Psychosocial Support Recreational Activities Resource Guide
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 2016.All rights reserved. The contents of this publication shall not be quoted, reproduced or stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of UNRWA. For enquiries about use orreproduction of the text or other parts of this production, please contact UNRWA Department of Education, info.education@unrwa.org. Where use or reproduction of this material is authorized by UNRWA,credit shall be given to UNRWA and a copy of the publication containing the reproduced materials willbe sent to UNRWA Department of Education, info.education@unrwa.org. For copying for commercialpurposes, a fee may be charged by UNRWA.
forewordforewordAs an important provider of basic education to Palestine refugees, serving approximatelyhalf a million students across the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, UNRWA’sEducation Programme aims to foster an inclusive, quality and equitable learning environmentwhere the needs of all Palestine refugee children and youth are addressed.Protracted conflict and displacement across UNRWA’s five Fields of operation means that manyPalestine refugee children and youth are living under difficult conditions, which affects all areasof their life. To address the educational needs of Palestine refugees during emergencies, andbuild upon the strength of the UNRWA education system, UNRWA has developed a holisticand innovative Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme. This aims to provide safe andsupportive quality education, which promotes and addresses students’ well-being.The Psychosocial Support Recreational Activities Resource Guide is part of the EiE support andwill help UNRWA teachers, counsellors and community members to organize creative and funlearning and recreational activities for all UNRWA children and youth, especially those living inchallenging contexts. We hope that teachers, counsellors and community members find thisresource guide useful, and that it encourages and supports recreational and learning activitiesfor children and youth.Our thanks go to Educate a Child, an Education Above All Programme, for generously fundingthe development of this Resource Guide. We also thank our colleagues across the Agency’s fiveFields of operation, whose experience in teaching and providing psychosocial support duringemergencies has been invaluable in the development of the Psychosocial Support Recreational Activities Resource Guide.Sincerely,Caroline PontefractDirector of EducationUNRWA – Headquarters, AmmanI
table of contentscontentsintroduction.IVguidance note for facilitators.1myself.91. Copying Rhythms.102. The Egg.123. Tree in the Wind.144. Slow Leak.165. Touch Blue.196. Grandmother’s Footsteps.217. The Seed.238. Illustrating Stories.269. Feelings Dance.2810. Using Puppets.3111. Name That Feeling!.3312. A Round of Rhythm and Movement.3613. The Chair.3814. Follow the Leader.4015. Cover the Space.4316. Acting Emotions.4517. Recognizing Emotions.4718. Drawing Myself With My Foot.5019. Expressing Feelings.5220. My Flag.5421. I Am, I Have, I Can.5622. Walking Billboard.58my peers. 611. Rainstorm.622. Picking Mangoes.653. Train of (Silly) Walks.674. Swimmy.69II
table of contents5. Working Together.716. Who is the Leader?.737. Crossing the River.758. The Human Knot.779. Opposite Hunt.7910. Snake.8111. The Mirror Game.8312. Blob Tag.8513. Little Blind Train.8714. Building a Machine.9015. Bodyguard.9216. The Shrinking Sheet.9417. House, Tree, Sun.9618. Trust Walk.9819. The Peruvian Ball Game.10120. Wandering Rings.10321. Draw What I Draw.10522. Brown Bag Skits.10823. Drawing Together.11124. Emotional Relay.11325. Active Listening.11526. Building Bridges.117my community. 1211. Pen in a Bottle.1222. The Fist.1243. Emotion and Reaction Quiz.1264. Helping Hands Rainbow.1305. Chairs.1336. Cup and String Game.1357. Different Ways to Handle Conflict.1388. Our Challenges, Our Solutions.1429. Seeing From Different Perspectives.145additional recreational activity resources for facilitators. 148III
introductionintroductionThis document is a recreational activity resource guide for teachers, counsellors, and community members (also referred to as facilitators) working with children in conflict or other challenging contexts. Working on behalf of UNRWA a consultant, Stephen Richardson, compiledthe activities in this Resource Guide. References to additional resources are provided at the endof this guide for future consideration.It is important to note that conducting one recreational activity will not ‘heal’ a studentimmediately. Psychosocial Support (PSS) is a holistic field that involves many other servicesbeyond education. However, if a facilitator conducts PSS activities frequently, it may providepositive support for a student, but it will not of course address all of the challenges of astudent’s current situation outside of school. In short, while facilitating recreational activitiesis important for normalcy and learning, these activities are in no way the only solution to helpstudents to recover from adverse experiences of conflict, or daily stresses that they face.Although there are limitations in the role of recreational activities, it is important to note thatthey are very useful for developing knowledge and skills that can allow students to engagepositively with their friends, peers, family and community members.resource guide content sourcesAll activities included in this document originate from various PSS training guides and curriculadeveloped by organisations working in conflict and crisis contexts, including those of: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) International Rescue Committee (IRC) Peace First Save the Children Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Terre des Hommes United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) War Child Holland World VisionUNRWA would like to thank these organisations, as well as the Inter-Agency network forEducation in Emergencies (INEE), which shared its PSS resource library from which the majorityof these activities come. Note: all activities indicate a source of origination for accreditation.IV
