Therapeutic Art & Music ideas:
“Art is so powerful. Art in education, art in therapy, art for exploration. It can support children in so many ways…”
-Sydney Gurewitz Clemens
Drawing and painting are ideal ways for young children to express their emotions and enable the to “tell what happened.” Asking a child about their art gives the caring adult the opportunity to ask deeper questions and respond to the child with empathy and interest.
Creative, open- ended activities can help children express traumatic feelings and I have found these materials to be very useful:
Watercolors
Clay or Play dough
Beeswax
Journaling
A younger child may dictate theirs and illustrate it themselves, while an older child may write about their experiences.
Music:
Playing music while creating can be wonderful for children. Here are some suggestions of calming music for young ears: