104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, ... Self-Discovery, and Coping Skills Kindle Edition

I love this book! I'm an OT and work n a mental health facility with children ranging from 5-18 years old. I'm responsible for running 4 groups a day and was beginning to get bored with my groups. This book has been a life saver and has provided me with so many great group ideas! I have been able to modify most activities to work for all ages depending on who I'm working with. The book is organized very nicely; they split it into what the main target of each activity is geared towards (such as self-esteem, teamwork, etc.) My favorite part of the book is that included with each activity is a list of questions you can use to process with the group at the end which has been a life saver! This book is such an easy read and very easy to follow and it's packed full of wonderful ideas. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

I'm am a Recreation Therapist at a behavioral health hospital and I use this book for a variety of activities. Very good for all the uses that are in the title: self-esteem, teamwork, communication, anger, and coping skills. However, while the book provides these great activities it doesn't supply the needed debriefing properties that are key for my line of work. Over all very good.

Alanna Jones is a certified recreational therapist who has compiled an interesting set of 104 games and activities that social workers, recreational therapists, and some educators and school counselors (in substantially separate classrooms for behavior/emotional disorders) can use. The book is organized into activities that build (1) teamwork, (2) self-esteem, (3) communication, (4) self-discovery, (5) anger management, and (6) coping skills. Almost all activities are designed for elementary school aged children, but Ms. Jones, under each activity, presents variations--either in the activity itself or in the intended age group.The crucial part of using these activities occurs after the activity is done. This is the "debriefing" part of the activity. It is absolutely necessary to do this debriefing in order that the youngster(s) arrive at some understanding of the activity just completed, and its possible meaning to them. It is assumed that the reader is comfortable with this type of debriefing, and has the skills to intercede in case the activity or debriefing are going south.The things I liked about this book are: (1) Ms. Jones' energy and positive thinking about youngsters and her desire to provide them with challenging and thoughtful moments; (2) She explains each activity or game fully, provides lists of materials needed, gives some advice on structuring the activity; (3) This is therapy "in action," so it attracts the interest and energy of the youngsters.I had two small questions about some of this book: (1) Self-esteem comes from accomplishing something, and I thought self-esteem activities were the weakest section of the book; and (2) In regard to anger management, these activities must be regarded as an adjunct, not the central core, of an anger management therapy program. When readers have a good therapeutic anger management therapy program at their facility (in their classroom), Ms. Jones' activities can help.I was impressed by Ms. Jones' selection and believe it will help counselors, therapists, coaches, and recreational therapists.

I love that it’s broken up into sections with the number of people range. I’ve used a few of these activities already!

I bought this with the hope of finding experiential exercises to provide an alternative to talking-only groups. I work with an adolescent population and have used many of these activities with them. My clients enjoy the exercises. Most of the exercises would also be appropriate for an adult population, and many of them could be adapted for elementary-age children. Anyone who conducts groups on a regular basis will find this manual to be a helpful addition to his or her library.

I love this book for groups. I have found it to have a lot of fun activities, especially for teens. I have also used it with adults with severe mental illness, and children. I think many therapists, group leaders, and even youth groups will find this book an asset to their collection of group activities. It also fits many populations and the activities are versatile. I use it over and over again.

Excellent book! It is full of easy and very creative ideas that will meet the needs of almost every student. The best part is the activities and projects cost almost nothing. The necessary supplies are items that are already in your classroom.I highly recommend this book.

Overall this is a really good book- I work with kids from the ages of 3 to 12 and needed some fresh ideas. I was somewhat disappointed however, because the cover has drawings of kids who are too young to enjoy this book. It is definitely geared toward 10 and up, and many of the activities would be appropriate for teens or adults. I am sure I'll still use it, but it is not as useful as I hoped for the age indicated on the cover.