Cleo the Crocodile Activity Book for Children Who Are Afraid to Get Close: A Therapeutic Story With Creative Activities About Trust, Anger, and Relationships for Children Aged 5-10

Amongst the beauty of the Okavango delta in Botswana, Cleo the Crocodile loved having fun with all of his animal friends. That is, until one day Hogan the Hippo, who was supposed to look after Cleo, started to act mean and hurt him. Cleo has to leave the swamp to find a safe new home - he's scared and puts his prickles up for protection, so all the other animals are afraid of him. How can Cleo find a new safe home? How can he make new friends when he doesn't know who he can trust?

This activity book developed by expert child psychologist Dr Karen Treisman combines a colourfully illustrated therapeutic story about Cleo the Crocodile to help start and enrich conversations, which is followed by a wealth of creative activities and photocopiable worksheets for children to explore issues relating to attachment, relationships, rejection, anger, trust and much more.

Table of Contents

The Story of Cleo the Crocodile

Activities

• Fun Activities and Crafts to Do with Cleo the Croc
• Learning More About Feelings
• Keeping safe, Putting Our Prickles Down and Letting the Good and Beautiful Things and People In

Guide for Adults

• Introduction
• What this section covers
• Flow this activity book can help and who this book is for
• Each child is unique
• Do I need to do all the activities?
• Do I, as the adult, need to complete the workbook with the child, and why?
• What sort of environment works best?
• What comes first?
• If your child's difficulties continue

Key Parenting Concepts, Strategies, and Tips

• Advice about reading this section
• Our own well-being, self-care, and regulation

Games, Questions, and Activities to Strengthen Relationships and Attachment

• Top tips
• Reflecting on what a positive relationship is - exploring each other's meaning-making around relationships
• Relationship quotes
• Magnifying the positives of the relationship and being strengths-focused
• Relationships need work

Practical Games and Activities

• Doing a creative art activity together - some examples
• Physical and cognitive activities to do together
• Reflecting on the journey of the relationship, and the wishes, hopes, and dreams for the relationship
• Guidance on how to use these questions

Websites and Links