Landing and Launching: 101 Checkins and Checkouts: Installment #8

14 Tattoos

Preparation time: Five minutes

Materials: A variety of fake tattoos and a small bowl of water for application.

Procedure:

(a)    Place fake tattoos in center of circle

(b)   Instruct participants to select three tattoos; one for how their day went, one for how they want tomorrow to be, and one for a hope for their future.

Alternatives: As a feedback exercise, have group members by consensus select a tattoo for each member. This can occur at the end of a day long retreat or as a seasonal shift activity.

Notes: Although this is generally a low risk activity, there are some cultures which forbid any sort of body adornment. American culture has come a long way in accepting tattoos. They are now more common than not but to quote the man who taught me to be a river guide: “If you must err, err on the side of caution.”

15 Student make own cards

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Materials: Old magazines, 3x5 cards, glue sticks, scissors (one pair per person)

Procedure:

(a)    Have the laminator ready

(b)   Instruct participants that they are going to make their own set of permanent check in cards using old magazines.

(c)    Cards should reflect feelings that most group members can connect to.

(d)   Distribute old magazines and scissors and 3x5 cards.

(e)    Instruct students to lay out their card designs.

(f)    Then and only then distribute glue sticks.*

Alternatives: You can easily bring this activity up to the computer age by doing it on computers.

Notes: I have had some of my most creative and revealing cards emerge from this deceptively simple project. What a student may not be able to voice they will sometimes put on a card. Less mature students may want to put up pictures of scantily clad women or alcohol. In this case I tell them that they are free to make those but they will not be part of the permanent group set.

*I have discovered through experience that if you give out glue sticks at the beginning students will immediately start plastering images on cards. Waiting for glue sticks will encourage them to be more mindful.

16 COLOR SWATCHES

Preparation time:

Materials: Absolutely Free! Go to your local hardware store and ask for all the color swatches you can get. You can use pieces of construction paper but there is a much more infinite variety of shades of color at the hardware store.

Procedure: Explain that historically colors have represented different primary human emotions. Although it may be redundant you may want to use the following list:

(a)    Red: Anger

(b)   Blue: Sadness

(c)    Green: Jealousy and Envy

(d)   Yellow:

(e)    Brown:

(f)    Black

(g)   White

(h)   Purple: Higher consciousness

Explain further that emotions generally go on a scale of intensity.

Lay out the colors in  a spectrum from lightest to darkest. For example, a pale shade of pink represents only mildly angry whereas dark pulsing red represents rage

Notes: Different cultures may have different connotations for different colors. For example in one culture red represents unity because red is the color of blood no matter what color skin you have