Boost your own positive feelings about yourself and your body by doing this exciting and simple art activity.
What you’ll need: A piece of paper, coloured pens or pencils
What’s it for?
This activity helps you to boost your own positive feelings about yourself and your body through a simple but fun art activity.
Check In:
Notice how you’re feeling right now. Close your eyes and notice what’s going on inside your mind and body.
How are you feeling?
What are you thinking?
How does your body feel?
Method:
Draw around your hand on a piece of paper.
Spend a moment thinking carefully about why you like your hands and what they are useful for.
In each of the fingers, write why you like your hands, for example - write that your hands are strong, creative, flexible, beautiful, quick.
In the palm of the hand picture, write one thing which you really enjoy using your hands for, like stroking a cat or dog, playing an instrument, writing, or drawing.
You might like to decorate your hand picture by colouring it in, or making a nice background.
If you’re doing this activity with someone else, introduce your hands to each other - talking through what they’re good at and like to do; or, show an interested adult.
Extra Activity: Try to do the same with different parts of your body, like your foot. If you have a very big piece of paper you could get someone to help you draw around your whole body. You could draw a picture of your face by looking in the mirror or at a photo and do the same.
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
Was it easy or difficult to think of things to write about your hands?
Has your feeling about your hands changed after doing this activity?
Is there anything else you’d like to do with your hands that you’re not doing already (for example, play an instrument, learn sign language)?
Conclusion:
This activity helps you appreciate how you are in the present moment, and helps you to notice what you like about yourself.
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling at the end of this activity. Did you discover anything surprising? What can you take away to make you feel better about yourself from this activity?
If you would like to, share something about your experience with this activity with someone you live with! Ask the person who looks after you to send us an email if you have any questions or comments about the activity, or would like to send us any pictures (info@catcorner.co.uk). Don't forget to subscribe for more fun CAT activities!
Creative Arts Used: Art & Creative Writing
Psychological Areas Explored: Emotional Wellbeing, Self-esteem
References:
This activity was taken and adapted from ‘I like my hands because…’ (pg. 77) from:
Plummer, D. (2007): Self-Esteem Games for Children, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
These activities could be done by children of all ages, but some may need the support of their parent or carer to read the instructions or complete the activity safely.
This website was made by CAT Corner to help you explore your feelings through fun creative arts activities. The people using the website and the people responsible for them need to make sure they stay safe (full disclaimer on About page).