Building a Resilient Family
- Family Activity: Fold Your Arms
- Time Required: 5 minutes
- Ages: 6 and up
Introduction
In this activity, family members will experience the discomfort of folding their arms
and hands in a way that’s different than they’re used to.
The Message
Sometimes doing something new and different can feel weird at first, but it’s something that can help us grow and learn new things. In our family, we’re going to try something new and different – becoming a more resilient family. It might take some getting used to, but it’s going to help us a lot!
Instructions
Ask family members to fold their arms. Tell them to look down at their folded arms and see which hand is on top.
Have family members unfold their arms, then fold them again but with the opposite hand on top. Talk about how weird it feels.
Now ask family members to clasp their hands together. Tell them to look down at their hands and see which thumb is on top.
Have family members unclasp their hands, then clasp them again but with the opposite thumb on top.
Discuss:
- Why was this difficult/weird?
- Do you think if you kept practicing this, you’d get better at it over time?
- In our family, we’re going to try a new thing that might feel weird at first – we’re going to work on becoming a more resilient family.
- Over time, I think that we’re going to get better and better at this.