Art Therapy tasks for Children and Adolescents

Feelings Basketball

Materials- Ball, basket, empty face worksheet, emotions work sheet, markers.

Directions- Give each member a copy of the empty faces worksheet and the emotions worksheet. Have each member choose one emotion and in the empty faces sheet draw what they look like when they are feeling that emotion. Continue until all of the faces are full. Next, utilizing the now colored faces have each participant chose a face and act out the emotion while dribbling a basketball toward the hoop. The person with the ball cannot shoot the hoop until the emotion they are acting out is guessed by the audience.

Footsteps Toward Progress

Materials: Multiple colors of construction paper, markers, long piece of butcher paper for each participant, scissors, glue sticks.

Directions: Pt. to trace 3 sets of their own feet (6 feet total) onto construction paper and cut them out. Next, using the glue stick, adhere the feet in a walking pattern onto the butcher paper. Finally, write down 6 goals with one on each foot. Goals and can be for over the period of one year or lifetime goals. Discuss why it is important to write about and discuss our goals. Talk about what steps are currently being taken to achieve these goals. Reference “104 Activities That Build” book for further discussion questions.

Coping Thoughts Cards

Materials- 18x 24” thick poster board cut in half, markers, scissors, list of coping thoughts (This situation won’t last forever. I’ve already been through many other painful experiences, and I’ve survived. This too shall pass. etc.) and glue sticks.

Description- Open with a discussion about coping skills; what are some examples and
when/ why do we use them? Next, talk about what are coping thoughts. Have the group
come up with some examples and times that they may be appropriate. To begin the
project, offer each person a sheet of poster board. Explain that we will be making coping
thought cards so they have two options. One option is that they can cut the board into
6 equal cards now, write a coping thought on the back, and decorate them separately.
The second option is that they can create an abstract image on the large board and cut
the picture into 6 equal cards once they are finished. After the group is done cutting and
decorating, share which coping thoughts were chosen and have each member give an
example of when they personally may use that statement.

Monster Within/ Cause of Monster

Materials: Large paper at least 2 sheets per person, markers or paint sticks

Description: Ask the group to each create an image of the monster that lives within all
of us and owns all of the bad feelings and discuss what bad feelings those are. Once
finished, have each person share their image with the group explaining what feelings that
monster has. Next have each member create an image of one cause of the anger monster.
Once finished have the group share their drawings and discuss or describe the image and
talk about things in the image the pt. would like to change.

Inspirational Artist Trading Cards

Media- Paper, markers, glitter glue, paint sticks

Directions- Ask each member of the group to create an image of their best moment.
Encourage the use of color and shapes with limited imagery. Once everyone has finished
their image, ask the group to share what they have created.
Next, have the group cut their images into 6 equally sized cards. On the back of each
of the cards, have the group write down their favorite saying, quote, poem, etc. After
everyone has written something down on the back of each card, have the group trade with
one another until each member has a card from everyone.

Relaxation Meditation

Materials- watercolors, 11x 14” paper with outline of body, meditation reading, mats.

Description- Have each member of the group take a mat to lay on and spread out around
the room.
Read the meditation provided in the Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens activity 21, or any other guided meditation.
Once the meditation has ended, provide each member of the group with watercolors and
the body outline.
Ask the group to use the water colors in order to depict what color their breath is as it
enters and exits the body. Discuss where tension is held and felt in the body and what
color is it.

Extension- Provide group with a second body outline and ask them to create a body at
peace. What does that look like? How does it differ from the initial painting?

Anger Expression

Create an image of your anger using a large piece of paper and markers. Use your body/
be expressive.
Discuss what events make you feel this way? How do you feel physically or emotionally?
Next step- tear up the image.
Discuss how it makes you feel to do this to your image and destroy this emotion.

Time extender- Use the pieces of the torn image to create a new picture by gluing them
onto a new piece of paper. Think about expressing your anger in a new way. What are
some examples of how you could appropriately express your anger?

Anger Monster/ Warm Fuzzy Creature

Materials: Large paper at least 2 per person, markers or paint sticks, pre- drawn thought
bubbles, talking bubbles, and heart shapes for each member of the group.

Description: Ask each member of the group to create an image of an anger monster. Once
finished, give each participant a thought bubble and have them write inside what the
monster is thinking; a talking bubble to write what the monster would say, and a heart
to write what the monster would be feelings. After sharing the finished image with the
group, repeat the process asking the group t o draw an image of a warm fuzzy creature
that holds love.

House of Emotions

Materials- Markers, 11x 14” paper, The Guest House poem from the Stress Reduction
Workbook for Teens activity 24, lined paper.

Description- Read the poem to the group and discuss how and why we should be open to
feeling all emotions both negative and positive. After the discussion, have each member
draw an image of the outside of their own “guest house for emotions” and share. Next,
have each member create a cut away view of the inside of their house and create a room
for each emotion they are currently experiencing. Discuss what is making them feel these
emotions, and the size/ space each emotion is taking up within them. Finally have the
group write a poem/ story/ or letter to regarding this house. Read the letters out loud.

The Trouble Tree

Materials- The story of The Trouble Tree, large piece of paper, markers, foam shapes

Directions- Read the story to the group, ask the members of the group to draw their own
trouble tree. Next make small tokens out of foam shapes and ask the group to write their
troubles onto the shapes and put them into the tree. Once everyone has finished, discuss
if they feel any better having written down and externalized their troubles. Are there any
troubles that might disappear on their own versus ones that require dealing with?

