Pediatric Mental Health Blog
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Play Therapy: Cooperative Play
Cooperative play is a form of play that requires working together towards a common goal. It often involves teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. This type of play encourages collaboration and helps kids develop social skills as they learn to negotiate roles, share ideas, and support one another through collective effort.
In play therapy, the act of working together in a safe environment allows children to develop a sense of belonging and confidence, which can enhance emotional resilience and overall well-being.
Therapeutic Activities with Play-Doh
Modeling dough (like Play-Doh) can be used as a tactile sensory tool for exploring therapeutic concepts with kids. Read on for 5 of our favorite dough activities to help kids relieve stress, exercise emotional literacy, practice coping skills, and resolve conflict.
10 Hands-On Therapeutic Activities for Kids
From a therapeutic perspective, interventions that utilize hand-on learning techniques can lead to increased interest, motivation, engagement, and progress! Here we have collected 10 of our favorite hands-on therapeutic activities to help kids develop emotional literacy, build self-esteem, practice coping skills, manage behavior, and recognize values.
Bibliotherapy for Anxiety
One of the best ways to tame childhood anxiety is to demystify it. Explore the feelings, triggers, behaviors, and outcomes of anxiety through targeted story books and conversation, or bibliotherapy. Learn more and explore our recommended children’s books about anxiety.
Oobleck and Transformative Nature
Oobleck is a fun and easy demonstration of a non-Newtonian fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids are kind of like us—their behavior is variable depending on stress! This hands-on sensorial experiment can help kids understand that stress (anxiety, frustration, disappointment, failure, anger) can change our behavior.
Read on to learn how to make Oobleck and how to talk to kids about transformative nature.
The Value of Emotional Literacy
Emotional literacy is an important piece of the holistic development of children. By deliberately modeling and exploring emotional literacy, we prepare kids to flourish through resiliency, empathy, and connection.
Quiet Coping Skills
Quiet Coping Skills are subtle but effective ways to privately regulate emotions without attracting scrutiny from others. These techniques aim to interrupt overwhelming feelings by focusing on specific physical tasks and simple mantras.
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy encourages imagination, self-expression, and exploration through specially selected toys and materials. It offers a transformative pathway for children to explore their emotions, navigate challenges, and find healing through the power of play.
Counseling Games for Kids
Cooperative games help kids learn the significance of collaboration, integrity, and respect. Through shared objectives and collective problem-solving, kids build interpersonal skills while exercising ethical conduct and resilience. Read on for tips on how to foster positive sportsmanship through a social-emotional learning lens.
Five Kinds of Productive Play
Play contributes to the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of children. It enhances motor skills, stimulates creativity, and cultivates social intelligence through interactions with peers. Play also serves as a natural learning platform, helping kids understand the world around them. Learn about five kinds of productive play and explore toys that support each kind.