A special place might be somewhere in a child’s imagination or a place that adults have never heard of. It is a place where a child can go when they are feeling overwhelmed.
What you’ll need: Cardboard, paper, crayons, coloured pencils, old newspapers/magazines, an imagination.
What’s it for?
Safety is important, especially when we feel out of control of our lives. A safe place can be anywhere you feel comfortable and relaxed. It might be a place you’ve visited in your dreams, a beach or a forest. It might be somewhere in your bedroom, under your bed or in a cupboard. There is no right or wrong, this is a place which is unique to you.
Check In:
Notice how you’re feeling right now. Close your eyes and notice what’s going on inside your mind and body.
How are you feeling?
What are you thinking?
How does your body feel?
Method:
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Slowly exhale and bring attention to your different senses. Notice what you can hear. Notice what you can smell.
Taking as much time as you need, write down on a piece of paper the word ‘safe.’
Around the outside of this word, using different colours if they are available to you, brain storm as many different places, feelings, colours and images that come to mind when you think about safety.
Safety might come in the form of a texture, or a colour. It might be found in a tree house in a forest or it might be on a magic carpet!
Take a large piece of cardboard, collage materials and crayons and make an illustration to bring your special place to life.
You can combine different places, memories, feelings and textures to create an imaginary special place.
You can include words or pictures of things that you may want to ban from your special place e.g., loud noises or scary animals. Remember, this is a special place unique to you.
Once you have finished your picture, stick it up on your bedroom wall.
Extra Activity: Now you have finished your special place image, take another piece of paper and write down what makes this place so special to you. This is not something you need to share with anyone but it might help you dig deeper into what makes this place so special.
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
Did you learn anything new about yourself while making your special place?
Is this a place you have been to or experienced in real life?
Is this a place you have visited in a dream?
Conclusion:
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling at the end of this activity. The purpose of using our imagination to create our own unique special place is to create an outlet for us to go to when we are feeling unsafe, threatened, angry, sad, anxious or overwhelmed. Your special place can always be accessed by you and no one else. All you need to do is find a quiet area, close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine this special place you’ve created.
If you would like to, share something about your experience with this activity with someone you live with! Ask the person who looks after you to send us an email if you have any questions or comments about the activity, or would like to send us any pictures (info@catcorner.co.uk). Don't forget to subscribe for more fun CAT activities!
Created by Millie Edwards © March 2022
Creative Arts Used: Art
Psychological Areas Explored: Emotional Wellbeing, Self-Esteem, Self-Exploration
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These activities could be done by children of all ages, but some may need the support of their parent or carer to read the instructions or complete the activity safely.
This website was made by CAT Corner to help you explore your feelings through fun creative arts activities. The people using the website and the people responsible for them need to make sure they stay safe (full disclaimer on About page).
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