Talking With Children About Cancer

Good info from NASW about talking with children about cancer:
http://www.socialworkblog.org/nasw-news-article/2011/12/talking-with-kids-about-cancer/

Help Foster Youth Gain Access to College

NAEHCY: Unaccompanied Youth Toolkits Homepage

Fantastic resource for those of you who work with high school aged foster/homeless youth!

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Target Dollar Section!

I received a bit of money from work for supplies for a new classroom I have at an elementary school. At the Target I went to (in Carson), they had SO much good stuff in the dollar section! All items on the left were $1 (card games, foam swords, various balls, large bubble wand, cubes that I will convert into story cubes, as suggested by Caitlin, noise putty), all items on the right were $2.50 (dinosaurs and safari animals, puppets, blocks, and a play science set).

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Lots of Great Ideas

Hi fellow therapists! I just wanted to write a quick post to encourage you to regularly check pinterest.com/carlycollins for inspiration and ideas for activities. I add things as I find them, usually every couple of days. The most recent discovery: automobiles made out of recycled containers!!

Image courtesy of Reciclajes impresionantes hechos en casa

Free Printable Behavioral Charts

This web site (Free Printable Behavior Charts) has a TON of great resources for behavioral charts of all kinds! 

Image courtesy of clipartpal

In my practice, I tend to lean more toward rewarding positive/desired behaviors rather than punishing for negative behaviors. Many of my clients are not responsive to punishment, have been so punished for so long it is no longer effective, or don't have many privileges/resources to be taken away. 


In my experience, most children respond much more effectively to positive reinforcement of positive behaviors, rather than punishment of negative behaviors. This web site seems to lean more toward the positive, which I really like! 


Children are also more likely to respond when they are involved in the process, so I like the idea that many of these behavior charts are interactive; children can either participate by coloring progress along the chart, earn "Behavior Bucks" which can lead to a reward, etc. Keep in mind rewards don't always have to be monetary/physical objects...rewards can include things like family trips to the park, extra play time outside, have a friend over, movie night, etc.

Paper Bag House

I have been making many GREAT therapy idea discoveries through Pinterest 
Don't know what Pinterest is? You should! It's fantastic!


What is Pinterest? "Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests." -from Pinterest's help section


From my days as a substance abuse counselor..."Hi, my name is Carly, and I'm a Pinterest addict." There, I said it :)


Okay anyway, the point of my post today is this:


Many of the friends I follow on Pinterest are teachers, and they pin many ideas that are also really helpful to me as a therapist. I also just see fun art activities and other creative things that can be easily used as therapeutic activities.

Image courtesy of Snippety Gibbet

My latest discovery is Paper Bag Houses. Such a great tool for helping kids talk about their home environment, neighborhood, environmental stressors, etc. And only paper, scissors, glue, and of course paper bags are required!


I don't know if it will work, but just in case, here is a link to my 'Therapy' board on Pinterest so you can see all of the ideas I've pinned. Many of the teacher-centered ideas are for staff at the schools I work at, to help maintain a positive relationship with them :)

Relaxation Tool

Image source: Here We Are Together Blog

Saw this great idea on Here We Are Together's blog, which you can link directly to here. 


Text directly from Here We Are Together about her Mind Jar:
A Mind Jar is a meditation tool to use whenever a child feels stressed, overwhelmed or upset. 
Imagine the glitter as your thoughts. When you shake the jar, imagine your head full of whirling thoughts, then watch them slowly settle while you calm down. 


My thought would be to basically use the jar as a relaxation tool with my students, as she mentions. 


Her recipe for making one is as follows:
We mixed 1 tablespoon of pink glitter-glue with about 1 cup of hot water, then added pink food colouring and a tiny tub of glitter.