101 Mindful Arts-Based Activities to Get Children and Adolescents Talking

Dawn D'Amico is a psychotherapist who has 22 years of experience working with children affected by various types of trauma in different settings including in private practice, hospitals, and children's homes and refugee camps. She has worked internationally in Asia and Africa as well as served as a graduate faculty member at the University of WI. She lives in Wisconsin, USA

Offering 101 creative, mindfulness-based activities, this book is a highly useful resource for engaging therapeutically with children aged 5-17 who have experienced severe trauma. With minimal preparation and only everyday objects required, the activities can be used in a number of settings. Case studies throughout show the many positive outcomes.

Introduction. Use of This Book. Section 1: Self-Expression. 1. Life Story Book. 2. Keys. 3. Magnifying Glass. 4. Fighter Fish. 5. What Are You Dragging into Your World? 6. Wish Upon a Star 1. 7. I Love Being Me. 8. Memory Clock. 9. Pie Chart of Emotions.10. Draw Brain or Circle of Head. 11. Feeling Words Game 1. 12. Heart Now. 13. What Color is Your World?14. What Color Do You Feel Today? 15. Confusion. 16. Pictures of Self.17. Upside, Downside, Inside, Outside.18. Building. 19. Birthday Clock. 20. Birthday Clock 2. 21. Cloudy Faces. 22. Sunny Day. 23. Cloudy Day. 24. Animal Kingdom. 25. When I Was Young. 26. Blue, Yellow, Purple, Red. 27. Memories. 28. The Elements. 29. What I Want. 30. What Else? 31. A Special Time for Me. 32. Clarifying. 33. Kaleidoscope. 34. Tornado. Section 2: Coping. 35.Umbrella. 36. Ocean. 37. Snail Shell. 38. Seashells. 39. Nerve. 40. Turning Back the Hands of Time. 41. Turning Back the Hands of Time Part 2. 42. Hands. 43. Full Body Trace. 44. Full Body Trace 2. 45. Feeling Words Game 2. 46. Open and Closed. 47. Comfort/Soothe. 48. Safe and Unsafe. 49. When Do You Fee l Like a Lion? 50. Pillow/Blanket/Soft-Cozy. 51. Stone/ Bumpy/Rough. 52. Rough. 53. Safe. 54. Inside. 55. Slay Your Dragon. 56. Orange Cone. 57. Container. 58. Tightrope Walker. 59. Tightrope Walker 2. 60. Clouds. 61. Birthday Balloons. 62. Ball of Yarn. 63. Ouch! 64. Help! 65. Lifelines. 66. Nightmares and Daydreams. 67. Why? 68. Boulders. 69. Times I Need. 70. Putting Things in Their Place. 71. Rocker. 72. Hiding. 73. Fear. 74. Faces. 75. Storms. 76. Ringing the Bell. 77. A Time When My Heart Was Open. Section 3: Positive Thinking.78. Mask of Me x 3. 79. Treasure Box. 80. Green Flash. 81. Clean the Mirror. 82. Garden of Grief. 83. Garden of Hope. 84. Wish Upon a Star 2. 85. Make Yourself a Star. 86. Luck. 87. What Happiness Looks Like. 88. Magic Wand. 89. Feathers/Tickle. 90. Lotus. 91. Key to Open the Heart. 92. Pandora's Box. 93. Bird's Wing. 94. Birthday Balloons 2. 95. Remember When? 96. Heroes. 97. Allies. 98. Kites. 99. New Chapter.100. My Family/My Caregivers.