Karen Sorsby

LEI 4724
Activity Title: Pie of Life and Values Discussion
Source: Austin, D. R. (1997). Therapeutic recreation: Processes and techniques.
Champaign, Ill: Sagamore Pub, 58-60
Equipment: poster board for each participant and markers
Description of Activity:
The objective of this activity is for each participant to acknowledge how they are
spending their time each day and if they are getting what they want out of life. This is
important since people demonstrate their values through their behaviors everyday. In this
activity the leader will draw a large circle on the board indicating that the circle
represents a typical 24-hour day. Participants are then asked to divide that circle into how
they spend their day. They can use categories such as: sleep, school, work, time spent
with friends, time spent alone, time spent with family, leisure activities, eating, and any
other activity that each person does throughout the day. After all participants are done,
they all get together and have discussion questions on how their pie charts came out.
Leadership consideration:
This activity works best for a group of 12 participants. It should be done in a spacious
room where participants can sit or work on the floor comfortably. The therapist will the
moderator and will start with explaining the activity on the poster board first. Then
instructing each participant on what to do and give example of categories they can use.
When every participant is done there should be discussion questions at the end. The most
important questions should be if they are satisfied with the relative size of their pie slices
and which slices they would want to be bigger. This will demonstrate each participant if
they are really doing activities that they value every day.
Adaptations:
Participants with Anxiety: start the activity by first doing a little icebreaker game. This
will make them feel more comfortable. It would work best with a smaller group of
participants (maximum 4). While participants are doing their activity therapist should
walk around and talk to participants individually. This will help them feel more relaxed
when its their turn to discuss their pie charts in front of the other participants. If a
participant still does not feel comfortable talking in front of everyone else allow him or
her to just sit a listen to the rest.
Participants with early on stage Alzheimers: start out the activity by doing a warm up
game to make participants feel comfortable with one another. The activity will start in a
different way than the original. Start by asking the participants questions about the leisure

activities that they used to value the most in their life. This will help them start triggering
their memories. While they are doing their pie charts it will be good to play some
soothing music. At the end include a lesson on the importance on continuing to do
activities that they value.