|  | Family Health | Death Mourning

Children's Grief Activities

Children often express grief in short bursts, unlike adults whose emotions are intense and continuous. They don't know how to express their grief verbally and, as a result, may withdraw, begin having behavioral problems and feel insecure. There are activities you can do with children to help them cope with the grief and give them a way to express how they feel.

  1. Physical Activities

    • Drawing and painting are activities that can help children cope with grief. It allows them to express their fears about death and their feelings of uncertainty about the future. Use a shoebox or plain wooden box from the craft store for children to put objects into that help them hold on to memories or keep them comforted. Older children can paint the box themselves, and a parent can do it for younger children following the child's directions. A shoebox can be decorated with pictures cut from a magazine.

    Expressing Emotion

    • Children may have a difficult time expressing emotions such as anger or guilt when someone they love dies. Activities that may help them get these emotions out include breaking terra cotta pots and beating on a punching bag. Both of these grief activities can be an opportunity to help children move through the stages of grief and come to terms with death. After the pots are broken, piece them back together again to give them a tangible example of how time will heal even though their heart is broken into pieces.

    Communication Opportunities

    • Create a memory book by making a scrapbook with sayings and favorite photos in it or putting favorite pictures into a photo album. Use the opportunity to allow children to communicate how they feel by sharing memories of the pictures. They may open up and ask questions about death, why it happens and if it's their fault. It's important they feel loved and safe and that they have their questions answered honestly on a level they can understand. For young children, reading a favorite book that belonged to the person or books about grief may open up the opportunity for the children to express what they're feeling.

Death Mourning - Related Articles