guidance noteguidance note for facilitatorsHow do you use this Guidance Note?This Guidance Note was written to inform and support your use of the UNRWA PsychosocialSupport (PSS) Recreational Activity Resource Guide (hereafter referred to as the Guide). TheGuidance Note is structured in a ‘Question and Answer’ format, and it seeks to provide somegeneral information and practical guidance on the use of the Resource Guide.What is the purpose of the Resource Guide?The Guide was prepared as a resource on recreational activities for you to use to supportchildren’s psychosocial well-being. The content of the Guide has been organized to help inselecting and carrying out appropriate activities with children affected by conflict, in order toprotect or improve their well-being.How is the Resource Guide Organized?This resource guide is not a structured curriculum, but rather a collection of useful activities youcan use to address the needs and/or interests of your students, considering the time availablefor such activities in the school schedule. To help guide your selection, information about theorganisation of this guide is as follows:ThemesThe guide is first organized into three overarching themes of the activities: Myself: This first section includes activities with the objective to strengthen personalskills that enable students to participate positively in daily life. This includes creativityand imagination, expression and self-confidence, concentration, as well as emotionalawareness and empathy. Some of the activities are meditative and relaxing, while othersare exciting games. My Peers: The second section includes activities relating to peer support, with theobjective to strengthen social skills that enable students to communicate, understand,and get along with their peers. This includes active listening, cooperation, collaboration,and team building. Some of the activities are quiet, allowing pairs or groups of studentsto create art, while others are exciting games. My Community: The third section includes activities that allow students to reflecton their larger communities – those outside the classroom or PSS session – with theobjective to strengthen awareness of the students as an active participant in theircommunity. This includes, in particular, conflict resolution. Some of the activities aregroup work where students solve a problem, while others are exciting games.1
guidance noteDurationWithin the above themes, activities are organized by duration, with shortest activities first.Acknowledging the diverse needs of the facilitators, there are short activities, of 10-15 minutes;medium-length activities of 20-25 minutes; and long activities of 30-40 minutes.GradesIt is important that recreational activities are appropriate to students’ age and development.There are activities for Grades 1-4 (ages 5-9), Grades 5-6 (ages 10-11), and Grades 7-10 (ages12-16). Some activities are appropriate for a larger range of ages, encompassing Grades 1-6,Grades 5-10, and Grades 1-10.Activity TypesThere are a variety of activity types to meet the needs and/or interests of students. Activitiesare organized in the following categories: Crafts activities use a variety of materials for students to create art work, which caninclude visual arts drawing and painting. Drama activities are those where students can express themselves through role-playand acting. Game activities are aimed at presenting students with a particular challenge or exerciseto work through. These activities are often, but not always, done in groups or teams. Music activities are those involving the creation of music by the students. Note thatnone of the activities in this resource guide require additional musical equipmentbeyond the sounds students can make with their own bodies. Puppet activities are those involving the teacher using a puppet to help encouragestudents to explore their thoughts and feelings. Note that there is only one puppetactivity, which outlines an approach to puppetry. Relaxation activities are those that are intended to calm students and encourage a safespace with the use of breathing, physical stretches, and guided meditation. Visual Arts activities are those including drawing and painting for self and groupexpression.What is the value of the activities in the PSS Recreational Activity Resource Guide?Recreation or play activities can play a valuable role in promoting the well-being andresilience of children. Participation in games and other recreational activities provides childrenopportunities to develop capacities and resources that can help them deal with the emotional,social, and practical challenges that they may face in their lives. Free-play that is initiatedand led by children already plays a central role in the natural processes of development2
guidance noteand socialisation. However, in situations where children’s opportunities for recreation maybe limited or where they are experiencing especially difficult life circumstances, it can bebeneficial if specially chosen activities or games are facilitated for them by responsible adults.These recreational activities will stimulate the development of specific skills and resources, aswell as provide safe and supportive opportunities for children to process and learn to managetheir experiences.Each activity in the Guide has been specially selected for its potential to stimulate developmentin the following areas: Emotional self-regulation, management, and personal growth; Capacities and skills for collaboration and managing social relationships; and Understanding and capacity to solve problems in their communities.The three areas of development described above roughly correspond to how the activitieshave been organized in the Guide: 1) Myself, 2) My Peers, and 3) My Community. However, itmust be noted that activities categorized in each of the sections