9 Play Therapy Exercises and Activities to do with your Clients –

Play is an integral part of development for children and can help them develop valuable life skills, including problem-solving, emotion regulation, communication, and establishing boundaries. Children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and psychological distress may not have the skills needed to engage in traditional therapy and counseling services. Keep reading to learn 9 Play Therapy exercises you can do with your clients in sessions.

Play therapy is an age-appropriate treatment method commonly used with children and adolescents who are experiencing a range of mental health concerns. Therapists can use play therapy to help clients prevent or resolve current mental health concerns that are hurting their development or overall emotional well-being.

With play therapy, mental health professionals can tailor their use of language and body language in a way that is meaningful to their clients. You may find yourself encouraging your client to explore, understand, and accept their emotions through the act of play and the use of various toys.

Several professionals had an integral role in the development of play therapy. This includes Jean Piaget, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, and more. Jean Piaget classified play into three types: practice, symbolic, and social play. Practice play begins in the first few months of life, while symbolic play generally begins around age two. Social play takes place between the ages of seven and eleven.  His research found that children under the age of ten often did not have the mental capacity to understand complex issues, motivations, and feelings because this part of their development had not taken place. Play therapy is a way to provide children with the support they need for their mental health concerns, while meeting them where they are developmentally.

While there are many variations of how play therapy can be incorporated into your work, the main categories of play therapy include construction toys, toys that promote hand coordination, mimetic play, and play of pretense. Energetic play can include exploration play and physical activities that have rules, such as sports. 

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Mental Health Concerns That Can Benefit From Play Therapy Activities

Play therapy can be an effective treatment option for children who are experiencing a range of mental health concerns and conditions. This can include difficulties with life transitions such as a divorce, loss, arrival of new family members, or a move of their home or school environment. Play therapy can also be helpful for children who have difficulties managing their emotions and those who experience behavioral concerns like aggression and frequent tantrums.

Play therapy is commonly used for children who have witnessed or experienced trauma. This can include domestic violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Children who have medical concerns or require medical procedures may benefit from play therapy to address the fear and anxiety that they’re experiencing. Lastly, play therapy can be used with children who are living with developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Research has supported the use of play therapy in many of these cases. As an example, a study assessing the effectiveness of play therapy with preschool children found that participants had a noticeable improvement in their communication and problem-solving skills. Another study evaluating the use of play therapy with children who have Type 1 diabetes showed that participants experienced a decrease in anxiety surrounding their physical health symptoms. 

Play Therapy Activities for Trauma

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is commonly used with children who have experienced a trauma or have been diagnosed with a trauma-related condition like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With CCPT, sessions take place in a playroom that has specific toys that are used to help children communicate their experiences and views. Examples of play therapy activities for trauma that could be used include:

1. Guided imagery is a therapeutic intervention that can be used to promote emotional expression among clients. The Play Therapy Guided Imagery Worksheet offered by TherapyByPro is tailored to the developmental stages of children by incorporating creative play and storytelling. Additionally, visualization can be used as a health coping mechanism for clients who find themselves experiencing psychological distress stemming from a traumatic event or memory.
2. Sand tray therapy can be used with children experiencing intrusive memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, and more. This intervention can be used with children four and over. Sand tray therapy includes the use of objects and miniature figures to create scenes that reflect their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This is a form of non-verbal expression that allows children to remain in control and use symbolic play to express themselves.
3. Children can work with their therapist to create a box that can hold the emotions and thoughts that cause distress. This play therapy activity is ideal for older children who can identify the thoughts and emotions that overwhelm them. You can encourage your client to use this box as a way to separate their struggles from themselves, promoting emotional boundaries and increasing their sense of self-control.

