Social awareness: 9 to 14 years-old

Activity: Pink Strips Chain

Objective: Raising awareness about diversity and inclusiveness, working in a group to reach
a goal, raising awareness about the International Day of Pink.
Category: Social skills, empathy, self-esteem, group work, craft.
Age of Group and Group Size: Grades 4 to 9, 9-year-old to 14-year-old. Classroom of 30
kids.
Population that would benefit from the activity: This activity would benefit children and
teenagers, ages 9 to 14, raising awareness about positive behaviours toward being inclusive
and respectful with peers.
Therapeutic Value: Working in a group to reach a common goal: raising awareness.
Practicing self-reflection and understanding that if working together it is possible to create a
safe environment that embraces and accepts diversity.
Materials Needed:
· 30 pink sulphite paper.
· 10 scissors.
· 1 glue stick.
· Several markers in different colors.
· Large tape (2" x 55 yds).
Description of How to Complete the Activity:
1. Gather all the materials needed and place it on a desk.
2. Ask the participants to grab a pink paper.
3. Explain what the International Day of Pink is (Coombs, 2023):
a. It is a day where communities across the country, and across the world, can
unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to stop homophobia,
transphobia, transmisogyny, and all forms of bullying.
b. The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high
school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2
students intervened but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic &
transphobic bullying. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days
later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The
result was that an entire school took a stand and began working together to
prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying.
 c. The message was clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying,
but together we can stop it.
d. Each year on the second Wednesday of April, millions of people wear pink
and take a stand. The Day of Pink is a symbol, a spark, that empowers and
inspires youth across Canada to create amazing social change!
4. Open space for children debriefs about the topic.
5. Suggested questions:
a. What do you do to be inclusive and empathetic with peers?
b. How can we stand and be the support for our peers like the high school
students, from Nova Scotia, were to their peers?
6. After kids reflect about the topic, ask them to choose three to five words that best
describe how they could raise awareness or be inclusive.
7. Ask the participants to grab a scissor and cut strips of 1 ½’’ to 2’’ (4 to 6
centimeters) wide and 11’’ (30 centimeters) long.
8. Ask them to write the words they chose in step 6 on one side of the strip, on the
other side ask them to write “I care about others”.
9. Choose one participant and ask he/she/them to create the first link, overlapping
the end of the strip by 2 centimeters and gluing it.
10. Ask this participant to choose another person and pass the link he/she/them
created.
11. This participant then will be responsible to create the next link and pass it away,
so all participants can create a chain with all links, like the image below.

Retrieved from: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/classroom/schoolwide/project-

connect.asp
12. When the Pink Strips Chain is done, tape it in a visible place.
13. Praise students for their work in group and for engaging and participating.
Debrief questions: How did you feel about working in a group to raise awareness? How do
you feel about the movement that started the Day of Pink? Have you ever thought that when
we act in support of a peer, being empathetic, inclusive, accepting and embracing diversity
we are creating a chain of support? As we did today while working in a group toward the
same goal, we can work together and raise awareness and stop bullying, homophobia,
transphobia, transmisogyny.
Pitfalls and Precautions: Be aware whether this an audience that needs supervision regards
to work with scissors, aiming everyone’s safety. Be aware of mobility difficulties of any
participant, and whether he/she/they require assistance. Be aware of learning difficulties of
any participant, and whether he/she/they require assistance. Be attentive whether all
participants feel safe while working on this activity, for instance if a participant that engages
in bullying is participating, he/she/they may act aggressively toward a participant of
LGBTQ+ community.
Created By: Larissa Draczynski adapted from Project Connect (Pacer Organization)
References:
Coombs, G. (2023). Prepare: International Day of Pink [Class handout].
eCentennial. https://e.centennialcollege.ca/
Pacer (n.d.). Project Connect. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from
https://www.pacer.org/bullying/classroom/schoolwide/project-connect.asp
 Math Icebreaker: 8 years-old

Activity: Division Concepts Ice Breaker

Objective: Understanding the concept of mathematical division while working in a group

and following instructions.