may potentially contribute tomore than one developmental area.How do you choose which activities to implement and when?While each of the activities included in the Guide can be enjoyable, stimulating and beneficialto children if implemented individually as stand-alone activities, the value of the activities willoften be enhanced if they are used in an appropriate context as part of a broader process orseries of activities.Your choice of activity must always be determined by what benefits you think it will bringto the participating children in relation to their psychosocial well-being. Matching the themeof an activity to a particular topic being currently addressed in a classroom, communityprogramme or psychosocial support session will enhance its relevance, meaning, and impactfor participating children. Alternately, it may also make sense to facilitate a number ofthematically-linked activities in a connected sequence, so that each reinforces, expands andbuilds on the others that have gone before – consolidating their impact on the participatingchildren.Very importantly, you should always consider whether there might be any negativeconsequences of applying a particular recreational activity. Even though activities in the Guidehave been carefully chosen for their beneficial nature, it is important that you try to anticipateany ways in which their use may result in experiences or outcomes that are unpleasant orharmful for participating children. For example, you should anticipate if there is a child forwhom an activity could unintentionally evoke a recent upsetting memory, or a group activitythat could be used by some children in the group to bully or victimize another child. In suchcases, if you believe there is a high likelihood of a negative consequence of carrying out aparticular activity or if you are not confident that your facilitation skills are sufficient to minimizerisks associated with the activity, then you should not choose that activity.3
guidance noteHow do you prepare for the chosen activity? Activities: It is important for you to read all the instructions before starting the activitiesin order to understand the objectives, steps, and questions for student discussion. Hereare some helpful hints to prepare for facilitating an activity: Carefully read the theme introduction. What is the meaning, what do you want toachieve? Carefully read the activity steps. Is it clear how the steps of the activity flow? Read and create additional Let’s Talk! Evaluating the Activity questions beforefacilitating the activity. For example, additional questions can be those that arerelevant to events and issues in students’ community.It may be helpful to practice some of the activities with other facilitators to ensure allfacilitators can successfully conduct the activities with the students. Also, if possible,you should memorize the sequence of steps to ensure the activity flows easily withouthaving to stop. Materials: You should consider the availability of materials for a particular recreationalactivity and whether the type of activity fits with the interests and skills of the participatingchildren. You should check if all materials needed for activities are available, in goodshape, and prepare them before starting the activity. Space: Some of the activities require space. You should make sure to plan ahead toknow where you will be conducting the activities, and you should consider the level ofenergy and noise that recreational activity will produce and require. Once deciding on aspace, you should make sure it is safe and free of sharp obstacles or other hazards. Notethat some of the activities can be adapted to smaller spaces or crowded classrooms; youcan read the activity Tips section for ideas before deciding whether or not the activitywould be suitable.How do you explain the chosen activities as a facilitator?Students may have a short attention span. If the explanation of a game is long and with manysteps, it is better to divide it into smaller parts with related actions.You should make sure all students understand the instructions. If you notice some studentsmay not fully understand the activity, you can: Play one round for trial and, while playing, explain further. Start the exercise, and walk around and explain the rules.4
guidance noteLet’s talk! Evaluating the ActivityAs part of every activity, there is a section called Let’s Talk! Evaluating the Activity, which isessential to achieving the learning objectives in this resource guide. This allows students toshare and discuss their relevant feelings, experiences, and perceptions, and: It helps students think about the skills they have learned and link them to other situations(e.g., after the talk a student might think, ‘ah, so when I do something together with myfriends or others I will succeed better in my tasks’). In addition, students like sharingtheir experiences (e.g., ‘It was good, because when he tried to tag me, I dodged andmanaged to get away!’). It helps you share and discuss what can be learned from the activity with the students.For instance, you might address the importance of team playing in achieving goals (e.g.,you might say ‘I saw that you tagged everybody very fast after discussing with eachother who would go where. So you worked together and that helped!’). It represents the right moment to clarify any discussion raised among the studentsduring the game. You should give students the opportunity to express themselves, andlisten to their comments/inputs about the game. Importantly, pay attention to whatany student says, regardless of their perspective, so they feel heard.In case of any critical or negative comment raised by a student, do not forget to listen withoutinterrupting the student while they express their opinion.Can you adapt activities to different contexts without ‘breaking’ them?Most of the recreational activities included in the Guide have been used in diverse culturalsettings, in different work contexts and with various age groups around the world. While