Make a chain of paper people to represent the friends and family in your life and highlight the importance of relationships in helping us grow and develop emotionally, physically and psychologically.
What you’ll need: Paper, coloured pens and scissors
What’s it for?
This activity focuses on the special relationships that we have around us and how these can help us to learn more about ourselves, the concept of empathy and understanding the feelings of our friends and family. Being more aware of the importance of relationships can enable us to feel more confident in making relationships with others in different aspects of our lives both now and in the future.
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:
Using an A4 piece of plain paper fold this length ways and cut into 2 pieces Fold one of the strips of paper in a fan/accordion style
Now draw the outline of a person whether that be a girl or boy on the folded part of the paper
Make sure the arm reaches the edge of the paper
Now cut around the figure, but do not cut along the folds where the body is
Unfold the chain of people and observe how each person is connected
Imagine that you are one of these paper people and think about who you want to be holding hands with – this could be a family member or a close friend?
Decorate your paper people and add particular features that represent your person of choice and think about their qualities and why they are special to you
Put these words on the back of each person including yourself
Imagine what might happen if the chain was broken and how this impacts the rest of the chain? Perhaps you had an argument with your friend or your family member
How does this feel and how can this be pieced back together?
Building relationships includes repairing them when something difficult happens
Hold up your finished Relationship Chain and feel grateful for your relationships
Extra Activity:
If you have any scrap pieces of material around the house you could finish off your people by decorating them and giving them different outfits. How about doing this activity with a friend or family member and seeing what is important to them in a relationship and which people they choose as part of their chain of connection.
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
How did it feel when you thought about the different special people in your life?
How important are friendships and family connections to you?
How do these relationships influence your approach to life?
Imagine if the chain was broken and the effect that this would have?
How might it feel to have a disconnection in the chain?
Name a particular scenario when this disconnection might occur?
How did it feel to think about repairing this disconnection and what was the outcome?
Conclusion:
This activity puts our relationships into perspective and highlights the importance of building meaningful and trusting friendships and family connections to develop our own sense of self, prompting discovery in our qualities and how these can build continuous links with others.
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!
Created by Sarah Kong © June 2020
Creative Arts Used: Art
Psychological Areas Explored: Emotional Wellbeing, Relationships and Self-Exploration
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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.
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