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This ice breaker should move at a quick pace and should get group members laughing and having fun.
Rules:
1. Everyone kneels on the floor in a circle.
2. Put both hands on the floor in front of you so everyone is in a tabletop position.
3. Put your left hand over the person's hand to your left.
*no one should have        their own hands right next to one another.*
4. Have one person start the game. 1 tap of the hand means the hand tapping moves clockwise.
5. If a person taps their hand twice, the direction switches.
6. If a person taps their hand when they aren't supposed to, they pull that hand out.
*This activity will lighten the mood if the students are having a bad day. This icebreaker is fun to play and puts most people in a good mood. This is a good icebreaker activity because it puts the group members in a mindset where they need to be focused but are still having fun.*

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This ice breaker is a quick checkin/activity that will get students talking and comfortable with one another since the last session.
1. Group members will take turns picking an uno card from the deck.
2. Once the group member has a card he/she will complete the following:
*When students take a card, they will answer the question based on the  color of the card:
*Green- Ask the person to your right a question about themselves
*Blue- tell the person to your left a complement
*Red- Share something you are proud of
*Yellow- Share what you want to work on as a 3rd grader
*Wild Card- Ask anyone a question.
This icebreaker activity is a great start to the day's topic communication (Lunch Bunch Game, 2014).

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Teaching Communication Skills (10 minutes)

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Teaching Communication Skills (10 minutes)

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1. Students will watch the video "How to Disagree". This video gives examples of things that kids or people in general may disagree on. This is a good visual for students to realize that it is ok for to disagree with others as long as they do so in a respectful manner (Kid President Is Over It, 2016).
2. The group will briefly discuss the video and was to communicate in a positive manner.

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The skill that will be taught in this session is empathy.

According to Sink, Edwards, and Eppler (2012) empathy is a skill needed for children to develop social competence.

read the book "I Am Human, A Book of Empathy" by Susan Verde

Discussion about book

Questions to prompt discussion if needed:

What is empathy?

What can you do if you make a mistake to show empathy?

How do you show empathy?

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Opening- "Feeling Hot Potato" (5 minutes)

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Opening- "Feeling Hot Potato" (5 minutes)

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1. The school counselor will have an object that serves at the 'hot potato'.
2. The school counselor will play music and the  students pass the potato around the group until the music stops.
3.Whoever is holding the potato at that point has to share one word that describes how he or she is feeling (Speckled moose counseling, 2019).

This is a good activity to get students moving and excited for today's activity that focuses on making good and appropriate choices.

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It's easy to picture: it's Monday morning and you have a list of group counseling activities and plans to print, but there's a long line at the copier. A student makes a disclosure and Child Protective Services is heading your way. A grandparent shows up at school and wants to share concerns about a student with you. Another student is crying because he misses his mom.

The thought of pushing back groups week when students depend on these consistent meetings is anxiety provoking, but your resources aren't ready. Or maybe you have time to plan, but no funding to purchase curricula or group counseling activities. Without beautiful group counseling plans and resources, what will you do? Behold, 10 quick and easy group counseling activities that students will love.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #1: Group Counseling Basketball

Now, I'm not going to lie to you. This is a crowd pleaser. Be warned that students will want to play this all the time! I have a Nerf hoop in my office, but you can use a trash can, recycle bin, storage basket... you get the idea. Students don't mind because it's so fun!

Students take turns shooting a basket. If they make it, they can celebrate with a dance or an action chosen by you. If they miss, they answer a question related to group content. Questions can be as simple or as complicated as you want. For example:

Changing Families Group: What's one thing that's special about your family?

Friendship Group: What's one problem 5th graders might have in friendships?

Grief Group: What is one thing you'd say to someone whose family member died?

As you can see, this activity is easily adaptable to any and all groups!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #2: Stand Up, Sit Down Activity

Ok, so this name leaves a lot to be desired, but it's a super quick and easy group counseling activity and kids enjoy it. Here's how it works: make a statement about anything (really, anything). If that statement is true for a student, she stands up. Students remain seated if it's not true for them. If the statement is true for everyone, so everyone is standing up, they can have a 5-second dance party.

It's amazing how much students will dance, even without music playing! I encourage students to keep a close watch for similarities between group members. This activity is fantastic to build group rapport, to assess student interests or family dynamics. Think about things you want to know about the group, and make a statement about it. Easy!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #3: Feelings Hot Potato Game

This is another quick and easy group activity that is effective and brings a lot of giggles! I use a musical hot potato, but again, you could use anything that you have handy in your office as the item to pass. In a pinch, I've used stress balls & music from my laptop. Played like traditional hot potato games, students pass the potato around the group until the music stops. Whoever is holding the potato at that point has to share. Depending on your group topic, perhaps they share a feeling word, coping skill, family memory, etc.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #4: Feelings Walk

I love to incorporate simple movement into my group activities, and this is an easy way to do it. This activity is similar to musical chairs but with a twist. I arrange the chairs in a circle (full disclosure: I usually just leave them as they are around my group table & have the kids push them out a little bit to make space to walk), and I tape feeling posters or words onto each chair.

