Garry L. Landreth states “Birds fly, fish swim, and children play!”  Have you ever stopped and asked:  What is play? Why do children play, and why is it important for children to play?

Children create their ‘ own world’, through play. They connect with themselves, others, and get a better understanding of the world, family or community they live in. It is a space for children to express their feelings freely and work through their confusions and anxieties. Playing with toys, sand, clay or outdoor games, comes naturally to children and become their safe space. Play is fun. This is the space where they are the most in control.

Play have value to children.  It teaches them to learn self-control, resiliency, negotiation, and self-regulation. When playing children set personal boundaries and how to read non-verbal cues. If a child learns how to master a specific task it enhances their self-esteem and helps them to understand their own strengths. Children understand themselves better through play.

It is through play that parents or adults can better understand or learn how children feel and what they perceive as challenging situations and how they cope with traumatic events. Trauma-focused play therapy techniques, such as storytelling, role-playing, or using dolls and puppets, allow children to recreate and reframe their traumatic experiences in a safe and controlled environment. This process can promote understanding, of what has happened and how the child can deal with this. Play is the language of children, a language that does not require words. Children that are not able to express themselves through play find it difficult to express their emotions and their cognitive abilities become challenged.

When things go wrong, or unpleasant things happen to children they always believe that they are to blame. Play therapy can be utilized to assist children to gain skills to address these insecurities. Councilors uses metaphors in play to teach children that bad things happen to them and not because of them. Positive change are encouraged by the therapist in a fun, creative, less scary, relaxed and constructive method of counselling. It is less intimidating, unique and an effective way of providing counselling to children and adolescents. It allows for a non-verbal way of self-expression and often gets down to the unconscious levels, helping the child and adolescent expressing their fears and fantasies in a unique way. Through drawing, creating scenes and using toys, the child externalizes the problem. Names can be given to describe emotions or in developing self-control.

Play-based therapy recognizes the inherent value of play in a child’s development and leverages it as a powerful therapeutic tool. It provides a unique and engaging approach that supports emotional well-being, facilitates growth and learning, and empowers children to navigate life’s challenges more effectively. Every child that experiences trauma or whose coping mechanisms are being altered by experiences that he or she feels that they don’t have control over need to be encouraged to make use of play-based therapy. It is fun, less intrusive and can assist them to become positive, competent and well-balanced children and adolescents.

Give your child the gift of play therapy and witness their transformation. Contact us today to schedule a consultation or learn more about our services.