RANGERS
Mapping me
What you’ll need
• Paper • Coloured pens and pencils • Craft materials (optional)
Aim of the activity
How well do you know… you? Take a journey of self-discovery and create a map to show what makes you, you.
Note to leader: If you receive any disclosures or have a concern for welfare, follow the A Safe Space guidance.
Step by step
1
Imagine a map. What do you see? The contour lines and grid of an ordinance survey map or the hand-drawn landscape of a fantasy map. Maybe the little symbols for a bus stop, hospital or look out point If there was a map of you, what would you include? What symbols would represent you, your experiences and your memories? Maybe there are sandy beaches from a favourite holiday, a town made from all your favourite books, or a literal mountain of homework!
2
It’s time to put pen to paper and make your map. Grab a piece of paper and some pens. You’ve got 20 minutes, so take your time.
Top tips
There’s loads you could include on your map like: • Places that are important to you and places you spend a lot of time • Your hobbies and favourite things • Emotions and personality traits that define you • Memories • Your hopes and dreams for the future • Things that worry you or get on your nerves
3
Have a look at your map – does anything surprise you? How much of your map is taken up by things that make you happy and how much space is taken by things that frustrate or worry you?
4
Look at any negative or stressful things you added to your map. What can you do to relax or manage these stressors when they happen – add your ideas to your map. For example, next to a tangled forest of exams there could be calming fields of music. Or, if you have drawn a haunted mansion of changing schools, you could draw a path leading away to something that makes you feel better like a walk in nature, or time with your friends.
Top tip
Ask another Ranger what they do to feel calm or get a boost of happiness.
Take it further
Take your map home to remind yourself of all the amazing ideas, feelings and experiences that make up you! Every time you learn a new way to support yourself through one of the tougher areas of your map draw it in, so you remember.
Try it this way
You could make a map of your unit instead.