If you don't have feelings posters readily accessible, sticky notes will do the job. Students walk around the circle while music plays (again, internet-based music to the rescue), and when it stops, they sit in the closest chair. I like to "randomly" call on students to share something related to the feeling word on the chair.

Examples might include: sharing a time they experienced that feeling, where they experienced the feeling in their body, a coping skill they could use when experiencing that feeling, etc. You get the idea. You could also adapt this activity by making the sticky note or poster reflect different group topics.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #5: Feelings Faces

If you can't tell, I love doing group activities related to feelings identification. Similar to the Feelings Walk, I use feelings posters & tape them around my room. Again, if you don't have feelings posters, you can write feeling words or draw quick emotions faces. I spread them out so that the students can move.

Instruct the students that they will hear a scenario, and their first job is to sit and think about how they might feel in that scenario. When they hear the magic words of "Q and Q," for quickly and quietly, they will get up and quickly and quietly move to that feeling. I emphasize that I am not saying "R and L" for running and loudly.

Students take turns sharing and explaining more about why they think they'd have that feeling for the scenario. Scenarios can be simple, vague, and be related to different group content. Regardless of the topic, we process how even though everyone had the same "experience" (scenario), people had different feelings about it and that's ok. Scenario examples could include:

Friendship or Social Skills Group: "You found out you're not invited to a friend's birthday party." (This one always brings up good dialogue!)

Changing Families Group: "You overhear your mom arguing with someone on the phone."

Self-Esteem Group: "Your classmate says that your idea is dumb."

Find more scenarios already written for you here.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #6: Feelings Charades

Play is good for the soul, and this easy group activity never disappoints. I have feelings charades cards on hand for students to choose, or they can be creative and come up with their own ideas. It's a fun way to observe students act out different emotions. A lot can be learned by how they express emotions with different body movements and gestures, or other characterizations.

Students take turns pretending, while the other students guess what they are acting out. Change this activity to meet other group topics by requesting that students act out something about families or a friendship problem. You can take it a step further by processing the charade or problem after each turn and having the group generate solutions.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #7: Beach Ball Activity

This easy group activity is also a money saver. Here's a tip: stock up on dollar beach balls when you see them in the summer and store them away for this activity. You'll see expensive thumb balls for different topics in counseling resources catalogs, but who wants to pay for those?

Write questions or statements on the beach ball related to the group topic, and pass it around to group members. When students catch the ball, whatever activity or question the right thumb touches is the one they do. Simple! If you have storage issues and don't want to have multiple beach balls, you could write numbers on the beach ball, or simply use the colors of the ball. You can jot down a list of numbered or color-coded statements.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #8: Rare Birds

This group counseling activity is a huge time saver because the only prep it requires is making sure you have paper and writing utensils in your office. Provide each student with paper and a writing utensil, and ask them to write down things or qualities that make them special or unique. Mix up all of the papers, and read the statements aloud. As a group, try and guess who that statement describes. Play up the mystery for extra laughs, e.g. "Hmmm.... could this be Gretchen?! I'm not sure if she can wiggle her ears...but maybe..." (complete with exaggerated facial expressions and tone of voice).

It's another easy group counseling activity that allows for self-reflection, building group rapport, and assessment. This is perfect for self-esteem or friendship groups, but you can also tweak it to other group topics. For example:

Changing Families Group: students can write things unique about their families.

New Student Group: students can write about favorite memories or events from their previous school.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #9: Deserted Island

You can't get much easier with this group counseling activity! It's a great assessment activity as it provides insight into student values, family dynamics, etc. You might have a stockpile of paper plates in your craft bin, or you could have students cut paper circles. If you're really pressed for time and keeping it simple, the kids can draw a circle.

Set the scene. The students have won a trip to an island! It's so exciting! But wait, for their trip, they can only bring _____ (one family member, 3 items, etc. - you decide). Students draw in who or what they're bringing and then share their islands with the group. The responses are always fascinating!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #10: Graffiti Wall

You could do this quick group activity a couple of ways. You could tape up large pieces of paper to the wall (there's something really appealing about writing on the wall), or you could use an interactive board if you are lucky enough to have one in your office. Write a statement (or multiple statements) on the sheets of paper and have the students move around & write their answers. You could generate questions or answers as a group and then process the responses. Examples might include:
"One thing that makes me angry is ______." "What I can do to solve this problem is ______." "One thing I'd change about my family is _______."
A tip: if multiple students are writing answers at the same time, make a point to know what color marker they're using, or monitor closely to see who writes what. Unfortunately, I've had some concerning statements written before, and it was a lot of work studying handwriting to determine who wrote it!

