How to Make a Dream Board For Your Young Children
A dream board can also be called a goal board or a vision board. It is an excellent, creative way for a child to illustrate what he wants in his life. Even a young child can find fun and benefit in this activity. A dream board is a personal collection of an individual's desires, hopes and dreams. No restrictions are placed on the images or words displayed on the board. A dream board will help give a child focus and direction in life and provide a tool for dealing with obstacles and low self esteem.
Things You'll Need
- Large piece of poster board
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Colorful markers
- Stack of magazines that child can cut up
- Photos of family and child
- Other personal items that can be included are old toys or broken pieces from favorite things
- Construction paper
- Double-stick tape
Instructions
-
-
1
Depending on the age of the child it is always a good idea to talk about the project in advance a little. Before a child can identify their dreams and goals - talk about the difference between a goal and a wish. Do not discourage incredible dreams!
-
2
Have the child make a large circle in the middle of a piece of poster board. For about five minutes have them fill the circle with their personal goals. Tell the child to say "I want or My dream is..." if they need help getting started. If they are too young to write you can do this for them as they brainstorm aloud. You can write these directly onto the board or use colored construction paper circles and attach with brads if you'd like to change it regularly.
-
-
3
After the main large circle is finished and filled, look for pictures that represent this goal in magazines or other creative fashions. Use a ruler and corresponding colored markers to make straight lines out to small circles (much like a brain storming web) and label these circles things such as friends, school, family, toys, sports, fun activities. These headings can be adjusted for the vision or to cover broader topics that may cover more goals or visions.
-
4
After labeling the small web circles, children can choose to place more specific dreams, goals, or words as pertaining to that topic or vision. If you have already found some pictures that correspond with that dream or goal, you can place a small piece of double stick tape on the back of the image and place it outside the circle, somewhat like a wreath.
-
5
For very small children you can make this an on-going project by focusing on one topic at a time, rather than trying to do it all in one day. By looking at magazines, the child then will find pictures and words that represent their goals. If a child does not find a picture that speaks to him about a particular dream, he can draw his own sketch or add his own personal words that will personalize it.
-
6
A photo of the child can go in the center circle, representing that the dreams and ideas come from the child and making it personal to your child and their goals.
-
7
Take time to let the child share his dream board with you or the family. Verbalizing his goals, hopes and dreams will help him achieve them and you will learn a lot about the child that you might not have known. The more they are encouraged to participate and the more they personalize the process the better the chances are that they will turn their dreams into reality.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Dream boards can also be made into a simple book with one picture per page and a short phrase to represent the dream. Older techno-savvy kids might want to make a electronic dream board. Artistic children can cut out shapes and glue them to the poster board. For example, a football shape can hold the child's sport dreams or a paint easel can hold their artistic dreams. There is not one way to do a dream board and every one will be as unique as the child who does it.
Children should be encouraged to do their dream board based on their ideas and not on those of their friends or what they think their family wants for them. Respect a child's privacy if they seem reluctant to share their dream board.
