Grief is a powerful, complex emotion that affects people of all ages, but it can be particularly challenging for children. Unlike adults, kids often struggle to express their emotions verbally or understand what they’re experiencing. As such, it is essential to provide them with the tools to process and work through their feelings in healthy ways. Grief activities are an effective way to help children express their emotions, understand their loss, and begin to heal.
At The Kids Point, we believe in the importance of creating safe, nurturing spaces for children to explore their grief. In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive list of grief activities designed to help kids of various ages process their emotions and begin the healing journey. These activities are tailored to support kids who are grieving a loved one, be it a parent, sibling, friend, or even a beloved pet.
Why Grief Activities Matter for Children
Children often lack the emotional vocabulary to fully express their grief. This can lead to frustration, confusion, or behavioral challenges. Grief activities provide alternative ways for children to communicate their emotions when words are insufficient. Art, play, and physical movement help children naturally express their feelings, allowing them to begin understanding their grief in a way that makes sense to them.
Grief can manifest in many forms—sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, and even relief—and it can fluctuate over time. Children may have trouble understanding why they feel so deeply or why their emotions seem to change so suddenly. Engaging in grief activities helps children explore their feelings at their own pace, fostering emotional resilience and promoting healing.
These activities can also create a sense of continuity and connection with the lost loved one, making it easier for children to understand that while death creates distance, love and memories remain.
Grief Activities for Younger Children (Ages 3-8)
Younger children often understand the concept of death in simpler, more concrete terms, but they may still struggle with the emotional depth of grief. Their understanding of permanence may not be fully developed, so they might repeatedly ask questions or engage in play that reflects their confusion. During this stage, grief activities should be designed to offer comfort, reassurance, and expression through play and creativity.
Memory Box
A memory box is a simple yet powerful way for children to hold onto physical reminders of the loved one they’ve lost. This activity allows children to collect photographs, letters, artwork, and meaningful objects that help them feel connected to the deceased. You can start by decorating an old cardboard box with your child, and then help them choose items to place inside, such as a favorite toy, a piece of clothing, or a special drawing.
Not only does this activity promote self-expression, but it also gives children a place to store their grief in a tangible form. As time goes on, they can revisit the box, add new items, and continue reflecting on their loved one’s life.
Feelings Chart
Younger children may struggle to verbalize their feelings of sadness, anger, or confusion. A feelings chart with pictures can help them identify and understand what they are experiencing. The chart can include faces depicting different emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared, etc.), and children can point to or circle the emotions they are feeling at any given moment.
By regularly checking in with a feelings chart, children can become more attuned to their emotional states and gain confidence in expressing themselves. This can also be a helpful activity for parents to gauge how their child is processing their grief and offer appropriate support.
Storytelling and Play
At this age, children often process emotions through play, whether it’s through dolls, action figures, or pretend play. Encourage your child to tell stories or act out scenarios that involve the person they lost. For example, they may pretend to have a conversation with the deceased or act out a familiar family routine.
While this may feel uncomfortable at first, it’s a natural way for children to explore and process their emotions. Reassure them that it’s okay to talk to their loved one in this way, and provide comfort by joining in the play or listening to their stories. This allows children to express their grief safely and process their feelings in a familiar, non-threatening context.
Create a Handprint Art
Handprint art is a meaningful way for children to create something personal while also remembering the loved one who has passed. Using non-toxic paints, help your child create a handprint on paper or canvas, and together, write a message such as “I will always remember you” or “You are in my heart.”
This activity creates a lasting keepsake that symbolizes the child’s connection to the deceased. Over time, this handprint can serve as a reminder of both the child’s grief journey and the special memories shared with the loved one.
Grief Activities for Older Children (Ages 9-12)
Older children have a deeper understanding of the permanence of death, and they may be able to articulate their grief more clearly. However, they may still feel overwhelmed or unsure about how to manage their emotions. Activities at this age should allow for more introspection and emotional expression, while still being accessible and engaging.
