This week is really hot in my area but I decided that we needed to get out and do this activity with summer vacation forcing me to practice more patience with my kids and them with one another.
This activity is simple but powerful and led to really great conversations between us as parents and our children.
Forgiving someone (or ourselves) doesn’t mean that what happened was okay and it doesn’t always make problems go away. But by trying to give forgiveness, we receive peace and can feel better.
- Purchase/fill balloons with helium
- Paper (optional)
- Pens (optional)
- Ribbon/String (optional)
- Holepunch (optional)
- Permanent marker (optional)
On strips of paper, have each person participating write or draw something that they need to forgive OR give permanent markers and write or draw right on the balloons. One of my kids used…”My friend said that he didn’t like me anymore.” My 6-year-old… ” My brother called me a name that hurt my feelings.”
After everyone is done with the paper, holepunch (or roll up) them, and tie them to a balloon.
Go outside and each take turns letting go of the balloons and talk about how it represents letting our feelings go with it.
Things to try when others have hurt us and we don’t feel that we can forgive them
- Think about why the other person might have done what they did.
- Think about something good about the other person
- Do something kind for the other person
- Upset at yourself? Don’t forget to forgive yourself
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