2OLD2PLAY
Search

Creative Intervention

J
Jett_Fuel

In my counseling children and adolescents class, we each had to come up with a creative intervention to use with children and/or adolescents.  My idea was to use the computer game The Sims 2 to create a "comic book" and allow the child/adolescent to tell a story with it.  These stories can be very revealing.  Of course, we had to put together an example of the intervention. 

Here is a link to my example.  I would love to know what you guys think.  I created a family in The Sims 2 and used the camera feature to take snapshots periodically of what was happening on screen.  Then I used the program Comic Life on my mac to put a comic together using the pictures.  Once the pictures were in place...I added dialogue balloons and text boxes to give the story life.


http://homepage.mac.com/schmitz_mft/comiclife/

Comments (5)

N
NotStyro·
The Sims 'game' graphics look better than I remember. Looks like you found something useful to to with 'game' (I tired of the 'game' due to tending to the sims left me not tending to my own life).\r \r I don't know about getting a kid to create a 'comic book' using The Sims and tools. Seems kind of complex. Maybe just capturing how the kid plays with the interactions of the sims and then discussing the choices and outcomes may work...?\r \r
J
Jett_Fuel·
I will likely do what you suggest as well. I think it is very telling how kids play this game. \r \r For instance, my nephew plays the game and he is my sisters oldest child from a previous relationship. He has no contact with his biological father. He will be 11 soon. 5 years ago she married and now she and her husband have had two more boys. My nephew and her husband clash big time. She told me that he created a \"family\" on The Sims that was JUST her and him. That to me said alot about how he sees \"his\" family. I suggested that the it might be a good idea for them as a family to seek counseling.
A
Azuredreams·
Great Idea indeed way to work a love for gaming into something positive for kids. You created a wonderful little comic. I paly the Sims 2 on a semi-regular basis...kind of a guilty pleasure for me. Perhaps I should get my 11 yr old into it.
N
NotStyro·
From what I've encountered, it isn't unusual for children to have problems with a step-parent. I usually blame the step-parent for not trying hard enough, but who really knows...\r \r When I was playing The Sims (first edition) my younger nephew loved to create elaborate jails/prisons for his sims. Or force them to live in 'odd' circumstances - eight people in a two bathroom house, each bathroom having four toilets in one big area so there was enough to go around. The sims didn't like those arrangement at all. Yeah, he was/is an odd kid (like his uncle).\r
J
Jett_Fuel·
No it isn't unusual for there to be issues between step-parent and child. I agree as well that the adult in the situation needs to be the adult and make an effort to change things for the better. With regard to my nephew, he has the additional issue of not having any contact at all (ever) with his biological father. So there are issues there. \r \r Last I heard, things had improved in this area.