Journal Writing
Writing can be an incredibly therapeutic activity for children processing grief. Provide your child with a journal, and encourage them to write about their feelings, memories of the person who passed away, or anything that’s on their mind. You can suggest prompts to get started, such as:
- “The best memory I have with (the person) is…”
- “I feel the most sad when…”
- “If I could talk to (the person), I would say…”
Encourage your child to be honest in their writing, reminding them that there’s no right or wrong way to express grief. The act of writing can help children make sense of their emotions, and it may even help them identify emotions they didn’t realize they were feeling.
Make a Family Scrapbook
Creating a family scrapbook is a fantastic way for children to preserve memories of the deceased. Have your child gather photographs, letters, and keepsakes, and work together to arrange them in a scrapbook. Along with the pictures, encourage your child to write down their thoughts, add quotes, and reflect on memories shared with the loved one.
This activity not only helps children remember their loved one but also offers a safe space to reflect and process grief. It can become a cherished keepsake that they can look back on for comfort in the future.
Letter Writing
Encouraging children to write letters to the deceased is a powerful way to help them express their emotions and feel connected to the person they lost. These letters can be filled with expressions of love, sadness, and even anger. It provides an opportunity for children to say things they may not have had the chance to say before, and it can be a cathartic release of emotion.
For younger children who may not be able to write, you can help them by writing down what they want to say and then reading it together. It’s important to let the child know that the letters are for their own healing and that they don’t need to be perfect.
Create a Remembrance Garden
A remembrance garden or memorial can be a meaningful way for children to honor the deceased. You and your child can plant flowers or trees in memory of the person who passed. Each plant or flower can represent a special memory or feeling associated with the loved one. The act of nurturing the garden can also symbolize how grief grows and evolves over time.
Grief Activities for Teens (Ages 13 and Up)
Teenagers often experience grief in ways that can be both intense and isolating. They may withdraw from their families or act out their emotions, and they might feel confused or angry about the changes in their lives. Grief activities for teens should allow for self-expression, while also respecting their growing independence.
Create a Playlist
Music is an incredibly powerful tool for expressing and processing emotions. Encourage your teen to create a playlist of songs that reflect how they’re feeling or songs that remind them of the loved one who has passed. Listening to the playlist together can open up conversations about their emotions and give you insight into how they’re coping.
For some teens, music can help them feel connected to their loved one, while for others, it can help them release their feelings of sadness, anger, or frustration.
Participate in a Grief Support Group
While it can be challenging for teens to open up, joining a grief support group with peers who have experienced similar losses can be a helpful activity. Support groups provide a safe space for teens to share their feelings, ask questions, and connect with others who understand what they’re going through. Many hospitals, community centers, and counseling centers offer grief support groups for children and teens.
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a unique way to express emotions without words. Whether through painting, drawing, sculpture, or other mediums, art allows teens to tap into their creativity while working through difficult emotions. You can encourage your teen to create art about their grief, a memory of the deceased, or even their feelings of anger and loss.
Art therapy can help teens release pent-up emotions in a healthy and productive way. If they’re hesitant to share their art, respect their privacy and offer them a safe space to explore their emotions independently.
Volunteer or Give Back
Teens often find meaning in grief by helping others. Volunteering or participating in a community project in memory of the loved one can provide a sense of purpose and connection. Encourage your teen to find an organization or cause that was important to the person who passed away, and dedicate time to supporting that cause.
Supporting a child through grief is not an easy task, but with patience, love, and the right activities, you can help them process their emotions and begin to heal. At The Kids Point, we encourage families to explore these grief activities together, offering comfort, understanding, and support. Grief is a journey that looks different for every child, but with the right tools and encouragement, they can find a way to navigate their feelings and move forward.
No matter which activities you choose, the most important thing is to show up for your child and create an environment where their emotions are accepted and respected. Grief is a long, winding road, but with love and support, healing is possible.