Art Activities for Groups

If you are a therapist or activities professional who wants to use art in a group environment but lacks the time or experience necessary to develop art activities from scratch, I’d like to introduce a book that will help you to design your art program from the ground up!

Art Activities for Groups – Providing Therapy, Fun, and Function by Diane Fausek-Steinbach provides professionals with the fundamental principals of using art as a therapeutic activity. In this book, Diane introduces 48 innovative art activities that have been tested with groups composed of individuals with a wide range of cognitive levels and physical abilities!

The book opens by exploring the benefits of art as an activity, regardless of one’s abilities. From there, Diane explores a number of practical topics, including:

• Where to find your inspiration
• How to adapt activities for your group
• How to get materials for free

One topic I found particularly noteworthy is Diane’s discussion on how to match artists to media. Diane provides a chart that highlights how different artistic mediums may raise issues for certain types of individuals. You’ll find this information invaluable as you consider different art activities for your group!

At the heart of this book are the activities themselves. The 48 creative art activities that Diane designed contain all of the information needed to successfully introduce and implement the activity within your group. The activities encompass a broad range of categories:

• Collages
• Painting
• Drawing
• Miscellaneous Activities

At the beginning of each section, Diane provides information on selecting supplies and offers tips on how to work with each media for the best results.

One thing I like about this book is that Diane encourages you to “try some of these processes out on yourself” before introducing them to others. This is easy to do, since the activities are so much fun!

Diane also notes that many of the exercises within this book are great for team-building within a professional environment.

Using art among professionals as a team building method is a great way to identify common goals, fears, and strengths. The resulting artwork will only be as revealing as you want it to be.

Professionally and personally, Art Activities for Groups can help you to spark creativity in your life and in your group. It’s a book that no activities professional will want to be without!

About Diane Fausek-Steinbach

Diane Fausek-Steinbach is a consultant and art therapy group facilitator who has worked with long term care, rehabilitation, and general population clients for over 15 years. She is also the author of several well-received art therapy books, which include A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups and Art As Therapy – Inspiration, Innovation And Ideas. Diane’s passions include foster parenting, blogging, mixed-media art and mentoring budding Christian writers.

For More Information About Diane:

• Visit Diane Steinbach on LinkedIn
• Visit ATA Girls – All Those Artsy Girls
• Visit DATWL: Christian Blogger’s Network
• Visit Foster Parent Rescue
• Visit Treasuring Grace

More Great Resources

If you liked this book, you may enjoy the following books as well:

• Art As Therapy – Inspiration, Innovation, and Ideas by Diane Fausek-Steinbach
• Blank Books For Writers And Artists from Quirk Books
• The Art Of Getting Well by David Spero

For more great books, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Idyll Arbor, Inc. for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.