Creative ideas for the Self-Esteem Mirror Activity

In your download I mention the most simplest way to use this activity, which is to print out the activity sheet itself. This may suit your child and interest them as it stands, but as we know from our own experiences, one size does not fit all. When using this activity, the last thing I want to be faced with is an unenthusiastic child because that means, they’re not going to take away what I intend for them; to put it blunt, it won’t work and will be a waste of our time. I have done this activity so many times over the years so I have a collection of ways to creatively adapt it. I’ll share some of them with you, which you can use like for like, adapt further or totally make your own!

By being creative and starting the activity from scratch (even if it’s getting them to copy the download with a pencil), it allows your children to be involved from the very beginning, this increases their sense of ownership and their pride in their creation.

Try and allow time to have a think about what will work for you both, it means you’ll feel more confident and if you’ve planned and prepared your resources, it will run more smoothly and you’ll both get to relax and enjoy the activity together.

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Recreate the whole activity on card/the side of a used box so it can be easily stored or put on show.

• Cut a shape for the mirror and cover the mirror in reflective sticky back paper or tin foil so they can see their reflection and it represents a real mirror.

• Draw and colour the mirror in, add colour and glitter to the frame or make it look like a dressing room mirror from the movies.

• Stick a photo of them in the mirror or get them to draw themselves.

• Cut of speech bubbles in different coloured paper, make them different shapes and sizes and stick them to the card (it’s easier to write in the speech bubbles before you stick them on as sometimes the glue affects the writing or the paper rips).

• Have the mirror as the centre of a hanging mobile (a paper plate us useful for this), hang their thoughts and feelings about themselves from wool, cotton or string (this can be hung in front of a mirror, hung from the curtain pole to spin in the window, or hung on their door).

• Decorate wooden spoons or lollipop type sticks (see picture) to be themselves and write their views about themselves as though they are giving themselves a medal.