Abstract

For difficult or challenging children and teenagers in therapeutic or school settings, creative activities can be an excellent way of increasing enjoyment and boosting motivation, making the sessions more rewarding and successful for everyone involved.

This resource provides over one hundred tried-and-tested fun and imaginative therapeutic activities and ideas to unleash the creativity of children and teenagers aged 5+. Employing a variety of expressive arts including art, music, stories, poetry and film, the activities are designed to teach social skills development, anger control strategies, conflict resolution and thinking skills. Also included are character education activities and ideas for conducting therapeutic day camps, including sample schedules and handouts. The activities can be used in many different settings with all ages, are flexible, and can be adapted for use with individuals or groups.

Brimming with imaginative ideas, this resource will be invaluable to anyone working with children and teenagers, including school counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists and teachers.

Joiner's book is an invaluable asset for anyone striving to teach emotional intelligence, whether in a counseling, educational or camp setting. Her upbeat approach and clear objectives for each activity make the work widely accessible and engaging. This volume will prove to be a well-worn companion for those who love to work with children.
Suzanne Darley PhD, co-author of The Expressive Arts Activity Book
Lindsey Joiner is a Positive Behavior Specialist with Meridian Public School District in Mississippi (USA). She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Board Qualified Supervisor. Many of the activities in this book were developed as part of Lindsey's experience conducting and supervising day treatment programs for children and teens in a community mental health center. She discovered that creative activities helped to engage and motivate the children and teens, improving their enjoyment and attendance in therapeutic sessions.
Many kinds of reader would benefit from reading this book. It is well written and, although it is specifically targeted at therapists and teachers seeking to develop young people's emotional intelligence, it is full of practical applications designed for use by special needs teachers as well as teachers and instructors responsible for promoting wellbeing.
Special Children
The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas has been valuable in helping to plan creative and motivating activities and is a wonderful resource for professionals seeking to integrate creative art-based interventions.
Young Minds