This was a session I did with some adults with learning difficulties with MENCAP in Cromer. It was the first in two sessions thinking about ideas for stories. Took place a while ago now, so I hope I'm remembering it correctly.
_Aim: To think of ideas for characters - what do they look like, what do they do...?
Target
Age:
Adults with learning difficulties.
Key
Skills:
Adjectives for describing people, jobs.
Resources: Flipchart, 6-sided dice (one per person), character sheets, pens and paper, pictures of people from magazines.
Steps: 1. Look at the pictures of people from magazines. What do they look like? Hair colour, eye colour, clothes, what do they do (guess)? What do we think they might like? - foods, animals...? 2. Make a list of 6 different eye colours. Number them 1-6. Stick it up. 3. Make a list of 6 different hair colours on a flipchart piece of paper. Number them 1-6. Stick it up. (4. Make a list of 6 different hair styles e.g. long/short/straight/curly/bald/punk. Number them 1-6. Stick it up. OPTIONAL) 5. Make a list of 6 body attributes e.g. tall/short/average/fat/thin/medium. Number them 1-6. Stick it up. 6. Make a list of 6 ages (e.g. child/teenager/young adult).... 7. Make a list of 6 jobs.... (OPTIONAL) 8. Make a list of 6 personality traits.... (OPTIONAL) NB you could do it section at a time, rather than sticking all the sheets up and letting people go - it depends partly on how much extra support you have). 9. Give people character sheets (have volunteers helping them). 10. They roll dice and randomly select the attributes for their characters. 11. They draw pictures (if they want) of their characters/colour in templates. 12. If possible it would be great to have clothing magazines that people can cut out to then dress their characters, give them accessories. 13. IF TIME they add 3 things their characters like, and 3 things their characters do not like - e.g. food, things they are scared of, cats, dogs... to their character sheets. 14. IF TIME, they share their characters with the group. If appropriate ask further questions about their characters.