Voila! With these quick and easy group counseling activities, your counseling groups will never have to be delayed due to lack of prep (who has prep time anyway?) and you can eliminate the stress of not having resources by having these activities in your back pocket. The added bonus is that these tried and true group counseling activities are all loved by students!
Have a favorite quick and easy group counseling activity that I didn't include? Share it below! Check out another post: 10 Ways to Make Small Groups Terrific!

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10 Quick and Easy Group Counseling Activities

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Group counseling planning is a breeze with these 10 quick & easy group counseling activities. Students will love these easy to prep and engaging activities.

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This activity focuses on the skill of communication. Students will learn how to respectfully communicate with others.
1. The school counselor will begin a discussion on what communication means and will then ask group members to brainstorm ways to communicate with others in a respectful manner (ex. using soft tone, taking responsibility for their own action, etc.)
2. With a partner, students will use the Working it Out handout to practice ways to communicate feelings in a positive manner.
3. Students will choose 2 of the given scenarios then, with their partner,  identify the conflicts, and role-play the arguments and their resolutions. Students will be reminded that just solutions don't necessarily mean everyone agrees with one another.

This activity was chosen because students need to learn skills to utilize when communicating and solving problems. Some students also don't realize that it is ok to disagree with others, but they must do so in a respectful manner. Role-play is a good activity to use with middle school students.

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Opening- "Group Counseling Basketball" (5 minutes)

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Opening- "Group Counseling Basketball" (5 minutes)

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1. Students take turns shooting a basket (This can be a nerf basketball goal, trashcan, etc).
2. If a student makes a goal, they can celebrate with a dance or action chosen by the school counselor.
3. If the student misses the goal, they answer a question. (example: Can you give me one adjective that describes how you feel about missing the goal and not being to show us a dance move? (Speckled Moose Counseling, 2019)

This is a simple icebreaker that gets students moving and begins communication within the group.

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It's easy to picture: it's Monday morning and you have a list of group counseling activities and plans to print, but there's a long line at the copier. A student makes a disclosure and Child Protective Services is heading your way. A grandparent shows up at school and wants to share concerns about a student with you. Another student is crying because he misses his mom.

The thought of pushing back groups week when students depend on these consistent meetings is anxiety provoking, but your resources aren't ready. Or maybe you have time to plan, but no funding to purchase curricula or group counseling activities. Without beautiful group counseling plans and resources, what will you do? Behold, 10 quick and easy group counseling activities that students will love.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #1: Group Counseling Basketball

Now, I'm not going to lie to you. This is a crowd pleaser. Be warned that students will want to play this all the time! I have a Nerf hoop in my office, but you can use a trash can, recycle bin, storage basket... you get the idea. Students don't mind because it's so fun!

Students take turns shooting a basket. If they make it, they can celebrate with a dance or an action chosen by you. If they miss, they answer a question related to group content. Questions can be as simple or as complicated as you want. For example:

Changing Families Group: What's one thing that's special about your family?

Friendship Group: What's one problem 5th graders might have in friendships?

Grief Group: What is one thing you'd say to someone whose family member died?

As you can see, this activity is easily adaptable to any and all groups!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #2: Stand Up, Sit Down Activity

Ok, so this name leaves a lot to be desired, but it's a super quick and easy group counseling activity and kids enjoy it. Here's how it works: make a statement about anything (really, anything). If that statement is true for a student, she stands up. Students remain seated if it's not true for them. If the statement is true for everyone, so everyone is standing up, they can have a 5-second dance party.

It's amazing how much students will dance, even without music playing! I encourage students to keep a close watch for similarities between group members. This activity is fantastic to build group rapport, to assess student interests or family dynamics. Think about things you want to know about the group, and make a statement about it. Easy!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #3: Feelings Hot Potato Game

This is another quick and easy group activity that is effective and brings a lot of giggles! I use a musical hot potato, but again, you could use anything that you have handy in your office as the item to pass. In a pinch, I've used stress balls & music from my laptop. Played like traditional hot potato games, students pass the potato around the group until the music stops. Whoever is holding the potato at that point has to share. Depending on your group topic, perhaps they share a feeling word, coping skill, family memory, etc.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #4: Feelings Walk

I love to incorporate simple movement into my group activities, and this is an easy way to do it. This activity is similar to musical chairs but with a twist. I arrange the chairs in a circle (full disclosure: I usually just leave them as they are around my group table & have the kids push them out a little bit to make space to walk), and I tape feeling posters or words onto each chair.

If you don't have feelings posters readily accessible, sticky notes will do the job. Students walk around the circle while music plays (again, internet-based music to the rescue), and when it stops, they sit in the closest chair. I like to "randomly" call on students to share something related to the feeling word on the chair.

