Play therapists choose themes for Play Therapy, and it’s according to themes that we discuss in depth.
These Play Therapy Themes give your child a wide variety of of toy choices to be able to express what they need.
Through Play you will also start to notice different play themes coming out in your child’s play. Look for one of these:
Power and Aggression Themes
–Good Guy vs. Bad Guy
“Good guy” versus “bad guy” play is a natural part of your moral and social growth. It’s common for dramatic play to center around themes such as: friends and enemies, power and vulnerability, and of good and bad.
It can be hard to understand aggressive play: things fighting, playing with toy guns, teasing, pretend fighting, playing superheros, horsing around, and playing or acting out battles for power and dominance.
–Dying/Death
Grief Kits, and other grieving related play therapy themes children cope with illness, death, and grief. It explains that therapeutic play facilitates expression, coping, and mastery, and addresses the child’s need to express feelings, solve problems, and work through or resolve conflicts or distress.
Power Overcominghttps://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/play-therapy Weakness
Children in Play Therapy learn to overcome topics such as :Low self-esteem, Grieving the loss in the family, childhood sexual abuse, divorce, or eating disorders
–Seeking Power/Authority/Wisdom
Power is a child’s ability to exert influence and control. Power affects all aspects of social life, from the classroom to the home. Power is not inherently negative. For ehttps://playtherapyoutlet.com/grow-your-play-therapy-business-using-the-internet/xample, the ability of a parent to influence their toddler’s actions can help keep them out of harm’s way. But if a person abuses their power, it has the capacity to do great harm.
Family Relationship
Sandtray Miniatures to support play therapists helping children through divorce and separation.
By teaching children in play therapy
to nurture others by using baby dolls or other supporting play therapy objects to implement care and helping those around them.
–Parent/Caregiver-Child
Using Sandtray Miniatures that reflect the family dynamic such as family counters, or other miniatures that create a parent/caregiver figure in sandtray play.
–Exits and Entrances to Family System Our Symbolic items sandtray miniature kit has many sandtray miniatures that convey entrances and exits and these miniatures can be used in Play Therapy
Control and Safety Themes
–Danger
Childhood traumatic stress occurs when violent or dangerous events overwhelm a child’s or adolescent’s ability to cope.
Traumatic events may include:
- Neglect and psychological, physical, or sexual abuse
- Natural disasters, terrorism, and community and school violence
- Witnessing abuse with a parent of sibling or themselves.
- Serious accidents, or medical conditions or a loss of a loved one.
- Military family-related stressors when a parent is absent due to service.
–Rescue
Like the rescue buoy shown above, so to does sandtray miniatures that represent rescue such as the rescue buoy, protecting figures such as police men, firefighters etc.
–Escape
Superheroes have a profound influence on American culture. Escaping to the imaginary worlds of our superheroes seemingly has therapeutic powers.
–Fire/Disasters
In Play Therapy, trauma from a fire or natural disasters such as a tornado can be very traumatic and helping children through those situations can be very healing using Play Therapy Sandtray miniatures.
–Burying or Drowning
Using Sensory sand from Sandastisk is very healing for burying things in the sandtray. Or drowning in pools or voids in the sand.
–Broken/Sick/Hurt
Child Life Specialists assist children facing hospital procedures. These specialists are very skilled in helping children and their families navigate very difficult times.
–Fixing/Repairing/Doctoring
Fixing or repairing in Play Therapy has many products available such as the Learning Resources New Sprouts Fix It, or a New Sprouts Cure It! Play Therapy kit helps healing through fixing, or repairing.
–Cleaning
Cleaning is a form of Play Therapy that has many supporting Play Therapy related items such as brooms, or mops, or sweeper sandtray miniatures.
–Sorting
Sorting is a task that can teach many valuable skills, particularity money and sorting or counting change while using a cash register.
–Protecting
Protecting has a wide array of therapy related products that can serve as a protecting figure such as: An eagle, or mother and cub sandtray miniature.
Exploration and Mastery Themes
–Sensory/Environment Exploration
Sensory is quickly becoming a very popular group of products within our Play Therapy selection. We have many sensory related products that cater to those with sensory challenges.
–Mastery/Competence
Board Games are a terrific selection on honing on skills that teach and develop mastery and competence as well as adding fun to the mix.
–Creativity
Art supplies and even sandtastik has many products that dive into the creative aspect of healing through art.
Interaction Themes
–Building Relationship With Adult
Building interactions with children as well as adults is very a important life skill. Using products from Play Therapy Outlet such as a board game that allows children to interact with adults in a fun and playful manner.
There much to learn when it comes to play therapy themes. This could be the beginning of a whole new world.
