Therapeutic Game & Activity: The Ways I Am Smart

Adapted from Self-Esteem Games: 300 Fun Activities That Make Children Feel Good About Themselves by Barbara Sher http://www.amazon.com/Self-EsteemGames-Activities-ChildrenCounselor : Themselves/dp/0471180270 Reprinted with permission from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York Discussion questions by Counselors Room staff.
Grade:

Elementary

Topic: Self-Esteem and self-discovery

Students will acquire self-knowledge: Develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person Identify personal strengths and assets Objectives: Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups Recognize, accept, respect and appreciate individual differences Children are smart in different ways. Mathematical and verbal intelligence are measured on IQ tests. Now, other aspects of intelligence are being Topic: recognized, such as intrapersonal (knowing yourself), interpersonal (understanding others), and kinesthetic (knowing your body).
Group size: Time:

Two or more 15 minutes + discussion time Pencils and papers for each group member Three index cards for each group member

Materials:

To play the game:

Divide the group into groups of threes. Ask students to write down their name on all three index cards. Tell them to keep one of the cards with his

or her name on it for themselves and give the other two cards with her or her name on it to each of his group members. Every student should now have three cards (one with their name on it and two cards for each of the other two members in their group). Ask students to write down five ways they think they are skilled or smart on the card with their name on it. Then on the other cards write down five ways they think the person whose name is on the card is smart or skilled. Fold the cards in half with the writing on the inside. Collect the cards and put them all in a hat. Pull a card and read the five qualities written on the card. Ask the class to guess who the card is written about.
Discussion questions:

Were you surprised by some of the things that were said about you today? Did you learn anything new about yourself after this game? Did the others have a hard time guessing which one was you? Why do you think that was? How did you feel when the ways in which you were smart were read aloud? Was it difficult for you to think of ways you were smart or skilled?