Play Therapy for Children
May 22nd 2007 04:47
When we, as adults, encounter a tough problem, we often think about it for a while, look at it from different angles, determine our options, and sometimes talk about it with someone we trust. When things go wrong for us, we might mentally review what happened and think about how we might handle the situation in the future. During play therapy, children do these same things using their imaginations. Play therapy provides the tools (toys and activities) and the atmosphere to help children express themselves, work on their problems, "try on" different solutions, and learn more effective coping methods.
You may have heard about play therapy in several different ways. Perhaps you simply came upon this website as you were exploring the internet. Perhaps you heard or read about it. Perhaps someone has suggested that your child receive play therapy. So what is it anyway?
Play therapy is a type of mental health or developmental intervention which is designed to help children grow up as happy and well-adjusted as possible. It involves the use of play to communicate with children and to help children learn to solve problems and change their negative behaviors. Sometimes it involves the entire family.
At first, you might wonder why anyone would suggest play as a way to overcome children's problems. Here's why play therapy is often recommended for children:
Play is the primary way that children...
learn about the world
understand how different things work
express their thoughts and feelings
develop their physical skills
develop their mental skills
develop effective social skills and bonds.
As children grow, their use of language becomes more sophisticated, but throughout childhood, they usually express much more of themselves in their play. We can understand our children better if we understand their play. By watching children play we often learn more about their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and struggles than by talking with them! Play has been called the "language of childhood," so if we re-learn that language, it can help us build even stronger relationships with our children. Play is not something trivial; on the contrary, it is one of the most critical elements of healthy child development!
Perhaps you've seen some of the nature programs on television which show animal babies playing with each other or with their mothers as they develop their hunting and survival skills. Scientists generally agree that play fosters healthy development of young and adult animals alike. A long-term study of animal play in the wild reported in National Geographic (December 1994) suggests that play is a "rehearsal for the challenges and ambiguities of life." This leads to greater strength, increased physical and mental skills, improved judgment, greater security, and stronger social bonds, characteristics that contribute to success as the animal grows.
The same is true for human children and adults. Playfulness and humor are closely related to mental health, intellectual development, creativity and problem-solving, and even productivity on the job! Although we sometimes think of play as trivial, in actuality it is one of the strongest supports for coping, learning, good adjustment, and productive activity! I have spent some of my work life in manufacturing companies where the work is hard and the physical environment (& sometimes the overall climate) is very unpleasant. I have always been impressed with the way that people use humor and playfulness to cope with some of the most difficult and oppressive situations. I've seen the same thing in medical environments where people are coping with serious illness. Humor and play help us get through tough times.
Play is the natural language of children, and toys are the tools they use to express thoughts and feelings. In the warm, supportive and accepting environment of the play therapy room, young children develop a special relationship with a therapist and "play out" their concerns and issues. Relief from overwhelming feelings happens even if they never verbalize their problems
You may have heard about play therapy in several different ways. Perhaps you simply came upon this website as you were exploring the internet. Perhaps you heard or read about it. Perhaps someone has suggested that your child receive play therapy. So what is it anyway?
Play therapy is a type of mental health or developmental intervention which is designed to help children grow up as happy and well-adjusted as possible. It involves the use of play to communicate with children and to help children learn to solve problems and change their negative behaviors. Sometimes it involves the entire family.
At first, you might wonder why anyone would suggest play as a way to overcome children's problems. Here's why play therapy is often recommended for children:
Play is the primary way that children...
learn about the world
understand how different things work
express their thoughts and feelings
develop their physical skills
develop their mental skills
develop effective social skills and bonds.
As children grow, their use of language becomes more sophisticated, but throughout childhood, they usually express much more of themselves in their play. We can understand our children better if we understand their play. By watching children play we often learn more about their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and struggles than by talking with them! Play has been called the "language of childhood," so if we re-learn that language, it can help us build even stronger relationships with our children. Play is not something trivial; on the contrary, it is one of the most critical elements of healthy child development!
Perhaps you've seen some of the nature programs on television which show animal babies playing with each other or with their mothers as they develop their hunting and survival skills. Scientists generally agree that play fosters healthy development of young and adult animals alike. A long-term study of animal play in the wild reported in National Geographic (December 1994) suggests that play is a "rehearsal for the challenges and ambiguities of life." This leads to greater strength, increased physical and mental skills, improved judgment, greater security, and stronger social bonds, characteristics that contribute to success as the animal grows.
The same is true for human children and adults. Playfulness and humor are closely related to mental health, intellectual development, creativity and problem-solving, and even productivity on the job! Although we sometimes think of play as trivial, in actuality it is one of the strongest supports for coping, learning, good adjustment, and productive activity! I have spent some of my work life in manufacturing companies where the work is hard and the physical environment (& sometimes the overall climate) is very unpleasant. I have always been impressed with the way that people use humor and playfulness to cope with some of the most difficult and oppressive situations. I've seen the same thing in medical environments where people are coping with serious illness. Humor and play help us get through tough times.
Play is the natural language of children, and toys are the tools they use to express thoughts and feelings. In the warm, supportive and accepting environment of the play therapy room, young children develop a special relationship with a therapist and "play out" their concerns and issues. Relief from overwhelming feelings happens even if they never verbalize their problems
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Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Perhaps they should introduce this sort of therapy for adults who have no idea how to express themselves and feel unable to seek help because of that inability.
Teachers should also take courses on this too... so they can recognise problems in children.
Great info
ash
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I agree wholeheartedly. So many of us have a hard time expressing ourselves or we fear our feelings.
Mis