Category: social skills, following instructions, group work, problem-solving.

Age: 8-year-old or children who function developmentally at this age group.

Timing: Preparation time: 5 minutes; Activity time: 10 minutes; debrief time: 5 minutes.

Population that would benefit from the activity: children in classrooms grade 3 and up
learning mathematical division.

Therapeutic Value: This activity can increase children's awareness of mathematical

division, social skills by working in groups, and interaction between peers.

Materials Needed:

· Box full of marbles (100 units).

Description:

1. Have the group stand in a circle with room between each person to move freely.
2. Place the marble’s box where the class can reach.
3. Ask them to count the marbles inside the box.
4. Now they have to equally divide the marbles between all individuals.
5. Make sure they work collaboratively to reach the goal of each having the right
number of marbles.
6. Praise the students for participating and engaging in this activity.

Debrief questions: was it possible to equally divide all the marbles between all students?
What was the strategy used to understand how to equally divide? How do you feel about the
work in group?

Pitfalls and Precautions: be aware about students that experience learning disabilities and
whether they need assistance to participate in this activity.

Adaptations: This activity it is developed for classrooms i.e., large groups of kids, to adapt
to a smaller group of kids the unit of marbles can decrease. The activity can also be adapted
to make it easier, decreasing the number of marbles inside the box; or to make it harder,
increasing the number of marbles inside the box and increasing the number of boxes. The
marbles can also be replaced by other items, such as candies, small rubber balls, small
colorful cotton balls.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski

Emotional Regulation: 6 to 12 years-old

 Activity Name: Breathing Activity

Objective: practicing emotional regulation through mindfully breathing, encouraging a new

tool to cope with stressful situations, and learning about emotion and its effect on our body.
Category: emotion regulation, self-awareness, self-care, mindfulness, concentration.
Age Group: 6 – 12
Population that would benefit from the activity: children learning to regulate their
emotions will benefit from this activity, providing a possible way they can help themselves.
Therapeutic value: Providing a tool to cope with stressful situations, creating the possibility
to self-regulate and build resilience. This activity also shows the importance of self-care, and
its practice increases concentration time.
Materials needed: yoga mat (not essential), open space.
Description:
· Prepare the children asking them to sit down on the floor (or yoga mat)
· Use the first 10 minutes to explain how this activity works
a) why breathing is important
b) how it helps us when feeling anxiety, for example
· Start the activity modeling how to breath
a) 4 - 5 seconds in
b) 4 - 5 seconds out
c) For the younger ones make (once or twice) funny noises when breathing
· Use the last 10 minutes to debrief
a) Engage children to discuss which feelings they could manage with these
steps of breathing.

Debrief questions: when feeling super stressed because something difficult happened to us,
does breathing help us to deal with this feeling?
Do you know what stress and anxiety feels like?
What other feelings do you think we need help coping with?

Pitfalls and Precautions:

· Are all children able to sit on the floor?
· Can all children sit for this long?
· Do all children understand what you are asking them to do?
 · Do all children are able to catch their breath for 4-5 seconds?

Adaptations: The time spent doing this activity can increase if the population is older
enough to manage this amount of time concentrating, and can also be taught different
breathing techniques. Or can decrease if the population is too young and cannot manage this
amount of time concentrating.

Created by: Larissa Draczynski

 Listening skills: 6 to 12 years-old

Activity: The cat says “meow”

Objective: improving listening skills and spatial recognition by concentrating on the noises
and avoiding spatial barriers to be successful in the activity.

Category: practicing and improving listening, environmental spatial recognition,

concentration, patience, social skills, following instructions.

Age: 6-11

Population that would benefit from the activity: children that experience low listening and
spatial recognition development.

Therapeutic Value: This activity can improve listening and patience while practicing
concentration to find the sound source, as well as the spatial recognition of the environment
to be successful catching the individuals making noises. This game also provides an
opportunity to social engage and have fun.

