Popsicle Surprise Group Activity

Therapeutic Popsicle Surprise (School Edition)

Design:

This activity is designed to be utilized in a school setting. It is best used with small groups of 4-6 students. It can be used as an icebreaker to get to know the group/individual. This activity can be custom designed for any group you are having. It can be tailored for any child/adolescent/teen ages 5 – 19. Each set of popsicles has questions on the back of the popsicles. The questions can be tailored to the appropriate age of the clients and group type.  For example: if you are facilitating a group on anxiety, self-esteem, social skills, healthy dating, life skills, depression, LGBTQ etc you just pick the edition envelope with the questions you desire. There is also an icebreaker edition you can do at the first session of any group.

School Social Work Model:

This item of interest meets the School Social Work model under the practice feature of “Promoting a school climate conducive to student learning and teaching excellence.” This is done by school social workers promoting a psycho-social environment that fosters academic engagement and achievement. This practice is implemented by the school social worker building supportive relationships within and between students and facilitating engagement between students such as small groups. (sswaa.org)

Objective:

The objective of this group activity is to increase open discussion about specific topics and concerns students are having. The goal is to have the students gain trust, knowledge, support, and awareness surrounding the topic and start open dialogue.  

Rules:

Explain to the group that they are at a hypothetical “Ice cream Social” and everyone is there to get to know each other better. Walk around the group and have everyone pick an ice cream/popsicle from the Popsicle Surprise box. Instruct them to lay it on their lap or table and not to flip it over yet. Once everyone has their popsicle ask for volunteers first to flip it over and read their question out loud and answer it (if they wish). If no volunteers just start cold calling on them.

Below are some sample questions from the icebreaker edition:  

1.     What was the happiest memory from your childhood?

2.     What was the saddest memory from your childhood?

3.     Tell the group a joke.

4.     What is something your mother or dad does/did that makes you angry?

5.     Tell the group three things you’d like to change about yourself?

6.     Tell the group three things you like about yourself?

7.     When you feel sad what do you do to feel happy again?

8.     Tell the group three things you worry about?

9.     Make a silly face to the person on your right.

10.  Tell the group one thing you like and one thing you dislike about school and why?

Below is are sample pictures of the Popsicle Surprise box:

          

created by Evette Robinson - Dominican University GSSW