Reflection Activities

Aromatherapy playdough – family activity

Reflecting on the death of someone special can be hard. Playdough is a safe way to get out anger, sadness, worries, or stress by pounding or squeezing the dough. By adding a few drops of essential oils to the dough, you can make this a more soothing and relaxing coping skill. Use the recipe provided to make your own aromatherapy playdough as a family. Each member can select their favorite essential oils to help them calm down and relax.

Self-reflection timeline – youth activity ages 11- adult

Some people say that the death of their special person has changed them.
Some of those changes felt hard and some of them may have felt good. We
will all continue to have experiences in our lives that change us. When you
look back at your life you will likely see that you have already had many
events or circumstances that have shaped you into the person you are today.

Think about those times in your life that have had a significant impact on you and reflect on exactly HOW they influenced the person you have become and are continuing to become. On a piece of paper, create a timeline of the significant events in your life that have been impacted. After each event, reflect on how that event impacted you (e.g. I grew more confident, I stopped hanging out with those friends, I became angrier, I isolated more, etc.)

after the storm comes a rainbow – youth activity ages 3 – 11

The death of a special person can feel like a storm. One moment, the sun is shining and not a cloud is in the sky, then suddenly a storm rolls in and changes everything. Once the storm is over, often a rainbow appears. Since your special person died, life can feel really hard and painful, just like a storm. With the storm, you also have a rainbow that’s shown up since the death.

Fill in the rainbow template (or draw your own) to represent the ways we have changed or grown since the death. Each color of our rainbow stands for the ways we have grown and changed in good ways, and how we will continue to in the future. You can also fill in things you plan to do as you grow up.

Story Corner

“Laura’s Star” by Klaus Baumgart