youthspeakoutint.orgCreate a Life’s Purpose Collage
A sense of purpose can help children and teens feel more optimistic about the future and believe in themselves when faced with challenges. What exactly is purpose? Purpose involves far-reaching goals that could benefit not just oneself but others as well. Meeting a life challenge, mastering a skill, building something big, or finishing a project can all contribute to a sense of purpose. In this activity, you and your child will strengthen your sense of purpose by creating a collage of words and images that capture your vision for the future.
Begin by choosing the appropriate grade level for the child or children in your family:
What You Will Need
- Blank paper (thick paper, such as cardstock or construction paper, works best)
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Magazines
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Parents (or grandparents or guardians), write down 5 to 10 words or phrases that describe what you and your children want to achieve in the next six months. Think about goals that are meaningful to you or your children. What goals give you or your children a sense of hope for the future?
Here are some examples: happy moments, family time, keep my cool - Cut out words and images from magazines that represent the words you wrote down. Parents, you can help your children cut out words and images or give them some cut-out pieces to get them started.
- Create your collage by gluing or taping your images and words onto the blank paper.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you create your Life’s Purpose Collage:
- What does your collage mean to you?
- How does it feel to think about the future? Can you name your emotions?
- Do you believe you can make your goals come true? If not, what do you think you need to create the future you want? What can your family do to help?
What You Will Need
- Blank paper (thick paper, such as cardstock or construction paper, works best)
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Magazines
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Write down 5 to 10 words or phrases that describe what you want to achieve in the next year. Think about goals that are meaningful to you. What goals give you a sense of hope for the future?
Here are some examples: do my best, learn piano, be kind, help my family, make someone smile - Cut out words and images from magazines that represent the words you wrote down. These can be different than the words you wrote down in step one. For example, if you wrote “do my best” in step one, you might find the words “WIN” or “patience” in a magazine. These might represent how you feel about doing your best.
- Create your collage by gluing or taping your images and words onto the blank paper.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you create your Life’s Purpose Collage:
- What does your collage mean to you?
- How does it feel to think about the future? Can you name your emotions?
- Do you believe you can make your goals come true? If not, what do you think you need to create the future you want? What can your family do to help?
What You Will Need
- Blank paper (thick paper, such as cardstock or construction paper, works best)
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Magazines
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Write down 5 to 10 words or phrases that describe what you want to achieve in your future. Think about goals that are meaningful to you. What goals give you a sense of hope for the future?
Here are some examples: confidence, kindness, math skills - Cut out words and images from magazines that represent the words you wrote down. These can be different than the words you wrote down in step one. For example, if you wrote “math skills” for step one, you might find the word “AWESOME” in a magazine and cut it out, because that’s how you’d feel if you did your best in math.
- Create your collage by gluing or taping your images and words onto the blank paper.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you create your Life’s Purpose Collage:
- What does your collage mean to you?
- How does it feel to think about the future? Can you name your emotions?
- Do you believe you can make your goals come true? If not, what do you think you need to create the future you want? What can your family do to help?
After each person has completed their collage, take a photo of each collage with a mobile phone or tablet. You can share your collage with us by uploading it here.
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