The Art of Play

When was the last time you played with toys? If you’re a little surprised by that question, I wouldn’t blame you. Many of us forgot about the joy that came with playing with toys as we got older. However, as research has shown, there are many benefits to playing to adults and children alike; play therapy is something that psychologists can get trained and licensed in!

According to the Association for Play Therapy (API), there are a number of concerns that play therapy can help children with including internalizing behaviors that are associated with anxiety and depression, externalizing behaviors like aggression and disruptive behaviors, autism, academic performance, ADHD, medical conditions, self-esteem, trauma, and speech and language issues. At times, when a kiddo struggles with one or more of these issues, it can be difficult to approach emotions and feelings, which is where play therapy comes in. Most often utilized with individuals from three to 12 years old, play therapy, as API highlights, is a specific way of engaging and working with children to allow for experiencing and exploring emotions in ways other than talking. Play therapy utilizes materials such as storytelling, puppets, arts and crafts, water and sand play, blocks, and other forms of play, which are all ways in which various aspects of feelings and thoughts can be explored in a way that can be more comfortable for a child, or even an adult. Though the research is a little on the older side, play therapy has been shown to improve mental health in older adults, help adults approach and cope with trauma in a healthy way, and can even assist those with developmental disabilities in growing their communication skills and emotional expression. 

Beyond play therapy, playing with toys can have loads of benefits to adults, including serving as a form of stress relief; offering stronger creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; strengthening our bond with those who we might play or have fun with, and also helps to allow us to reconnect with our own childhoods, when we believed that bugs had complex lives of their own and we laughed just because.

Regardless of whether or not you or your child engage in play therapy with a licensed play therapist, or you enjoy keeping a few toys handy for whenever the mood strikes, play therapy has a ton of benefits! As a form of therapy that is not often talked about, play therapy serves as the perfect example of the fact that not all therapy is talking. If you or your child struggle with putting your feelings to words, maybe play therapy is the right kind of therapy for you!

Ayanna Schubert

Birch Psychology

Resources

https://www.a4pt.org/page/PublicResearchResource

https://www.a4pt.org/page/WhyPlayTherapy

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/play-therapy#benefits-for-children

https://fordjames.medium.com/unleash-your-inner-child-why-adults-should-play-with-toys-403900eddb83