Play Therapy Activities for Depression

Child-centered play therapy has also been found to show statistically significant improvement for children who are living with depressive symptoms. One study found that improvements were noticeable to parents as well as blind observers. Examples of  play therapy activities for depression include:

1. TherapyByPro has a Play Therapy Worry Jar Worksheet that can be used to help your clients externalize their persistent fear, anxiety, or worry. This worksheet can help children visualize their difficulties outside themselves, which can help reduce the emotional charge that your client is experiencing. Depending on your client’s needs, you may use this worksheet as a bridge to a conversation focusing on effective coping skills for their psychological concerns.
2. Play therapy can include a range of creative arts interventions, including clay sculpting. You can encourage your client to use clay to create objects or shapes that represent their feelings and experiences. This approach is ideal for clients who have some insight into their emotional experiences. You may use this with children who are struggling with fatigue, loss of interest, and hopelessness. Clay can be an engaging activity that provides children with a non-verbal way to express and release their emotions.
3. Creating an emotional thermometer is a creative activity that can help children express their emotional experiences. This includes identifying how they go from “cold” to “hot”. This activity can help children who are struggling with emotional numbness and those who struggle to recognize their emotional experiences, often connected to depression and depressive symptoms. Children may find that they’re better able to identify and communicate their emotional experiences, which can improve self-awareness.  

Play Therapy Activities For Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD

ADHD is a behavioral health condition that can create educational and social challenges for children. While medications can be used to improve a child’s functioning, play therapy and storytelling can be used to address developmental needs like socialization. Studies have indicated that the use of play therapy and storytelling in a clinical setting can lead to improvements in self-expression, impulse control, responsibility, and cooperation among school-aged children. Continue reading for examples of play therapy activities that can be used with clients living with ADHD.

1. Impulse control games, like “Red light, green light,” are an example of energetic play that can be incorporated into sessions with clients struggling with impulse control and hyperactivity. This game can be used with children ranging from four years old and older. These games can help children strengthen their self-regulation, improve focus, and provide a fun outlet to practice following directions.
2. To help improve socialization skills, you may find it helpful to use a matching card game for emotions. These games allow children to practice matching facial expressions and body language to specific feelings and situations. This can be impactful for children who experience social difficulties regarding picking up on others’ emotions, as well as recognizing their own emotional experiences. This can lead to improved emotion recognition, empathy, and social interactions with others.
3. Role playing is another intervention that can be helpful for children living with ADHD who struggle with transitions and organization. You can use role-playing to act out daily routines that children struggle with, using dolls or figurines. This can help them learn and practice problem-solving skills. Additionally, this can reinforce structure and help your client recognize patterns within the routine. Many find that this helps them in real-life situations that their symptoms make challenging.

Final Thoughts On Choosing Play Therapy Activities For Your Clients

Play therapy activities can be a powerful tool for clinicians working with children. It can be hard for children to engage in traditional treatment activities for several reasons. Play therapy can help clients express themselves when they struggle to find the words to match their thoughts, emotions, or experiences. Expressing these things is a learned skill that children may not have mastered when you begin working with them.

Play therapy can be used with clients experiencing a range of mental health concerns and helps them develop needed coping skills and insights to improve their quality of life and overall mental wellness. Clinicians and other mental health professionals who are interested in learning more about how play therapy can enhance their sessions are encouraged to explore continuing education and other training opportunities within their niche. 

TherapyByPro is an online mental health directory that connects mental health pros with clients in need. If you’re a mental health professional, you can Join our community and add your practice listing here. We have assessments, practice forms, and worksheet templates mental health professionals can use to streamline their practice. View all of our mental health worksheets here.

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Resources:

• Burgin, E.E., Ray, D.C. Child-Centered Play Therapy and Childhood Depression: An Effectiveness Study in Schools. J Child Fam Stud 31, 293–307 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02198-6
• Humble JJ, Summers NL, Villarreal V, Styck KM, Sullivan JR, Hechler JM, Warren BS. Child-Centered Play Therapy for Youths Who Have Experienced Trauma: a Systematic Literature Review. J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2018 Nov 9;12(3):365-375. doi: 10.1007/s40653-018-0235-7. PMID: 32318206; PMCID: PMC7163898.
• Koukourikos K, Tsaloglidou A, Tzeha L, Iliadis C, Frantzana A, Katsimbeli A, Kourkouta L. An Overview of Play Therapy. Mater Sociomed. 2021 Dec;33(4):293-297. doi: 10.5455/msm.2021.33.293-297. PMID: 35210953; PMCID: PMC8812369.