Activity: Safe Place
Art TherapyEmotional Literacy
Objective:
A safe place is extremely important, especially when it comes to children who may feel as though they have no control over their environment. A safe place can be described as anywhere a child feels comfortable. It could be the beach, their room, playing their favorite sport, or even a place they have always dreamed of visiting.
Supplies:
- Poster board or paper
- Crayons, markers, colored pencils, anything to write or draw with
- Imagination!
Instructions:
- Sit down with your child and brainstorm what they believe their safe place is.
- Invite them to create an illustration of their safe place. There should be little-to-no restrictions as to what their safe place can be.
- The illustration can include pictures, collages, or words to describe their safe place. For example, they may write “no yelling” as a rule.
- If comfortable, have them share their illustration.
- Ask, “Why is this your safe place? What makes this place so special to you?
- Encourage them to hang their drawing up in their room or somewhere they will be frequently.
- Explain that when they feel unsafe, threatened, angry, sad, anxious, or overwhelmed, they can go to their “Safe Place.” If their safe place is physically accessible, have them take a couple minutes there to cool off. However, if the safe place is in their imagination, encourage them to go to a quiet area to envision their safe place.
Additional Ideas:
There are no limitations as to what a safe place is, as long as your child feels as though they can “go” to this place when they are feeling overwhelmed. Encourage a mix of imaginative ideas which make their own personal safe place safe to them. Coming up with your own personal safe place with your child, as well as their safe place can be encouraging.
