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WARM UP ACTIVITIES:
Activities.... help them (individuals with mental & emotional illness) reestablish constructive self-attitudes and restore self-confidence and a sense of security." (O'Morrow, The Whys of Recreation Activities for Psychiatric Patients, Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 3rd quarter, 1971).
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Pass the Face
Submitted by Amy Davis ofNational Ability Center on August 30, 2004 at 16:50:48
Size: 5-15
Objective: get the group relaxed and allow them to feel ""silly"" with each other
Description: This game is just like the game ""telephone"" but instead of passing a word or phrase around you pass a facial expression. Get the group in a circle. Have everyone close their eyes except the person who wants to pass the ""face"". The passerwill tap the shoulder of the person next to her, that person will open his eyes to receive the face. He will then tap the shoulder of the person next to him and pass the face along. Once you have passed the face you may keep your eyes open to watch it move around the group. At the end, the original passer receives the face from the last person in the group and then shows what the original facewas! This game ALWAYS gets people laughing!
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Newspaper in a Bag
Submitted by val ross on May 21, 2002
Size: 4-12
Equipment: bag filled with newspapers.
Objective: To stimulate imagination, curiosity and improvisation and to help break ice in group
Description: Bag is passed around group. They can guess what’s inside. Before its revealed they are toldthat they may think that its something very boring, however their challenge is to make it into something exciting. Group leader can begin. Newspaper can be crumpled, torn folded etc and transformed into something such as a hat. Participants can mime the new item and others in the group guess.
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Modified Simon Says
submitted by Amanda L. Boley on March 23,2004
Size: 8-12
Equipment: None
Objective: Group members learn the importance of paying attention when given instructions.
Description: Members sit in a circle. One member is selected to be the listener. A peer gives them instructions of something silly to do or say and the member follows the directions. Then another peer gives a direction to follow. The group member then completes the firstinstruction and then the second instruction. This continues until the member is unable to remember which direction is next. Then another member is selected and so on.
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Relaxation Warm-Up
submitted by Melissa Cook of Center for the Disabled on December 31, 2003
Size: 2-8
Equipment: assortment of lotions, massagers (vibrating, hand-held, wooden, etc.),relaxing music
Objective: Lotion massage/sensory experience to help individuals become relaxed and focused prior to participating in a structured group.
Description: Working with the disabled population, I find many times that when entering into a therapy session, they are quite hyper-sensitive and unfocused. I find that these individuals need time to sit and relax and become focused so that theycan successfully participate in a program. Prior to the structured activity, whether it be music, dance, etc., having individuals sit in a circle and experiment with a variety of lotions and/or massagers for relaxation. Working 1:1 with individuals giving them lotion to hands and arms while explaining to them what they will soon be doing with the upcoming activity. I find this relaxation/sensoryperiod help individuals, especially the disabled, to become more focused and ready to participate in an activity as opposed to just jumping into movement, instrument play, etc. This activity can also be used as a closing to any session, allowing individuals to cool down and relax before leaving.
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Circle Massage
Size of group: 6 to ? (if group size is...