Holidays can be a difficult time for grieving students, especially if their loss of a loved one happened near the holiday season. Recently while doing my own crafting with glass ball ornaments I came up with a simple idea to implement with students who have recently lost a loved one. Using a craft glass ornament ball from your local craft store (see picture below) students can write their favorite memories of their loved ones on thin strips of card stock paper. My students chose to use green & red strips of paper for Christmas but students can use any colors they like or that remind them of their special person. Then you simply twist the strips of paper around a pen to create a twist effect on the papers and insert them into the ornament. You can use decorative ribbon to make a bow and loop for hanging. I offered this activity to several students this holiday season whom I knew celebrate Christmas and they seemed to enjoy the project. They were happy to focus on the positive memories of their special person and to include their lost loved one in their holiday celebration by putting their ornament on their family's Christmas tree.
