*WATCH THE VIDEO* Create colourful letters to make a reminder of an important truth.
What you’ll need: a number of leftover cardboard tubes (if you don’t have very many, you could use other clean recycling such as cans or small bottles and jars), different coloured paint, a marker, scissors
What’s it for?
This activity will help you think about a positive truth that you want to remember, even when it feels like it’s not true. This will help you to identify the values that are important to you and stay positive when things are difficult.
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:
You’re going to create a word out of stand up letters that reminds you of something important in your life. To think of a word, think about or write down some of the positive things in your life about yourself and the people you love. You might think “I’m really brave” or “My auntie loves me so much” or “My friends are really important to me.”
Pick a single word that will remind you of one of these truths (For example, “Loved” or “Family” or “Brave”. Count how many letters are in the word, and make sure you have a tube or object for each letter.
Paint each of your tubes in a solid colour. What colours would you like to use to represent your word? You could try painting each letter a different colour of the rainbow! If you are using something made of plastic or glass, you could glue pieces of coloured paper to it, or wrap it in plain paper before painting.
Each tube or object is going to be a letter from your word. If you are using a cardboard tube, you could cut out the silhouette of the letter. Make sure the base is still wide enough to stand up, and you might need to ask an adult to help you.
You could also paint or write the letter, especially if you are using something like a jar or bottle.
When you have made all the letters you need, line them up so you can see your word! Sometimes when we feel sad or angry or another difficult feeling, it can be hard to remember the great things that are true in our lives. Put your word somewhere where you can see it, and remind yourself of an important truth in your life.
Extra Activity: Was there anyone in particular you were thinking of when you made your word? If you are able to, you might like to show them your word or send them a picture.
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
Did you learn anything about yourself during this activity?
What were some of the truths you thought of or wrote down?
When do you find it hard to remember these things?
What would you tell a friend who was finding things hard at the moment?
Who did you think about while you were doing this activity?
Can you think of other ‘truth’ words you would want to remind yourself about?
Why might it be useful to think about these things?
Conclusion:
This activity helps you to think about positive truths in your life, and create a way to remember them when things feel hard. This can support you with staying positive when something feels difficult, and help you to recognise the things that are important to you.
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 Heather Dingle © June 2020
Creative Arts Used: Art
Psychological Areas Explored: Resilience, Relationships, Emotional Wellbeing, Self-Exploration
If you enjoyed this activity, you might also like:
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).