Compliments & Talents: Story Quest Adventure

The poster has a lot of different illustrations. Here’s how you can include them in your story:

• Tornado (4 times): "And then suddenly, a whirlwind appeared, causing..."
• Joker (4 times): "Then something funny happened, making everyone laugh because..."
• Sun (5 times): "Under the warm sun, the character felt a surge of energy and..."
• Arrows (3 times): "Facing a choice of paths, the character decided to..."
• Hearts (5 times): "A heartfelt moment occurred when..."
• Dice: "Taking a chance, the character decided to..."
• Flower: "A beautiful flower blossomed, symbolizing..."
• Mirror: "Looking into the mirror, the character realized..."
• Talent Icons (20 different ones): "Using their [specific talent], the character managed to...". For example, the compass: "Guided by the compass, the character discovered..." or the gift box: "A surprise gift was found, and inside it was...". The images depicted refer to the following talents: Smart, collaboration, fantasy, being happy, handy, supportive, creative, adventurous, making choices, having many ideas, sporty, musical, energetic, calm, planning, spoiling others, social, mood lifter.

This activity provides a safe and creative outlet for children to express themselves and process their thoughts. Focusing on positive elements and encouraging a supportive environment, helps build self-esteem and reinforces the importance of kindness and compliments. The cooperative aspect promotes teamwork and understanding, making it a valuable addition to a trauma-informed toolkit.

This game is part of the Trauma-Informed Youth Work toolkit, which is designed to create a safe, supportive environment for all participants by acknowledging the impact of trauma on young people and fostering trust and empowerment. By incorporating activities that use indirect methods to explore emotions and behaviours, the toolkit makes sensitive topics more accessible and less intimidating, especially for younger audiences. The teamwork aspects of these activities foster collaboration and support, aligning with trauma-informed principles. This approach promotes healing, resilience, and positive development in every youth engaged, while emphasizing emotional awareness and understanding.

• For a more collaborative version, players can build a single story together. Each player moves their character and adds to the shared story, using the same prompts.
• To adapt for younger children, use simpler prompts and allow more guidance from the facilitator to help them weave their story.

Learn how to build and tell a story