resources: We provide mental health professionals with worksheets, group activities, & more!
This circle of control activity teaches students the difference between what is inside their control and what is outside of their control.
Fun Summer / Warm Weather Activity – Squirt Gun Learning Games & Races Our students LOVE the squirt gun race at our end of the school year carnival, so we decided to make it a fun learning activity and let them “take aim” at letters, numbers, shapes, and sight words. Squirting Stacks of Cups For […]
Puppets and masks can add a quality of magnitude through form, texture, and weight that give a physical presence to these items with dimension.
These insect printables are such a fun learning activity for kids to do in the spring or when learning about bugs! These pages can help kids practice fine motor skills, handwriting, scissor skills, memory, problem-solving, and more. These activities are great for preschool, pre k, and kindergarten children. Use them at home with your kids or in the classroom!
Coming up with OT fieldwork in-service ideas can be tough. For a list of 13 ideas for adult rehab fieldwork, we've got you covered here.
Our Couples Therapy Worksheet Bundle PDFs can be downloaded and used with all your clients, giving them the ability to fill it out on a digital device or print it out.
ACTIVITY OUTLINE Title: Musical Scattergories Domain: cognitive Population: Adult Mental Health (Forensics) Category: leisure activity,...
Secret message coding bracelets are a unique form of wearable communication that allows individuals to encode and share messages through patterns of beads.
Making art that responds to music can increase sensory awareness, facilitate mindfulness, and encourage emotional expression. Last week’s guest post from music therapist Maya Benattar discussed the value of deep listening to music with our clients in session or for our own self-care and processing as therapists. This week I want to share about …
Coming up with OT fieldwork in-service ideas can be tough. For a list of 13 ideas for adult rehab fieldwork, we've got you covered here.
If you want to learn how to practice cognitive behavioral therapy activities for anxiety, this post has several tips to help you feel better.
Create more gratitude in your home with this fun activity for your whole family!
