Every child deserves an opportunity to explore their creativity and grow and individuals. Through a vision board project, you can touch every aspect of a child's life. One thing to note is that when creating these boards with kids, try to be less formal. Let their creativity flow freely by letting them sit on the floor while creating their boards. Here's how to go about creating a vision board.
What is needed
You'll need cardboard, a presentation board, magazines, colorful paper, glue/sellotape, and scissors.
Brainstorming
You want the vision board to reflect your students' aspirations. Typically, there is a gratitude board teaching them gratitude and a health board emphasizing healthy habits, but in this activity, you want the children to say what they want to achieve and who they want to be in the future. You can get them to talk about their favorite superhero. Why do they like them? Ask them what they would do if they had superpowers. This will open up their minds to more exciting ideas.
Age-appropriates & Colorful shapes
When selecting magazines, ensure the images and words are appropriate for your students' age. Don't use quotes and complex pictures for preschoolers, such as office spaces, as they might need help understanding their meaning. Instead, use bright, colorful, simple cartoonish pictures. Add visual interests such as stars and shapes to the board & remind the kids of the beauty of their dreams.
Cardboard
The first thing that you need is a strong base for the vision board. This is where cardboard or presentation boards come in handy, as they provide a sturdy surface for all the elements to be attached to. You can get some of these at local dollar stores or craft shops. Alternatively, you can recycle old boxes you might have lying around.
Incorporate images
Cut out pictures from an old magazine showing what our students want to achieve. It depends on what they aspire to accomplish through a career or personal life. Magazines are an excellent resource for finding good images that represent their goals. For learners interested in cartoon characters, add at least a few of them to their vision board. Sellotape will be used to attach the images onto the board. A side note: Online can also be a good picture source if you can access a printer. Please print out the photos and trim them out.
Assisting the children through the process
Once all the above have been gathered or ensured, it is time for the children to explore their creativity and place the images on their vision boards. This process will be seamless as the pictures shall already have been gathered. All they need is to pick the images that resonate with them. Demonstrate with one example how each image should be placed on the board, then give them a chance to do the same. Allocate pieces of sellotape through each child to add the photos to their vision boards. As for the arrangement of the pictures, let it be entirely up to the children.
After finishing their vision boards, encourage your kids to look at each other's creations. It's a great way to appreciate and celebrate their creativity together. Display the boards in a prominent place where they can be seen daily. It helps to keep each child motivated to achieve their goals.
References:
Specialed Resources. (n.a). Retrieved from: https://specialedresource.com/benefits-to-creating-a-vision-board-for-kids