Campfire Stories is a light-hearted story telling game. It is intended to help children work on communication skills, think through difficult situations, and to verbalize their thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way. It also provides opportunity to express deeper issues of the heart, insecurities, and fears. It can also provide a narrative approach to addressing these issues. This game is ideal for children who have experienced trauma and need a way to process it in a non-confrontational way.
There are eight categories of cards, each focusing on a different challenge for kids to process:
Safe and Sound - What are some things and who are people that make you feel safe? These cards help children identify safety needs and comforts to bring peace.
Intruder - Children who have a history of trauma tend to be more guarded and struggle with trust issues. The "Intruder" cards help them give voice to some of these issues and help them become more aware of their self-talk and underlying beliefs.
Stinky Situation - Bad things happen. How people process these difficulties determine their emotional state. Some of these responses may be funny and light-hearted, but sometimes they may choose to go deep and work through issues that need to be addressed. Always be aware of themes in storytelling - stories allow processing trauma or deep emotional issues without blatantly saying it.
Light the Way - Kids need some direction at times to dig deep and find their way toward healing. These cards are written to challenge kids to consider how to get back on track, how to problem solve, and how to be resilient during hard times. It is all about rising above the challenges of life and finding the umph to push through.
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Something Sweet - It is important to reflect back on the good things in life. When we always focus on the negative, we feel heavy and upset. These cards help kids celebrate the good things in life.
Survival Skills - Kids with high anxiety and kids with a trauma history tend to ruminate on safety issues. Creating a safety plan can help them feel safe and can relieve the mental burden. These cards allow them to give voice to the concerns and come up with ideas to address the problems so there is no need to continue to ruminate. When intrusive thoughts come back, they can tell themselves they have a plan and redirect thoughts.
On the Lookout - These are more cards about how the children process dangers, pay attention to cues to help the stay on track, and how they manage emotions when they are off course. These cards include watching for danger, managing being lost, and seeking out things that can benefit them.
Necesseties - What are the most important belongings to the child? What do they view as tools for success? These questions will challenge them to consider how tools can help them get through hard times. You can use the metaphor to help them identify how coping skills and communication skills can help them with emotional storms.
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