Materials Needed:

· Space
· Blindfold

Description:

1. Delimit the area for the game

2. One individual will be the catcher
3. The others will be the “cats”
4. Blindfold the catcher and turn he/she/them around 10 times
5. “Cats” will be standing inside the delimited area
a. They will choose a spot and will not move from this spot
6. The “cats” will say “meow” every time the “catcher” comes closer to one of them
a. The first one to be caught will be the “catcher” in the next turn
b. The ones caught will have to wait until the next turn
7. The responsible will guide the “catcher” to not go out of the delimited area.

Debrief questions:
 · Was it hard to know where the sounds were coming from?
· When you were blindfolded did you feel your concentration increasing?
· How much has it changed your notion about the delimited area? For example,
when you took off the blindfold were you in the place you thought?

Pitfalls and Precautions: the activity focuses on hearing ability, being attentive to kids who
experience hearing impairment, as well as providing any necessary adaptation inside the
game area.

Adaptations: For a small group of kids they can move around, instead of standing still. Each
one of them can choose different animal sounds. The delimited area for the game can increase
to the older kids or decrease to the younger kids.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski adapted from My childhood memory

 Self-concept: 3 to 12 years-old

Activity: My “Self” in Play-Doh

Objective: increasing awareness of acceptance for our “self” identity; consequently,

increasing self-esteem and self-concept.

Category: Self-esteem, identity, self-concept

Age: 3 - 12

Population that would benefit from the activity: children who are building their
knowledge about their “self.”

Therapeutic Value: This activity provides the opportunity to learn about themselves in a
new perspective, exploring different colors, shapes, and textures. This activity provides the
opportunity as well to increase concentration, hand-eye coordination, and creativity.

Materials Needed:

· Play-Doh.
· Craft material (such as googly eyes, pompoms, pipe cleaners, glitter, etc.)
· Clean desk.

Description:

1. Have the children sitting in groups.

2. Display the materials children can use to build themselves in Play-Doh.
3. Model the instructions, encouraging children to use their creativity.
a. Build yourself in Play-Doh, head, hair, eyes, mouth, body, clothes.
b. Try to use as much as possible of the available material.
4. While modeling the activity, also model positive words about your Play-Doh self.
a. E.g., my hair looks incredible, I love the color and the way it is.

Debrief questions:

Can you describe all parts of your Play-Doh Self?

All parts of our body are beautiful and special, so we have to treat ourselves with a lot of love
and care. Can you give examples of how we can show love and care for our own body?

Can you look at your Play-Doh and imagine nice words to say to it?
Can you say these nice words to yourself now?

Pitfalls and Precautions: Be attentive whether all children have enough concentration to
focus on this activity. Provide assistance, if necessary, for children that might need it. Being
informed whether there are any children allergic to any material used in this activity.

Adaptations: For young people, they could build a virtual avatar instead of a Play-Doh self.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski

 Fine motor skills: 16 months to 4 years-old

Activity: Tower Building

Objective: practicing and increasing concentration, patience, and resiliency, cognitive

development, problem solving through the building, hand eye coordination and fine motor
skills development through handling small objects.

Category: Cognitive, concentration, problem solving, fine motor skills, resiliency.

Age: starts between 16 and 18 months-old to 4 years-old

Population that would benefit from the activity: toddler who need increased concentration
time and patience.

Therapeutic Value: This activity can increase concentration time. Putting all blocks on top
of each other requires concentration and patience, handling with the blocks requires fine
motor skills and hand eye coordination. When the blocks fall it requires resilience to build
everything again. Providing different objects in order to build a new tower can develop
problem solving skills.

Materials Needed:

· Space enough to the toddler be able to handle the objects

· An environment without distractors
· Different size/texture objects, such as wood/plastic blocks, kitchen containers,
toys, and any safe object easy to handle and make a pile.
· An adult modeling and encouraging

Description:

1. Provide an environment without distractors (for example, television or tablets)

2. Sit on the floor with the toddler and start to model the action of build a tower
3. Provide the same objects to the toddler be able to imitate your actions
4. When the tower fall use encouraging words to the build everything again

Note: use simple language stimuli as “up, up, up” and “fell” with a fun intonation aiming at
language development.
Note 2: When the toddler tries to tear down your tower you instruct them to wait until your
tower is big enough, that can train the patience, and then, with your consent, they can tear
down your tower.

