Memory Bracelet
As a family, make a memory bracelet. This can be a nice bonding activity. Let your child/children know that they are free to wear the bracelet whenever they like, but also that they don’t have to wear the bracelet if they don’t want to. Maybe making the bracelet is a nice outlet. Maybe wearing the bracelet continues to be a nice outlet. Let your child/children decide what is best for them.
Remembrance Ornament
Make Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree each year. Ornaments can be balls, yarn projects, paper cutouts, or popsicle stick ornaments. The sky is the limit. Picking out the craft project to hang on the tree can become part of the activity. Keep it the same every year or switch it up. Make it colorful, add glitter. Allow creative expression to flow as you and your child make the ornament.
Coloring/Drawing
Simply coloring or drawing can help children express, process, and be in their grief. It doesn’t even need to be associated with their sibling, maybe you put some paper and crayons in front of them. Maybe you talk about their sibling while they color, maybe you color with them in silence. Art can be a powerful tool in healing.
Worry Beads
Beads have been used in many cultures to bring calm and comfort. Help your child make a worry bracelet and tell them that whenever they feel sad or anxious, they can spin the beads on the bracelet one at a time. This tactile stimulation can be a very comforting, cathartic exercise for any age. You can also encourage them to use a phrase each time they spin the bead, such as, “I miss/love my sibling,” or “my mom/dad loves me.”