thecore of these activities most likely is of relevance to protect and promote the well-being of allchildren, the way in which the activity is implemented may have to be adapted for a specificgroup of children. Depending on the activity’s setting, children’s history and characteristics,or your own facilitation skills or preferences, changes may need to be made. However, it iskey to ensure that the integrity of the underlying goal of the activity is maintained. To ensurethe original purpose of activities is retained when adapting activities, the following guidingquestions can be considered:Does the activity still help improve expression management or regulation of a child’semotions? What are the ways in which it does this?Does the activity still help develop a child’s interpersonal and social skills, or strengthenher/his social supports? What are the ways in which it does this?Does the activity still help build capacity to understand and engage with problems inthe child’s community? What are the ways in which it does this?5
guidance noteIn answering the questions above, it is important to consider both the explicit purpose of theactivity as well as more implicit goals that are achieved through the process of how the activityis carried out by the participating children. The Tips section in each activity listed in the Guideprovides some useful ideas on how to use or adapt the activity under different circumstances.What good practices should a facilitator follow?Below are principles that can guide your work as a facilitator:1. Do No Harm. Your first responsibility as a facilitator is to ensure that children donot experience any negative consequences of participating in the activity. As discussedabove, this involves evaluating risks prior to selecting recreational activities, takingmeasures to avoid anticipated risks, and also being alert and ready to respond to anyunexpected problems that may arise.As a facilitator, you should not place children in a situation where they have to takepart in an activity that could cause them to experience psychological stress or socialdifficulties. You should exercise your own judgment as facilitators when choosing anddesigning activities. In addition, to further ensure activities do no harm, you shouldmake sure children’s participation in all chosen recreational activities is voluntary.Children can be informed in advance about the objective and process of the activity,and they should be provided some flexibility so that those who are uncomfortableare either able to participate in a way that makes them feel safe, or are given a way of‘sitting-out’ of a specific activity without being stigmatized.2. Pay attention to your facilitation style. As facilitators, how you behave has adirect impact on the success of the recreational activities carried out with children.How children respond to the activities will be strongly influenced by the clarity andenthusiasm with which you introduce and facilitate every aspect of an activity. If youare not able to give instructions that are easy to understand and follow, then childrenwill be confused and will not be engaged in the activity. If you do not seem genuinelyinterested in and motivated by the activity, it is unlikely that the children will be either.As facilitators, your role is to lead, encourage, and support children through the activity,often by the example of your own behaviour.As adults, the children participating in the activity you facilitate will view you as havingmore authority. As a result, sometimes your role may also create certain expectationsamongst children about how you need to interact with them. These expectations orestablished patterns of interaction may not always be suited to the characteristics youneed to adopt to facilitate each activity in the Guide. For example, if there is a socialexpectation that adults will always behave seriously, it may be difficult to enthusiasticallyfacilitate a game that is ‘silly’. Or, it may be hard to resist the expectation that you as arespected adult should give advice or judgment on how to solve a moral problem – andinstead only facilitate children in exchanging views to resolve this. To take on the role offacilitator, you must recognize that you sometimes have to temporarily step outside ofyour usual role, behaviour, and
student’s current situation outside of school. In short, while facilitating recreational activities is important for normalcy and learning, these activities are in no way the only solution to help students to recover from adverse e
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Physicians, and Health Canada have stressed that assessment for psychosocial issues during pregnancy be a standard of obstetrical care. The original APLHA form and the Woman's Self Report form were developed for this reason; to ensure that psychosocial issues become part of comprehensive perinatal care. The Prenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment
Background: Poor mental health in the perinatal period can impact negatively on women, their infants and families. Australian State and Territory governments are investing in routine psychosocial assessment and . psychosocial risk factors, mental health and service use. The prenatal psychosocial risk status of women (data available for 83 of .
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family, peers, school, and community. Psychosocial support addresses the ongoing emotional, social, and spiritual concerns and needs of people living with HIV, their partners, and their caregivers. Psychosocial well being is when a person’s internal and external needs are met and
academic writing, the purpose of which is to explore complex concepts and issues. Terms like Zin essence or to summarise, are more appropriate. The use of the word Ztalking [ is unsuitable because the law is a concept and concepts are not capable of talking! Words that could be used instead include state, articulate or describe. Sentences Try to express a single idea or point in each sentence .