Examples might include: sharing a time they experienced that feeling, where they experienced the feeling in their body, a coping skill they could use when experiencing that feeling, etc. You get the idea. You could also adapt this activity by making the sticky note or poster reflect different group topics.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #5: Feelings Faces

If you can't tell, I love doing group activities related to feelings identification. Similar to the Feelings Walk, I use feelings posters & tape them around my room. Again, if you don't have feelings posters, you can write feeling words or draw quick emotions faces. I spread them out so that the students can move.

Instruct the students that they will hear a scenario, and their first job is to sit and think about how they might feel in that scenario. When they hear the magic words of "Q and Q," for quickly and quietly, they will get up and quickly and quietly move to that feeling. I emphasize that I am not saying "R and L" for running and loudly.

Students take turns sharing and explaining more about why they think they'd have that feeling for the scenario. Scenarios can be simple, vague, and be related to different group content. Regardless of the topic, we process how even though everyone had the same "experience" (scenario), people had different feelings about it and that's ok. Scenario examples could include:

Friendship or Social Skills Group: "You found out you're not invited to a friend's birthday party." (This one always brings up good dialogue!)

Changing Families Group: "You overhear your mom arguing with someone on the phone."

Self-Esteem Group: "Your classmate says that your idea is dumb."

Find more scenarios already written for you here.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #6: Feelings Charades

Play is good for the soul, and this easy group activity never disappoints. I have feelings charades cards on hand for students to choose, or they can be creative and come up with their own ideas. It's a fun way to observe students act out different emotions. A lot can be learned by how they express emotions with different body movements and gestures, or other characterizations.

Students take turns pretending, while the other students guess what they are acting out. Change this activity to meet other group topics by requesting that students act out something about families or a friendship problem. You can take it a step further by processing the charade or problem after each turn and having the group generate solutions.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #7: Beach Ball Activity

This easy group activity is also a money saver. Here's a tip: stock up on dollar beach balls when you see them in the summer and store them away for this activity. You'll see expensive thumb balls for different topics in counseling resources catalogs, but who wants to pay for those?

Write questions or statements on the beach ball related to the group topic, and pass it around to group members. When students catch the ball, whatever activity or question the right thumb touches is the one they do. Simple! If you have storage issues and don't want to have multiple beach balls, you could write numbers on the beach ball, or simply use the colors of the ball. You can jot down a list of numbered or color-coded statements.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #8: Rare Birds

This group counseling activity is a huge time saver because the only prep it requires is making sure you have paper and writing utensils in your office. Provide each student with paper and a writing utensil, and ask them to write down things or qualities that make them special or unique. Mix up all of the papers, and read the statements aloud. As a group, try and guess who that statement describes. Play up the mystery for extra laughs, e.g. "Hmmm.... could this be Gretchen?! I'm not sure if she can wiggle her ears...but maybe..." (complete with exaggerated facial expressions and tone of voice).

It's another easy group counseling activity that allows for self-reflection, building group rapport, and assessment. This is perfect for self-esteem or friendship groups, but you can also tweak it to other group topics. For example:

Changing Families Group: students can write things unique about their families.

New Student Group: students can write about favorite memories or events from their previous school.

Easy Group Counseling Activity #9: Deserted Island

You can't get much easier with this group counseling activity! It's a great assessment activity as it provides insight into student values, family dynamics, etc. You might have a stockpile of paper plates in your craft bin, or you could have students cut paper circles. If you're really pressed for time and keeping it simple, the kids can draw a circle.

Set the scene. The students have won a trip to an island! It's so exciting! But wait, for their trip, they can only bring _____ (one family member, 3 items, etc. - you decide). Students draw in who or what they're bringing and then share their islands with the group. The responses are always fascinating!

Easy Group Counseling Activity #10: Graffiti Wall

You could do this quick group activity a couple of ways. You could tape up large pieces of paper to the wall (there's something really appealing about writing on the wall), or you could use an interactive board if you are lucky enough to have one in your office. Write a statement (or multiple statements) on the sheets of paper and have the students move around & write their answers. You could generate questions or answers as a group and then process the responses. Examples might include:
"One thing that makes me angry is ______." "What I can do to solve this problem is ______." "One thing I'd change about my family is _______."
A tip: if multiple students are writing answers at the same time, make a point to know what color marker they're using, or monitor closely to see who writes what. Unfortunately, I've had some concerning statements written before, and it was a lot of work studying handwriting to determine who wrote it!

Voila! With these quick and easy group counseling activities, your counseling groups will never have to be delayed due to lack of prep (who has prep time anyway?) and you can eliminate the stress of not having resources by having these activities in your back pocket. The added bonus is that these tried and true group counseling activities are all loved by students!
Have a favorite quick and easy group counseling activity that I didn't include? Share it below! Check out another post: 10 Ways to Make Small Groups Terrific!

