What matters to you? Creative activity for 11-14 year olds

Developed by Place2Be‘s Art Room team for 11-14 year olds, this activity encourages young people to consider what matters to them in their day to day life, and in the wider world.

In this activity, young people are encouraged to draw a series of thought bubbles, and fill them with the things that matter most to them.

What you'll need

• plain paper, roughly the size of a postcard
• something to draw with - pens, pencils, crayons or paint
• glue (optional)
• scissors (optional)
• scrap paper for collaging (optional).

What matters to you?

Watch this video with British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation

Notes for grown-ups

Whether doing this activity at home or in school, consider how you will ensure that children know their voices matter.

After they create their art, talk to young people about what you have understood them to be saying. Ask them more about what they have drawn:

• Why does this matter to them?
• What matters most to them?
• Does anything that matters to them, also matter to their friends or peers? Encourage them to discuss.
• Who else could they share this with?

Based on what young people have drawn or told you, what key messages might you as a grown-up take away? Will things change in light of what young people have told you?