Worry Dolls

Worry dolls originate from Guatemala and are a trusted source for your troubles.  Tell your doll what is worrying you and then place the doll under your pillow at night.   

I have done this project with kids in my regular art class as well as in a more therapeutic environment as part of my Masters program, with a group of kids who had all suffered some kind of loss (divorce, death of parent or family member).

Materials needed:
- Wooden clothespins...(optional - I glued mini popsicle sticks to the sides for arms with hot glue)
- Yarn
- Glue
- Markers

1.  Start by talking about worries and how it is normal to have things that we worry about.  Ask for volunteers to share what worries they have.  Examples may include; after a death of a family member there is worry of losing another, worry of abandonment by one or both parents, worry about never seeing a certain family member again, worry about changing schools or moving to a new town, worry about being home alone.

2.  Show the kids how to wrap the yarn around the worry doll, slowly and carefully, experiencing the calmness that a repetitive motion can induce.  Remind them to go slow and breathe.  Kids can switch colors of yarn to make pants, skirts, shoes, etc.  Use a little bit of white glue to glue down the ends of the yarn.  Try to overlap the different yarns, which also secures the loose ends.

3.  Glue on yarn hair and draw on a face (optional)