Activities · «Sadness and Love»

Crossing the bridge with support

You don't have to cross it alone.

What is it for?

When we live through a loss or a difficult change, we can feel far from feeling better. This activity helps the child express how they feel now, imagine how they would like to feel and what their life could be like later on, and recognise the people who can accompany them along the way.

How to do it

At the start of the bridge, draw or write how you feel now and which things are proving difficult.

On the other side, draw or write how you would like to feel in time and which lovely things you would like to enjoy again. You don't need to know when it will happen or have all the answers.

On the bridge, write or draw the people you would like to walk with you on this path. You can turn to them when you need to, whether you don't yet feel ready to cross the bridge or you are taking your first steps.

Even if you don't feel ready to move forward now, you can ask for help. You don't have to walk the bridge alone or do it all at once.

What can the child experience or learn?

They can recognise their emotions, imagine possibilities for the future and discover that there are people they can turn to when things get hard.

They can also understand that grief takes time and that moving forward does not mean forgetting. Little by little, painful memories can live alongside lovely ones, and new ways of enjoying life and of being grateful for what was lived can appear.

You don't have to cross the whole bridge today. You can move forward little by little, at your own pace and accompanied by the people who love you.

The child doesn't have to be ready to take steps before asking for support. Keeping company can also mean listening, staying close and respecting their pace.

Carry on with another activity

• The treasure chest
• Turn your whirlwind into harmony
• The emotional swing
• The trunk of calm
• Cloud and sun
• Grandma's little blanket
• What I would like to tell you