Debrief questions:

1. Which object were your favorite to build a tower?

2. How big was the tower?
3. Was it fun to tear down the tower?
4. Next time with which object could we try to build a silly tower?

Pitfalls and Precautions: Some toddlers don’t have enough concentration to do this activity.
For the first, the activity should be maintained in short periods of time for those toddlers. The
activity is based on one-to-one time, be attentive whether the toddler has the primary
caregiver to offer this activity or not. Observe the toddler to be sure this is an activity that fits
them.

Adaptations: The blocks can be adapted in this activity, the build being more complex than a
tower. For a group of young people, the goal is to build a small house or cabin, with blocks
that imitate bricks. Bringing a sense of the importance to work in groups, socialization,
patience, and cognitive development.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski

 Self-concept: 3 to 5 years-old

Activity: My “self” in kraft paper

Objective: practicing self-concept, understanding the self, using creativity, and emotions
awareness.

Category: Self-concept, emotions, creativity.

Age: 3 to 5 years-old

Population that would benefit from the activity: children who are learning about
themselves.

Therapeutic Value: This activity can increase the concept of self, what they like and how it
differentiates from others. It can work the concept of feelings and how the body works
through emotions.

Materials Needed:

· Big size kraft paper

· Scissor, tape, and glue
· Magazines (with images of animals, toys, clothes, cartoon characters, etc.)
· Glitter and colorful pens.

Description:

1. On top of kraft paper lay down the kid and trace their body shape
2. With a scissor the kid can crop their body shape and tape in the wall
3. Display the magazines so the kids can be free to explore and choose the images
that best illustrate their personal likes.
4. The next step is gluing their magazines images on their kraft bodies.
5. During this process you can use their kraft bodies to explain how emotions lead
our attitudes.

Debrief questions: after putting everything that we like in our kraft paper body shape, do
you see any other friends with the same things that you like?

How different and similar we are?

Which emotion do you feel the most?

Pitfalls and Precautions: for the younger ones they may need help to handle with a scissor.
Be attentive if all children can lay down by themselves on the kraft. Be attentive if all
children can handle glue and tape by themselves.

Adaptations: for young people, it can be used in only one body shape and the class will add
images of their choice to glue on the shape. Demonstrating how what we think, like and act
can reflect on the other.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski

 Social Skills: 3 to 6 years-old

Activity: Autumn Appreciation

Objective: practice fine motor skills, creativity, work in group

Category: social development, physical activity, fine motor skills

Age: 3 to 6 years-old

Population that would benefit from the activity: preschool children that are learning how
to work, participate, and engage in groups.

Therapeutic Value: this activity aims to increase fine motor skill ability, as well as
creativity, social engagement, and approach to nature

Materials Needed:

· Autumn tree leaves

· Paper
· Glue
· Scissor

Description:

1. Take the group to a walk wherever they can find tree leaves on the ground,
making comments about the shapes and colors.
2. Ask to each of them to grab a green, red, and orange leaf
3. When back to class, provide paper, scissor, and glue for each of them.
4. Ask the kids to put glue in the paper, and then put the leaf in the glue.
5. After the leaf is glued, ask the kids to cut the paper around the leaf, very careful to
not cut the leaf.
6. Now you can decorate the class for the autumn season with a lot of hand-cute-
made leaves.

Debrief questions:

· Why do the trees change color in the autumn?

· Can you guys hold the leaves and look at them to discover their patterns?
· Can you guys draw these patterns?

Pitfalls and Precautions:

 · Be attentive if all kids can go to the walk grab the leaves
· Be attentive if all kids can hold the scissor
· Be attentive if all kids can manipulate the glue

Adaptations: For young people the walk in nature can focus on observing the trees and make
a draw to capture the autumn.

Created By: Larissa Draczynski