
Connection Activities

Through your journey, sometimes it’s all you can do to just get through the day. It is very easy to lose connection with each other as a family and this can add to the overall difficulty everybody is experiencing on a regular basis.
The activities listed below are designed to help you connect with your children and their grief. It can bring you all back together with the added benefit of utilising the time to talk about your collective grief and coming out the other side feeling more united. The activities are designed to create the setting where everybody feels comfortable to discuss their thoughts and feelings. We have outlined what you need, the time it will take and some suggestions of how you can use it for a positive outcome.
Do you have an activity that you have used that you found helpful? We would love to hear about it. Email us here and let us know.
Connection Activity 1

Movie Night
InstructionsOver the weekend, choose an appropriate family movie to share. We have a list of movies on our resources page – it outlines the premise, running time and rating. Make sure your choice resonates with your own personal story. A Disney choice is a great place to start for younger children as they all focus on a loss and healing.
Connection Activity 2

Imaginary Grief Machine
InstructionsThis activity is a fantastic way to create a world of fantasy where anything is possible. You are limited only by your imagination – there are no rules or boundaries for your creation. Check out the instructions for some suggested materials and ways it can be done (will you build one together as a family or make it a “competition” to share with each other?).
Connection Activity 3

Memorial Fire
InstructionsA fire in the back yard (or in your indoor fireplace if you have one) is a wonderful and calm way of spending some time. One of the most connecting moments we have at our Camp Magic program is our Fire Ceremony. It brings everybody together as a group but gives every person individually an opportunity of ‘talking’ to their loved one. Create your own at home.
Connection Activity 4

Proud and Positive
InstructionsSometimes we are so wrapped up in all the negativity of our grief (and sometimes just the other things around us) we forget the good things. It can be incredibly uplifting to spend some time actively thinking about those good things, and with practice and regular use it can change yours and your children’s mindset to focus on the positive things in their past or future instead of continually sitting in the darkness.
Connection Activity 5

A Memorial Box
InstructionsCreating a special memorial box or space can provide your children (or you) the opportunity to establish a lasting remembrance of your loved one. You can use this as a private time to reflect on the period you spent together and your memories, or share with others to bring them into the world you spent with your loved one.
Connection Activity 6

Wonder, Wish and Hope
InstructionsWe have created an activity Wonder, Wish and Hope, to provide grieving children with the opportunity to reflect on their grief and explore their feelings and thoughts for the future.
Connection Activity 7

Memory Jar
InstructionsCreating a memory jar can provide your grieving child with the opportunity to get creative and talk about and remember their loved one.
This activity is appropriate for a wide range of ages. This activity involves a creative process that may benefit your child by enhancing social connectedness, emotional development and well-being.
Connection Activity 8

A Thankful Heart
InstructionsThis activity is helpful for grieving children as it builds gratitude and appreciation. Your child can write or draw something they are thankful for on each heart. Cut out the hearts and place them somewhere they can see them to reflect on each day.
For information on grief click the links below.
We will be adding additional resources regularly, so please refer back often to get the most support.
If you have a specific area you would like help with, please send through your suggestion here. If it is something we can assist with we will work on it and release it in the future.