An interactive strategy to connect with a young person, when you are having an individual conversation.

This activity is great for large groups, a big fun, a bit silly.

A beaut activity to use when you are talking with a young person, AND someone else.

Two envelopes, one with ‘easy’ questions and one with ‘hard’.

A strategy, or really..more an idea, if the young person you are going to be talking with has been around the system for some time…and/or is grumpy about being here, maybe doesn’t want to talk with you…

An activity when you need to have a tricky-sensitive chat with a young person. It suggests that you ‘park’ what you need to talk about, and spend a few minutes getting to know each other – that is, building a relationship so that you are able to have the important chat.

This strategy suggests that before you tackle a ‘difficult’ topic, you consult the young person you are going to be talking with, and get some advice as to how to tackle this subject, and what to do if it becomes hard for the young person.

This activity really asks a young person: how motivated are you to do ‘x’? And secondly, do you know all you need to know, and can you do all you need to do…to make it happen?

An interesting activity for the right person – kind of creative and a bit unusual…and really helpful when a third person is present.

An intimate activity where you ask a young person if they would like to hear what it is that you have noticed about them.

This is an exercise in the development of curiosity, empathy and compassion. An extremely versatile activity you can use in a classroom, a counselling room or walking down the street. It invites a young person to wonder about ‘the passing parade’ of people; who they are as people, where they might have come from, and the circumstances of their life.

An activity that encourages a young person to think about the tricky balance of being true to their feelings and embracing these, while being mindful of what they are projecting to the world around them, and the impact this will have on how the world will respond to them. A physical activity, both playful and serious.

‘A week in words’ offers a young person a way of reviewing their week by choosing from a list, a number of words that best describes that week, and then… Read More »Video 13: A Week in Words

A great activity for individuals or groups. The example here is of a group of boys saying where they are in response to the question: ‘Do you want to stay at school?’ With three possible responses: Yes. No. Still thinking about it…

This activity asks a young person to explore their hopes and dreams…a ‘hope’ being a sort of : ‘Gee, I hope this happens…’ and a ‘dream’ having a bit more… Read More »Video 15: Hopes and Dreams

This is a reminder to be aware of what we respond to and how we respond in our work with young people.

‘Would you rather…’ makes use of childhood playfulness to ask a young person if they would prefer to travel through a pit of scorpions? A pit of spiders? Or a pit of snakes?

This activity, ‘Life is…’, asks a young person to respond to four questions/statements about four elements essential to wellbeing: belonging and connection, sense of self, relationships and a sense of… Read More »Video 18: Life is…

‘Inside-outside’ looks at the internal and external resources that a young person has available to them to manage the hardships of life; their own talents, qualities and skills; plus what… Read More »Video 19: Inside – Outside

‘Symbols’ is a powerful activity, which, while embracing the ideas offered in the previous video ‘Inside-outside’ of asking a young person to identify their internal and external resources to manage… Read More »Video 20: Symbols

A groupwork activity and a variation on an old activity…but in this case people get to know each other via making three statements about themselves: One is true, one is… Read More »Video 21: True, Big Fat Lie, Like To Be True

A really good activity for families or where a third person is present. Asking each person to describe themselves and each other…and then do some comparing…can be very powerful.  

An activity of imagination. As playful or as serious as you would like it to be. ‘Snippets’ are snatches of conversation overheard while jogging. ‘How would you finish this sentence?’… Read More »Video 23: Snippets

This activity asks a young person, playfully at first, what they need right now? And moves naturally into a more serious conversation about what they might need as a person,… Read More »Video 24: Right Now, I Need…

Imagine overhearing a conversation about…er…you! What would you hope to hear? And if it was someone you had just met, what sort of impression would you hope you made? And… Read More »Video 25: The Best You

‘Frames’ shows footage of a real – life conversation with Dylan; and demonstrates how a Frame, which contains and focusses a conversation, can, if used creatively and carefully, result in… Read More »Video 26: Frames

Imagine if I asked your good friend about you? What would they say? If I asked them if you were fun…what would they say? Loyal? Reliable? A good listener? Our… Read More »Video 27: If I Asked Your Friend…

‘Four questions’ is by far the longest video I have posted, but it seemed to need it, so I hope it works for you. It’s an activity about deeper engagement.… Read More »Video 28: Four Questions

Imagine that you are going away? Grab a bag, pack it…with what? And what if you are going away for a long time? What about if you might never come… Read More »Video 29: Going Away

This final video of the 30, explores an idea or an approach…which asks you to make a decision as to how you might start to help a young person engage… Read More »Video 30: Straight Ahead, Or…