Paint your emotions.
For this activity, you’ll need a canvas or large sheet of
heavy paper, tempera or acrylic paint, paintbrushes,
and various styles of music. To begin, discuss the many
different emotions we feel on a daily basis. Discuss how
colors make us feel and about the different types of lines
such as jagged, squiggly, and straight. Warm up by asking
your child to draw happy lines, mad lines, excited lines
and then use happy colors, sad colors, etc. Next, play music
and ask your child to “paint their feelings” as they listen.
After several minutes, switch the music and see how the
painting changes. There is no right or wrong way to do
this as it is all very intuitive.
Draw an anger monster (or an anxiety monster or sad monster, etc.).
This is one of Reinhardt-Ruprecht’s favorite activities
with her clients. Ask your child to picture in his mind what
anger looks like and then draw it on paper. Reinhardt-
Ruprecht says by doing this activity, anger gets to have
it’s own activity. By bringing it out and looking at it, we
can then figure out what it needs.
Art therapy and all forms of creative expression are not
only important for children, but for adults as well. When
is the last time you let your creative juices flow? Allow
yourself some time for creative self-expression and try
out one or more of these art therapy activities as well.•
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