{"id":58627,"date":"2021-08-11T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=58627"},"modified":"2021-08-10T16:30:24","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T20:30:24","slug":"5-tips-from-a-play-therapist-to-help-kids-express-themselves-and-unwind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/5-tips-from-a-play-therapist-to-help-kids-express-themselves-and-unwind\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips from a play therapist to help kids express themselves and unwind"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

As many children go back to school after 18 months of global pandemic, social isolation and on-and-off remote learning, they too are feeling the additional stress and uncertainty of these times.<\/p>\n

Children need play to decompress and communicate in ways that are meaningful to them. Play is how they\u00a0express themselves, process their day and solve problems<\/a>. It\u2019s essential for their\u00a0social, emotional, creative and cognitive well-being<\/a>. Play helps teach them self-regulation, boundary setting and decision-making.<\/p>\n

As a licensed clinical mental health counselor and registered\u00a0play therapist and supervisor<\/a>, I spend a lot of my time helping people understand children. I show adults how to see the world through kids\u2019 eyes and how to engage them on their level.<\/p>\n

After so much isolation and increased demands on parents and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe now is an important time for parents and caregivers to increase their understanding of, communication with and connection to their children \u2013 through play.<\/p>\n

Structured vs. unstructured play<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are two main types of play that provide cognitive and emotional benefits for kids \u2013 structured play and unstructured play, or free play.<\/p>\n

Structured play \u2013 such as board games, puzzles and individual or team sports \u2013 involves instructions and follows a set of rules. An objective or purpose of the play is established. Structured play\u00a0helps children learn<\/a>\u00a0to manage their emotions, take turns, follow rules and deal with feelings of frustration as well as feelings of success.<\/p>\n

Unstructured play, also called free play, encourages children to do what interests them without adult direction. It doesn\u2019t require an outcome or product. Unstructured play allows the child\u2019s brain to\u00a0recover from a highly structured school day and provides a sense of freedom<\/a>. It fosters\u00a0problem-solving, resilience and creativity<\/a>, and gives kids time and space to make sense of their experiences. Examples of unstructured or free play include fantasy play, painting, playing made-up games with others and building with blocks.<\/p>\n

Free play tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although free play is child-led, parents can engage with their child during this time. Here are five tips based on Sue Bratton and Garly Landreth\u2019s\u00a0child-parent relationship therapy<\/a>, which uses play to build stronger and healthier parent-child attachment.<\/p>\n

1. Get on their level<\/strong><\/p>\n

Create a space on the floor with some of their toys or join them in their play area. Sit on the ground with them. Let them know that this is their \u201cspecial play time.\u201d This time is special because the parent is engaging with the child in a very different way than other interactions throughout the day.<\/p>\n

2. Allow the child to lead<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allow the child to direct the play. If asked what to play, try responding, \u201cYou get to decide what we play today.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Show interest<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents can do this by providing feedback. State what you see your child is doing without any notion of acceptance or approval: \u201cYou\u2019re playing with the doll\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re coloring that red.\u201d Repeat back what your child says: \u201cCars go fast\u201d or \u201cYellow is your sister\u2019s favorite color.\u201d Reflect the feelings that your child is expressing: \u201cYou feel happy when your car wins\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re mad when you lose the race.\u201d This type of responding illustrates the parent\u2019s engagement without taking over the play.<\/p>\n

4. Set limits and boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

Play that is child-led does not mean the child can break toys or hurt themselves or others. Sometimes the parent may need to step in and set a limit if the child\u2019s behavior becomes destructive or harmful. Be sure to validate the feeling the child is exhibiting and provide another option for that behavior. For example: \u201cYou are mad right now, but people aren\u2019t for hitting. You can hit the stuffed animal instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Be consistent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Children\u00a0thrive on stability<\/a>\u00a0and consistency. Try to implement the \u201cspecial play time\u201d each week for about 30 minutes and use a timer to ensure the amount of play time is consistent and your child is prepared for the ending. This special play time should take place regardless of behavior and should not be used as a punishment or reward.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Jessie D. Guest is <\/span>Professor of Play Therapy at the University of South Carolina<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As many children go back to school after 18 months of global pandemic, social isolation and on-and-off remote learning, they too are feeling the additional stress and uncertainty of these times. Children need play to decompress and communicate in ways that are meaningful to them. Play is how they\u00a0express themselves, process their day and solve […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":58628,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[106112],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-58627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-play"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 tips from a play therapist to help kids express themselves and unwind - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/5-tips-from-a-play-therapist-to-help-kids-express-themselves-and-unwind\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 tips from a play therapist to help kids express themselves and unwind - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As many children go back to school after 18 months of global pandemic, social isolation and on-and-off remote learning, they too are feeling the additional stress and uncertainty of these times. 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