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10 Quick and Easy Group Counseling Activities

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Group counseling planning is a breeze with these 10 quick & easy group counseling activities. Students will love these easy to prep and engaging activities.

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Activity- "What Can I Control? Making Good Choices" (20 minutes)

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Activity- "What Can I Control? Making Good Choices" (20 minutes)

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1- Students begin by tracing their hands onto a piece of paper.
2- On the inside of the hand, write, “In my control.” On the outside of the hand outline, write, “Out of my control.”
3- Students will write or draw the things that are in their control on the inside of the hand. They could write things like: my behavior, my thoughts, the words I choose to say, the words I choose to keep to myself, the way I react to others, etc. On the outside of the hand, students will write things that are not in their control. These could be things like: my parent’s job, my parents’ divorce, the weather, my teacher’s voice, the lunch my peer brings to school, etc. (See the video below for an example)

Discussion:

The hand is an important visual reminder of control. Explain to students that if something is in their hands, they are in control of it. For a concrete example, if they are holding a wadded up candy wrapper in their hand, they are in control of the wrapper. They can choose to hold the wrapper, roll it in their hands, toss it in the trash can, throw it at someone (hopefully not!), etc. If something is not in their hand, they’re not in control of it. If the candy wrapper is on a table across the room, they cannot control what happens with the candy wrapper.

If students are able to further conceptualize this, the school counselor will lead them through a visualization in which the things they want to control that are actually out of their control are falling through their fingers. For example, if you have student whose father is getting ready to go on a military deployment, the student can create a visual representation of the deployment (perhaps a ship leaving the port). The student could visualize the ship passing through her fingers. Help the student to create a narrative: “I cannot control my dad’s deployment. I cannot control when he leaves or when he returns. I CAN control my actions. I can choose to write letters to him. I can choose to notice things that make me happy each day. I can control my actions.”

Let students know that trying to hold on to something tightly in their hands that is truly outside of their control can leave them feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. It’s hard to hold on to something that we have no control over! Visualizing themselves opening their grasp and releasing whatever that thing is can be a powerful way to relinquish that tension and focus on the things “at hand” or the things that are truly within their control (Counselor Keri).

*This activity was chosen because some students fail to realize that conflicts occur become students are focused on others and things that are out of their own control. If students can learn how to focus on what they can control, then they will be better prepared to make good choices to avoid conflicts.

*This activity focuses on aspects that a person can and cannot control. Once students have a visual representation that some things are out of their control, they will be more likely to understand they can't control everything and they must make choices regarding things that are in their control.

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In My Control School Counseling Activity

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During this portion of the session, students will discuss what they have learned about making good choices based on what is in their control and what cannot be controlled. Students will also be able to ask questions that they may have. At this point in the session, the school counselor may choose to redirect any questions towards other students or use the questions to link to other students and/or topics that were discussed during the session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). This portion will be determined based on the discussion and questions that are posed to the school counselor.

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Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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According to Sink, Edwards, and Eppler (2012), the end of the session should not be rushed and members of the group are often asked to reflect on what has been learned in group and goals for next session.

The school counselor will explain to group members that the next session will be the last session and they will now participate in an activity that reviews what they have learned in this group since it started.

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What Stuck With You?

school counselor needs a large piece of paper and to write "What Stuck with You?" on the top.

The students will each be given 5 post-it notes

write what has stuck with them about conflict resolution such as strategies, coping skills for intense emotions, problem solving skills, or anything else that students have learned.

Students will be given 3 minutes to write something down

After the students have stuck their ideas on the paper the school counselor will read through all of them and allow students to comment or ask brief questions.

School counselor can briefly go over skills and strategies for conflict to help solidify what group members have been learning throughout the 8 weeks.

*This activity is beneficial as it gets closer to the end of the counseling sessions. This activity can help indicate how well the group members understand conflict resolution and what else they are taking away from the group. At this time the school counselor can also address any questions the students may have. This activity will help ease students into the closing of the group.*

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College Awareness, College Prep Bingo, College Spotlight, I have a plan

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What to Consider with Middle School Students

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What to Consider with Middle School Students

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Since middle school students may be shy or have anxiety about sharing their answers, the school counselor can have the students bring him/her post it note to the counselor and the counselor will stick it to the piece of paper, to maintain discretion.

According to Sink, Edwards, and Eppler (2012), middle school students struggle with existential questions such as "Who am I? What will I become?"

Understand students may have high levels of anxiety because they are going through many transitions: elementary school to middle school and middle school to elementary school

Developmental tasks that middle school students are dealing with are: gender identification, friendship/ social skills, increased recognition of opinions of others, and development of morals.

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School counselor will briefly go over the goals for the final session next week.

