The World of Play for Kids

A child’s world is one of play. They like to be on the floor building with blocks or pretending to be a super hero. Children need to keep their little fingers busy and thrive when moving things about and telling imaginative stories. So doesn’t it make sense that when you want to get your child talking, you meet them in their world? To put it another way, how effective is it when you ask a child, “What did you do today?” Rarely do parents get the response (if any) that they are looking for!

When child suffers a loss, they experience similar grief responses to an adult, which may include: sadness, anger, fear, physiological responses (headaches, upset tummy) and/or regression (e.g. accidents). The difference will be that a child often reverts to acting out their emotions because they may not be able to articulate or verbalize what they are feeling. Children, like adults, need a safe and nurturing place with loving listeners to express their feelings of sorrow without fear of judgement or reprisal.

I volunteered as a Director, Coordinator, and Facilitator with Rainbows for six years. Rainbows is peer support group for children experiencing loss through death, divorce or other painful transitions. The program is structured so that children with similar experiences come together. The activities used each week include crafts, story and play with the purpose of helping children to relax, get talking about their experience and to support one another. This safe and nurturing environment gives children the opportunity to work through their grief journey while normalizing their response to what has happened in their life. Rainbows is not therapy or counselling and would not necessarily be adequate for a child who has experienced trauma or profound loss.

Children surviving significant trauma or profound loss may benefit from play therapy, which is a discipline based upon a number of psychological theories and is administered by a certified play therapist. Sessions may be individual or in groups and generally run about 30 – 45 minutes in length. Play Therapy has been found to be highly effective, with one study indicating that 71% of children referred show positive change. A therapist will use role playing, art, music, clay, puppets & masks and storytelling as ways to interact with the child.

For more information on Rainbows and Play Therapy visit, www.rainbows.org, www.playtherapy.org, www.a4pt.org, and www.capt.com.

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2664