Realise your true potential and the importance of having a strong base to support and hold the tower that it is built upon.
What you’ll need: Use of paper and pens and any building blocks that might be available around the house
What’s it for?
This activity is based on the principle that we rely on the most basic of needs to nurture us and to encourage us to reach our potential. Using paper squares to make your tower, this activity will allow you to reflect on what is essential and who provides this in our lives.
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:
Using paper cut out lots of large squares big enough to write on
Now think about what your most basic need is in life and who provides this for you and write these down on the first square
Put the square on the table in front of you to create your base
Using the next square think about what security and safety mean to you and what these words represent and who provides these?
Put the square on top of the first square to build a 2D tower
Using the next square think about the words belonging, love and friendships and write down any trusted relationships in your life
Put the square on top of the other squares to continue making a tower structure
Using the next square think about the words prestige and feelings of accomplishment and write down a time when you felt proud of yourself and succeeded in something worthwhile and meaningful and think about who was there to support you in this?
Put the square on top of the other squares to continue making a tower structure
Using the next square think about achieving your full potential, including creative activities and write down whether you feel you have reached your full potential or is there further to go?
Do we ever reach this point in our lives or are we always working towards that point of full potential?
Now take a piece of your tower away and see what happens!
How does it feel to see a big gap in the tower?
How does it impact your potential if you take the basic need from the tower?
How does it impact your friendships if you have no security element in your tower?
If this was a 3D object what would happen?
Reflect on any difficult times in your life when the tower might have collapsed?
Is it possible to rebuild the tower and who was there to provide help and support?
Reflect on the importance of sustaining every part of the tower in order to achieve your full potential
Extra Activity: If you have building blocks available, imagine each block to be one of the square pieces of paper and see what happens if the block is removed?
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
Did you enjoy adding your square blocks to the tower structure?
Did it help to reflect on who supported you on the way?
Did this prompt particular feelings in thinking about reaching your full potential?
Do you think it is possible to ever reach our full potential?
How did your feelings change when a piece of the tower was taken away?
Did the gap in the tower link to any difficulties or trauma in your life?
How did it feel to rebuild the tower?
Did it help to have time to reflect on each area of the tower before reaching the top?
Conclusion:
This activity is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which comprises a five-tier model of human needs. Using this simple activity highlights the importance of maintaining a solid base of support around us which therefore enables the tower to continue to grow higher and higher to reach our full potential.
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling at the end of this activity. Did you discover anything surprising? What can you take away to make you feel better about yourself from this activity?
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 Sarah Kong © June 2020
Creative Arts Used: Art
Psychological Areas Explored: Resilience, Emotional Wellbeing, Communication and Relationships
References:
This activity was drawn from Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow 1943. It is a theory in psychology and was proposed in his paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in Psychological Review.
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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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