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1. Prior to the group session, the school counselor will place the slips with the blaming
phrases in the bowl or basket.
2. Have the students sit in a circle or around a table.
3. Prior to beginning the activity, begin a discussion about blaming. Ask the students
to give examples of how easy it is to blame other people for our
mistakes.
4. Talk about the statement “It’s not my fault!” Ask the students about the last time they said it.
5. Pass the basket or bowl to each student and instruct him or her to close his or her
eyes and pick out one of the phrases.
6. Have each student read aloud the blaming statement that was  selected and instruct the group to discuss briefly how this statement can be used to avoid responsibility and how it can result in relationship
problems.
7. After each student has had a turn, give the instructions for

The Blame Game:
In this game, a small ball will passed around the circle. As soon
as someone receives the ball, she has 10 seconds in which to use
a blaming statement. If a student repeats a statement that was previously used in the game or takes longer than 10 seconds, the student must take part in a  “confessional,” in which the student has to talk about one of the following:
-a time that blaming caused him or her difficulties,
-ways to prevent blaming, or problems that can result from blaming.

When the student is finished, the game resumes by having the student pass the ball to the next person.
8. Continue until group time is up.

CLOSING QUESTIONS
❀ What makes it difficult to accept responsibility for your actions?
❀ What feelings do people avoid when they constantly blame other
people for their actions?
❀ How will you use what you have learned today in the future?

This activity was chosen because middle school students have a hard to taking responsibility and ownership for his or her actions. Building these responsibility skills will help students avoid conflict.

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Create beautiful designs with your team. Use Canva's drag-and-drop feature and layouts to design, share and print business cards, logos, presentations and more.

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Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

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During this portion of the session, students will discuss what they have learned about taking responsibility for their actions. Students will also be able to ask questions that they may have. At this point in the session, the school counselor may choose to redirect any questions towards other students or use the questions to link to other students and/or topics that were discussed during the session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). This portion will be determined based on the discussion and questions that are posed to the school counselor.

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Have each group member give the person to their left a compliment.

Ask the students to try and have the compliments not address their group member's appearance.

School counselor should discuss how nice it is to see everyone being so open and kind with one another and say they have really grown since the first session.

*This quick activity was not found on a website but I saw the school counselor at my school use it in a classroom lesson I observed. I also observed a teacher doing this quick activity as well to start her class' day. When the school counselor and teacher both used this idea it seemed to help the students learn to appreciate the little things in their peers. Giving each other compliments put all the students in a really good mood and started the day off on a positive note with everyone happy and feeling good about themselves. I think this would be a good, positive, activity for the last session.*

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A discussion about the previous 7 weeks will take place next.

Members are encouraged to discuss any changes they notice in their behavior or thinking when they are faced with a conflict (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2018)

Members can talk with their partner next to them for 3 minutes and then we will come together as a group.

School counselor will invite anyone who is willing to share how they have noticed change in their behavior or thinking and if they can, to give an example.

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password: walden

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The group will deal with feelings of separation, identify unfinished business, identify strategies for coping with conflict, and discuss who will be a supportive network for each individual (Corey,Corey, & Corey, 2018).

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Supplies needed: paint, paint brushes, water cups, long roll of paper (laid on ground)
School counselor will give each student a separate scenario or a conflict from the list shown below. I added the part of painting to this activity I found online because I think the students would be more engaged with the activity is they are painting instead of just talking.
*This activity will allow each student to practice their skills and implementing strategies in a fun creative way using paint. In the last session it is important to review what students learned. This activity allows students to be creative and show what they have learned in the group. Students may think to solve conflicts differently than one another so it is important to talk about why a student would solve a problem a specific way and explain their thinking to everyone.*

Each student will read their scenario to themselves and figure out how they would resolve this conflict.

Once student has an idea in their head of how to solve the conflict, the student will paint their solution somewhere on the long white paper.

Every student will paint their solution on the paper.

After everyone has finished painting, each student will discuss their scenario and why they chose to resolve the conflict in the specific way they drew.

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This video explains conflict and gives insight into why conflict occurs and what to do when conflicts happen.

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Middle School is a time filled with many emotions and drama. Students at this age are pre-teens with a lot of physical, emotional and psychological changes. This is a awkward phase for some middle school students. Some students go  unnoticed during middle school while others seek attention that develops in behavorial problems. Some students may feel anxiety in the transition from elementary to middle school and then from middle school to high school. (Sink, Edwards & Eppler, 2012).

(www.google.com)

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What is Conflict?Conflict can be defined as a disagreement between two or more people.

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What is Conflict?Conflict can be defined as a disagreement between two or more people.

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Conflict is a normal part of life-two people can't agree on everything all the time.
Conflict isn't always negative-there can be positive results.
It is our reaction to conflict that can create problems.
It is important to resolve conflicts in a positive way.

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In the last ten minutes of the session the school counselor will tell everyone that their group is coming to an end. The school counselor will allow any closing questions or comments by the students and then state how proud he/she is of all of them. School counselor will list one positive thing about each group that the school counselor noticed in their group sessions.