Extension- ask the participants to chose one trouble and draw an image of the trouble or
what life would look like once that trouble has been resolved.

Year (Month, Week, Day) in Review Right and Wrong

Materials- Markers, 18” x 24” paper

Description- Ask pt. why it would be important to review what good things and what bad
things (right or wrong) happened over a past time period. What might be learned? Next
have the group fold the large paper in half and label one side Right (good) and Wrong
(bad). Ask the group to write 3 things that went right over the specified time period and 3
things that went wrong. Of those 3 on each side, the participant is to pick 1 on each side
to draw an image of to describe the event.

Time extender- Turn over the paper and write or draw one goal to be achieved in the
upcoming specified time period and 3 steps toward achievement.

How I Feel/ How I Act/ What I Need

Age- 13+

Medium- markers, 11x 14” paper

Directions- Each member of the group gets one sheet of paper to fold into 3. At the top of
the first section have the group label “How I Feel”. Begin with the group listing a number
of emotions that they have felt in the past month (at least 3). Once completed, move on
to the second section and label it “How I Act”. Have the group describe for each emotion
how they act or how others would know they are feeling that way. Lastly, label the third
section “What I Need” and have the group write what they need from others when they
are feeling each emotion. Do they need people to stay away, give them a hug, or just
listen? Discuss what everyone has written. Next, have each member chose one emotion
to draw a picture of or something that makes them feel that certain way. Process the
drawings.

Adjective Goals

Media: Markers and 11x 14” paper.

Description: Have the group think about a goal they want to accomplish and draw a
picture of that goal. Next, ask the group to think of three words to describe how they
would feel once they accomplished that goal. Write down those words on the top,
bottom, or back of the drawing. Finally, ask the group to think of activities that they
currently participate in which make them feel those same feelings. Have the group draw a
picture of one of those activities. The goal is to show the group that they can feel similar
emotions (thus accomplishing the dream goal) without having to have the experience.

Stress/ Calm Two- Sided Mandala

Materials: Cardboard mandala, tissue paper, modge podge (or watered down glue),
construction paper in various colors, scissors.

Directions: hand each member a mandala and explain that one side will represent the
stressors in our lives while the other will represent calm and how we combat those
stressors. Beginning with the stress side ask the group to pick colors that represent stress
to them and decorate that side with the tissue paper/ modge podge in those stress colors.
Next choose a single stress color from the construction paper, cut into 1- 2” strips, and
write down what stressors are currently in your life. Once finished, flip the mandala to
the blank side and repeat the process reflecting calm in your life, what colors represent
calmness to you? Once finished decorating with tissue paper, choose a calm color from
the construction paper, cut into strips, and write down activities that can be done in order
to combat the stressors. Finally, tape a small piece of string on the top in order to hang
up. Process with the group.

Self Care Box

Materials- Small cardboard box, foam letters, glitter glue, tissue paper, watered down
glue, list of positive affirmations.

Directions- Instruct the group to decorate the box with the thought that this will be their
special box to keep trinkets and small items of importance. Once the group has finished
decorating their box read some examples of positive affirmations. Ask the group if
they had ever heard of positive affirmations and if they use any of their own. Give each
participant a list of positive affirmations to chose from/ get inspiration from. Have each
member cut out positive affirmations related to self and put into box (either fold up and
put in, or modge podge affirmations into interior of box).

Need, Have, Give, Trash collage

Fold paper into 4 sections, fill one with items, feelings, and words that you need, fill
another with items, feelings, and words that you already have, fill the third with skills,
talents, and feelings that you can give to others, and fill the last with feelings and words
that you don’t want to have any more or want to forget.

Materials- Large paper, markers, magazines, scissors, glue stick.

Mandala- Color/Emotion match

Ages- Adolescent

Activity required group to draw inside a mandala using markers- drawing could be
simply shapes or a picture. Once finished, the group was asked to identify three (3)
colors and label them with an emotion. Process the mandala imagary before continuing
on to color/emotion matching. Discuss a time when each member of the group felt their
identified emotion and/or why that color represents that emotion.

Leisure Activities Daisy Chain

Ages- Children

Description- Cut 8”- 12” strips of red, yellow, and blue paper. Give each member of
the group 2 (or more) strips of each color. Ask the group to write on each strip a leisure
activity that they can do by themselves or with others when they are-
Red = Angry
Blue = Sad
Yellow = Happy
(Add colors as you see fit)
Once the group has completed the writing portion, have the members work together to
chain all of the strips together by taping the paper closed around the previous link.

Group Story In A Round and Picture

Media: Large piece of paper for each group member, markers

Goal: Team building, increase creative thinking

Directions: Go around the group and have each person tell a made up story. The group
leader or therapist has the right to stop the person talking whenever they chose. Once a
group member has been stopped, the next person in the circle has to pick up where the
previous person left off. This process continues until everyone has added at least one
bit to the story. The therapist should write down the story as it is told and should also
encourage the group toward a beginning, middle, and end to make it a complete story.
Once finished, the therapist should read back the story to the group and ask if there
should be any changes made. Finally, ask each of the group members to create an image
of the story as they perceived it. Follow up with a discussion about what character they
view themselves as and who are the other characters in their life? How did they feel about
not having control over where the story went?