Why Did I Write This Book?
Art has always been a part of my life. Art provides an outlet for my imagination and soothes my emotions. It is a positive influence on my daily activities. I wanted to share the benefits of Art Therapy with school teachers, program coordinators, health professionals, and curious caregivers alike.
Being an Art Facilitator, I have seen the positive effects of Art Therapy. The focus of these activities is entirely on the healing power of the creative process and not on the finished product. The easy and amusing activities allow positive energy to flow.
What is in This Book?
This book contains over 50 Art Therapy activities. They do not have to be done in any particular order. Each activity is designed to last from 60 minutes to 2 hours, and they work best when a class is limited to 12 to 15 participants. However, a class of 20 or more is feasible. A suggestion would be to split a class in half if you have more than 20 students. In addition, the activities can be adapted to suit various needs, expenses, and time limits.
The activities in this book are divided into 5 main categories. They are....
Brain Activities These cognitive activities will help stimulate eye-to-hand coordination and exercise different areas of the brain.
Senses Activities This section contains activities that will stimulate the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Memory Activities These activities involve reminiscing and sharing both personal and historical stories.
Teamwork Activities All the activities in this category focus on social interaction and building a sense of community.
Loss Activities These activities support building patience, listening skills, manual dexterity, and the ability to ask for help.
About Art Therapy in This Book
These activities are designed to stimulate the mind by encouraging imagination and creativity and to foster confidence, dexterity, and fine motor skills in a fun and safe atmosphere. They are easy enough to be enjoyed by everyone, including people with some cognitive and physical difficulties but interesting and challenging enough to appeal to more adventurous participants.
Participating in these activities will....
The participants are free to....
The feelings of joy and satisfaction participants experience in their work are healing and very rewarding.
MODIFY!! This is the most important word to remember, especially if teaching a class of participants who have any form of disability. If they are experiencing difficulty with the task, give participants permission to modify the activity or how they approach it. If something is too hard for them then simplify or change as necessary.
As an Art Facilitator, I have thoroughly tested all the activities in this book over many years and with a variety of people. Many activities are structured to encourage team work, problem solving and communication as well as individual creativity in a relaxed, social environment. I was always surprised and impressed at the results.
While each activity focuses on one of the five main categories, all of them involve a number of skills. The results can be different with each new group and even when presented to the same group again.
Art has always been a part of my life. Art provides an outlet for my imagination and soothes my emotions. It is a positive influence on my daily activities. I wanted to share the benefits of Art Therapy with school teachers, program coordinators, health professionals, and curious caregivers alike.
Being an Art Facilitator, I have seen the positive effects of Art Therapy. The focus of these activities is entirely on the healing power of the creative process and not on the finished product. The easy and amusing activities allow positive energy to flow.
What is in This Book?
This book contains over 50 Art Therapy activities. They do not have to be done in any particular order. Each activity is designed to last from 60 minutes to 2 hours, and they work best when a class is limited to 12 to 15 participants. However, a class of 20 or more is feasible. A suggestion would be to split a class in half if you have more than 20 students. In addition, the activities can be adapted to suit various needs, expenses, and time limits.
The activities in this book are divided into 5 main categories. They are....
Brain Activities These cognitive activities will help stimulate eye-to-hand coordination and exercise different areas of the brain.
Senses Activities This section contains activities that will stimulate the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Memory Activities These activities involve reminiscing and sharing both personal and historical stories.
Teamwork Activities All the activities in this category focus on social interaction and building a sense of community.
Loss Activities These activities support building patience, listening skills, manual dexterity, and the ability to ask for help.
About Art Therapy in This Book
These activities are designed to stimulate the mind by encouraging imagination and creativity and to foster confidence, dexterity, and fine motor skills in a fun and safe atmosphere. They are easy enough to be enjoyed by everyone, including people with some cognitive and physical difficulties but interesting and challenging enough to appeal to more adventurous participants.
Participating in these activities will....
- help participants to regain lost skills through practice and repetition
- stimulate spatial awareness and help with balance and depth perception
- give the participants permission to play, be surprised, and laugh
- stimulate competition, pride, self-esteem, and self-worth
- allow participants to speak their minds and express an opinion
- facilitate an exchange of educational information between group members
The participants are free to....
- engage all five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch
- laugh, exchange memories, and share information
- work individually or as a team
- supportively deal with the loss of physical or mental abilities
- relax and have fun
The feelings of joy and satisfaction participants experience in their work are healing and very rewarding.
MODIFY!! This is the most important word to remember, especially if teaching a class of participants who have any form of disability. If they are experiencing difficulty with the task, give participants permission to modify the activity or how they approach it. If something is too hard for them then simplify or change as necessary.
As an Art Facilitator, I have thoroughly tested all the activities in this book over many years and with a variety of people. Many activities are structured to encourage team work, problem solving and communication as well as individual creativity in a relaxed, social environment. I was always surprised and impressed at the results.
While each activity focuses on one of the five main categories, all of them involve a number of skills. The results can be different with each new group and even when presented to the same group again.