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Opening Session (10 - 15 mins) Group Introduction

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Opening Session (10 - 15 mins) Group Introduction

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Explain purpose of the group

Facilitator and members are introduced to each other

Discuss rules of groups with emphasis on confidentiality

Explore group members attitudes towards conflict.

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*In My Control School Counseling Activity. YouTube, 6 Oct. 2017, youtu.be/nxacynVqWd8.

This video gives an example of creating a hand containing what a person can and can't control. Once students have a visual then they will be more likely to understand they can't control everything and they must make choices regarding things that are in their control.

*Kid President Is Over It! (2016, September 08). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ghk-nDJB3Tk

This video gives examples of things that kids or people in general may disagree on. This is a good visual for students to realize that it is ok for to disagree with others as long as they do so in a respectful manner

*BrainPOP. (2017, August 23). CONFLICT RESOLUTION. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EABFilCZJy8

This video explains conflict and gives insight into why conflict occurs and what to do when conflicts happen.

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During this portion of the session, students will discuss what they have learned about communicating in respectful and positive ways. Students will also be able to ask any questions that they may have. At this point in the session, the school counselor may choose to redirect the question towards other students or use the questions to link to other students and/or topics that were discussed during the session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). This portion will be determined based on the discussion and questions that are posed to the school counselor.

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The last 5-10 minutes of the session will focus on student reflection. Students will be asked to reflect back to what they learned as well as to set goals for the next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will be reminded that there are 3 remaining sessions in in this group and to keep this in mind when setting their goals. In preparation for transitions back to class, students will share one thing they learned in today's session or one thing that they would like to accomplish at our next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will also be asked to say one positive thing they are looking forward to during the rest of the school day.
(The school counselor must always keep assess each student student as they transition back to their regular classes. This may mean that a student may be in need of individual attention to any unresolved issues (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012)

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The last 5-10 minutes of the session will focus on student reflection. Students will be asked to reflect back to what they learned as well as to set goals for the next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will be reminded that there are 2 remaining sessions in in this group and to keep this in mind when setting their goals. In preparation for transitions back to class, students will share one thing they learned in today's session or one thing that they would like to accomplish at our next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will also be asked to say one positive thing they are looking forward to during the rest of the school day.
(The school counselor must always keep assess each student student as they transition back to their regular classes. This may mean that a student may be in need of individual attention to any unresolved issues (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012)

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The last 5-10 minutes of the session will focus on student reflection. Students will be asked to reflect back to what they learned as well as to set goals for the next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will be reminded that there are 4 remaining sessions in in this group and to keep this in mind when setting their goals. In preparation for transitions back to class, students will share one thing they learned in today's session or one thing that they would like to accomplish at our next session (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students will also be asked to say one positive thing they are looking forward to during the rest of the school day.
(The school counselor must always keep assess each student student as they transition back to their regular classes. This may mean that a student may be in need of individual attention to any unresolved issues (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012)

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Ice Breaker Activity
This allows the students to be up and mobile. When used with music this can be a fun and entertaining way to get to know the students in the group. This will also set the tone that a group experience might be fun.

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Dicuss what students learned from the opening up to this point. Discuss the impact of the ice breaker activity and discuss comfort levels.

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Discuss goals for next session, give students opportunity to ask questions, remind students of next meeting date and time.

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What to consider with middle school students: 

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What to consider with middle school students: 

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Students in middle school are significantly influenced by their peers (Sink, Edwards, and Eppler, 2012). Students do not realize that it is ok to be different and be their own person. Failing to realize that each person can have his or her own opinion is ok. Students at this age want to believe and do everything like their peers but they fail to realize that this can create conflict. It is important to remember that students may be choosing to "like" one thing simply because their peers "like" it.

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Teaching Conflict Resolution Skills to Middle and High School Students Through Interactive Drama and Role Play.

This article discusses the Win-Win resolutions program. This program teaches strategies for self-control and anger coping, self-management of feelings, and interpersonal problemsolving.
Graves, K. N. 1. kngrave3 @uncg. ed., Frabutt, J. M. 2. mfrabut@uncg. ed., & Vigliano, D. debra@winwinresolutions. or. (2007). Teaching Conflict Resolution Skills to Middle and High School Students Through Interactive Drama and Role Play. Journal of School Violence, 6(4), 57–79. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1300/J202v06n04_04

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What to consider with middle school students: 

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What to consider with middle school students: 

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Students at this stage have a hard time owning their actions. Some middle school students choose to blame others rather than take ownership for their own wrong doings. This in turn creates conflict.

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Welcome members back to the group session ask for any question before getting started.

