Fascinating Mask Empathy Technique | Alternative Fruit

As I have been browsing various resources online and making use of the different snippets of information I find, I came across a wonderful idea. It's fairly simple yet I think could result in any number of useful or enjoyable (hopefully both) experiences. It's suitable for all ages, in fact I was reading a lesson plan for 8 year olds which I will link at the end. Anyone with decent self-reflecting skills can take part in this activity. The goal is to work on your empathy, help to connect the neural pathways that encourage us to think about things from the perspective of another person.  

First of all, we must make a mask. This can be from a paper plate and a stick that we cut holes in and stick together, or they could be pieces of card from a cereal packet. There are face shaped masks available to buy as well. When making the mask, encourage everyone to be as inventive as they can. Show them some Picasso cubism or some monsters from The Gruffalo. When it's dry, glued, and ready to be used, it's time to take the next step.

Ask everyone to imagine their character, put a voice behind it, a personality, feelings, thoughts, and ideas. What do they like and what don't they like? Then it's time to role play. It might be hard at first, getting into the character and learning to flow as if you were them, but soon enough it will become more natural. Play at being the person your mask represents. Then, something you might like to try is swapping masks with someone else and getting into their character instead. 

​How cool is that?

​Via The Art of Ed