Happy Hands

Topic
- Health
- Identity & emotions
Learning skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy & social awareness
Activity type
- Energiser & ice breaker
Materials
- Basic
Age
- 6 - 11 years
5 - 15 minutes
+5 players
Easy
Calm
Small (office, pavement)

Contributors

Save the Children

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Everything you need to play this game

Paper
Colouring utensils (crayons, markers, coloured pencils)

A step-by-step guide to play the game

Distribute paper and coloring utensils to each player.

Instruct the players to trace both of their hands onto the paper, creating an outline of their hand with fingers spread out.

Inside the first hand, the players can write the following prompts inside each finger: "Smell," "See," "Hear," "Touch," and "Taste."

Guide the players through a visualization exercise to imagine their happy, relaxing place. "Think about a place that makes you feel happy. It can be imaginary or real. Spend a few moments thinking about this place. First, what do you see? What do you hear? What can you touch? What can you smell? What can you taste?"

Instruct the players to now draw or write down the details of their happy, relaxing place inside the palm space of their traced hand. Encourage them to be creative and include as many sensory details as possible in the corresponding fingers.

Now, in the second hand, ask the players to think of five people who are important in their lives. This could include someone who helped them in a difficult situation or someone they can ask questions about a certain theme. Have them draw these people in each finger.

After the drawing activity, invite the players to share their Happy Hands with the group. Each player can take turns describing their happy place and their support team.

Encourage the group to listen attentively and ask questions or offer positive feedback to their peers.

Remind the children that they can return to their Happy Hands whenever they need to feel calm, relaxed, or happy.

Extra game information

Ensure that the space is quiet, calm, and free from distractions. Begin by explaining the purpose of the visualization exercise in simple and age-appropriate language. Let the children know what to expect and reassure them that they are safe and supported throughout the exercise. Be flexible in your approach and responsive to the needs and reactions of the children. Adapt the exercise as needed to accommodate different learning styles, attention spans, and comfort levels.

Source: https://calmahoykids.co.uk/2022/10/17/happy-place-visualisation-for-kids/ and MIndfulness bij jongeren. David De Wulf

Variations

Use your fingers to recall something positive in your life. For example: your thumb represents a family member or friend you are grateful for, your index finger refers to a place that makes you feel happy, your middle finger links to a positive experience or achievement, your ring finger represents a pet or favorite object and your pinky finger refers to something you enjoyed eating or drinking.

Specific learning objectives

Identify and describe places that make you feel safe and relaxed.
Fostering a positive focus.

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