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This activity involves the group members getting a hand full of M & M candy. For every color you grab you can tell the group one thing that makes you angry? How do you breathe when you are angry? How do you calm down? Say one thing that makes you excited?, Say one poor choice the student made when they were sad and one good choice they made when they were mad.
www.google.com

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Discuss situations that make them angry and how they react

Reflect on how they react the way they do

Identify what gets them angry

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Begin to wrap up session

Have members reflect what they have learned

Set goals for next meeting

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What to consider with middle school students:

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What to consider with middle school students:

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Middle school students may have a hard time understanding what is really in their control and what is not. Students at this age don't always know who they are and are at an awkward stage of development. Students may choose to be silly and unrealistic when it comes to what they can and can't control along with choices that should be made (Sink, Edward, and Eppler, 2012).

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Peer Reviewed Article        The Impact of Conflict Resolution Training on Middle School Students

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Peer Reviewed Article        The Impact of Conflict Resolution Training on Middle School Students

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This article discusses training that was given to students 5th-8th grade about handling conflict resolution. This experiment was conducted by four graduate students. The students were asked to write a essay and were given some scenarios such as a conflict dealing with taking turns at the computer and a conflict with a classmate who had broken trust by revealing confidential information to others.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., Dudley, B., Mitchell, J., & Fredrickson, J. (1997). The Impact of Conflict Resolution Training on Middle School Students. Journal of Social Psychology, 137(1), 11–21. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/00224549709595409

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Opening (5-10 mins)-Avoiding Conflict and Violence

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Opening (5-10 mins)-Avoiding Conflict and Violence

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Discuss last session,answer any questions, check in to see if techniques are working.

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As students play, they are asked to answer questions that will help them learn about how they handle conflict, the benefits of resolving conflicts peacefully, and skills for mediation.
teacherspayteachers.com

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What to Consider with Middle School Students in the Last Session

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What to Consider with Middle School Students in the Last Session

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It is important to remember that students in middle school often care a lot about the opinions their peers have on them. It may be important to address that students do not need to try and fit into certain peer groups (Akos, Hamm, Mack, & Dunaway (2007).

It is also important to remember that in early adolescence students are able to think more abstractly, so school counselor should be prepared to answer these types of questions (PREA Resource Center).

Middle school students can experience moodiness often (PREA Resource Center).

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Discuss does conflict helps us grow

Discuss is the silent treatment an effective way to resolve a conflict

Discuss the importance or working together

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Have students tell what they learned in the session

Ask if the group counseling sessions have been meaningful and in what way

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What to consider with middle school students

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What to consider with middle school students

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During the first initial session middle school students may be shy and uncomfortable talking around their peers. It is the the facilitators job to provide an environment where the students feel safe and are assured that what they say will stay in the room.

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What to consider with middle school students

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What to consider with middle school students

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Some group members may still hesitate to participate in the group.You may find students who are being reserved. It is important for the facilitator to reassure the students and allow them to express themselves in their own way.

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What to consider with middle school students

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What to consider with middle school students

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Young people often have a difficult time recognizing conflict before it evolves into verbal abuse or bullying. The facilitator gives students the tools to effectively communicate with an opponent and also the motivation to empathize with each other.

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This video depicts a student who is getting bullied by another student. The student becomes proactive and goes to an adult for advice. This is the beginning stages of how conflict begins.
www.youtube.com

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Bullying, Drama, Conflict Resolution Education for Middle School

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Akos, P., Hamm, J., Mack, S., & Dunaway, M. (2007). Utilizing the Developmental Influence of Peers in Middle School Groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 32(1), 51–60. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/01933920600977648

This resource looks at adolescents and the influences peers have on them in school. This resource found that students are more likely to be drawn to peers at the same academic level and who have the same interests.

Counselor Keri (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.counselorkeri.com/2017/10/06/what-can-i-control-a-simple-visual-activity-for-school-counseling/

Counselor Keri's website has many great activities that school counselors can utilize. This particular activity focuses on helping student realize what they can and can't control. Once students realize this they will make better choices and potentially avoid conflict.

Lunch Bunch Game (School Counseling from A-Z). (2014). Retrieved from https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/school-counseling-from-a-z-4804807/lunch-bunch-game-2802242145

This resource is a blog providing school counselors with an activity to get students talking and communicating. This activity can be utilized at the beginning of a session or as an activity if time is limited.

PREA Resource Center. (n.d.). Stages of Adolescent Development. Retrieved from https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/sites/.../6._stages_of_adolescent_development.pdf

This resource gave a chart of developmental stages from early adolescence to late adolescence and looked at the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional areas of development.

Speckled moose counseling. (2019). 10 Quick and Easy Group Counseling Activities. Retrieved from https://confidentcounselors.com/2019/01/30/10-quick-and-easy-group-counseling-activities/

This resource provides quick and easy activities that can be utilized at the beginning of the session or can be manipulated to work as an activity in the session.