Activity Name: Circles
Time Required: 15 – 20 minutes
Ages: 7+
Introduction: This activity will help you and your family identify the people in their lives they can access as a source of relational resilience. Each member of the family will be making circles modeling the people closest to them in their life.
What you need:
- Slips of paper or notecards
- Yarn or string (even more effective if different colors)
- Space
Instructions:
Step One: Each member of the family will be given a stack of notecards or slips of paper. For 5-10 minutes, every member of the family will start writing the names of everyone in their life that is important to them, helps them, or would help them. For younger kids you might phrase this by saying: write down all the names of your family, friends, friends in your school, clubs, etc. If you are doing this activity with younger kids, you may have to write down the names for them.
Step Two: Once you’ve gone through the name writing process, you will then have everyone sort the names into three groups: those most important/helpful, sometimes helpful and important, and would be willing to help me if needed (don’t use the term least important because all the names that are written are important people in your life).
Step Three: This step is the fun part that will illustrate the point. You can either do this one by one, taking turns, or all of you could do it at the same time. If you try it all at once you will have to help each other and you will need a lot of space. Each member of the family will create a circle around them with the yarn or string. They should leave at least a 1-2 feet between their feet and the edge of the circle. Next make a second circle about 1-2 feet beyond the inner circle. You will make a third circle the same distance apart. When the person stands in the middle, it will resemble a bullseye or dart board. Once again you can do steps three and four one at a time and take turns going into the circle or everyone can make their own at the same time.
Step Four: The person in the middle will put the names of the people that are most important/helpful in the innermost circle (leaving space for them to stand in the middle). The second circle will hold the second group of names and the outer circle will hold the last group, those who would be willing to help if needed.
Step Five: The person stands in the middle and looks at all of the names of the people in their lives that are important or willing to help them. You then move to Discuss phase while the person is in the middle of the circle.
Discuss:
How many people are in your life that would be willing to help you?
Do you have people in every circle?
What makes the people in the inner circle special?
Why is it important to have people in the outer circle as well?
Choose names in each circle and share how they have helped you in the past or what they would be willing to do to help you in your life?
How does this activity make you feel?
What connection can you make with the being in the middle of the circle, surrounded by all these cards or slips of paper? (trying to surface the idea that you are surrounded by people who love you and/or want to help you)