The Playroom and Toys

The playroom creates the first impression on a child, so it is important that the room feels warm, inviting, open and child-friendly. The playroom should be big enough for one or two children to move freely and can accommodate the therapist without getting in the child’s way. A window to the outside of the room, with a blind/curtain, is recommended. Vinyl tiles work the best for the floor because they are easy to clean. A sink with running water is very useful although I have worked in rooms without a sink. In that case you could use a camping water can with a tap to wash hands. Storage cabinets are useful to keep your extra toys, paint, sand and art supplies. A white board mounted on the wall provides a versatile platform for drawing and writing. A typical playroom needs shelves by the wall for arranging toys, sandtray miniatures, art supplies etc. The shelves should be at a child’s height- no higher than 38 inches. The playroom should be kept clean and tidy. It should be neat; but inviting to a child at the same time.

Toys and material for the playroom   

                  

Toys are children’s words so they should be selected to serve as a medium to facilitate feelings, expressions, exploration and promote understanding of self. Toys need to be durable and inviting. There should not be too many toys because the child might feel overwhelmed. The toys should be kept on the same spot, are easily accessible and clean. Electronic games are not appropriate for the play therapy. Because of their preprogrammed nature; they do not encourage creativity or expressions.  

Real life toys- Dolls ( including a doll family), play bottles, puppets, doll house, doctor’s kit, cash register, play kitchen and cooking set, plastic fruits, vegetables and other food, phone, small cars, airplanes, dress-up cloths, full size mirror, hand-cuffs, wood-workshop (if possible),

Aggressive-acting out toys- Action figures, aggressive animals like alligators, tigers, bull etc., punching bag, toy soldiers

Arts and creative toys – Various art supplies like crayons, markers, pipe-cleaners, glitter glue, watercolors, tempera colors, construction paper, stamps, an easel with big paper, water play, sand tray, play-dough, blocks, Legos, musical instruments, puppet theater

                                                                                    Source: Garry Landreth(2012)

Sandtray Therapy in the Playroom – Part 2

 

Therapist’s Role

Sandtray therapy is a very therapeutic experience. It can be easily integrated into a play therapy session. Sand play can bring out the inner most feelings through symbols and metaphors and gives the kids power to process them in a non-intrusive way. The therapist’s role in the sand tray therapy is to facilitate spontaneous and original sand play. At the beginning of the session the therapist could introduce the sand tray and point out the miniatures. The therapist should specify that the child could create his/her own world in the sand by using the miniature toys. The therapist can touch the sand to emphasize the kinetic play. It’s like giving the child permission to feel and handle the sand. Although keep in mind that not all the kids like to play in the sand.

There are directive and non-directive methods of sandtray therapy. In a non-directive therapy a child is free to create any scene in the sand. The theory behind it is that a child would intuitively choose the miniature toys that reflect his/her current dilemma or problem. The inner drive of a child to process feelings is at work. The therapist’s role is supportive; making non-judgmental comments, observing, reflecting feelings, similar to non-directive play therapy. At the end of the session the therapist can ask the child if he is willing to tell the story about his sandtray. The child can opt out. In a directive sandtray therapy, a child is asked to recreate a scene from a trauma or any other problem at hand. Then the therapists prompts the child to process the situation by asking open ended questions. In both methods, it could take several weeks before the child feels that the process is complete.

Some key things to remember-

Allow the child freedom to choose

Be careful while making comments about the play

Do not press the child to explain the play, they cannot always verbalize it.

Do not assume

Silence is OK. Sometimes a child is deep within his subconscious and words could be intrusive and counterproductive.

Patience is the key.

Clean up the sandtray only after the child leaves

Take pictures of the sandtray with the child’s permission

This is a very brief introduction of the sandtray therapy. For more information please visit-

http://www.junginla.org/education/what_is_sandplay

 

Or read

Sandtray: A Practical Manual by Daniel Sweeney and Linda Homeyer

Sandtray Therapy in the Playroom – Part 1

Sandtray therapy is effectively used in the playroom. Sandtray therapy is kinetic and it eliminates need to verbalize. It is very helpful in case of trauma because verbalizing traumatic events can re-traumatize the client. Sand tray becomes an instrument to express and resolve the intense feelings surrounding trauma. Sand play comes naturally to the children. It is inviting by nature, sensory and tactile.  Playing in the sand is a unique therapeutic experience for a child or an adult.

Sandtray miniatures need to represent all aspects of real life. They should also facilitate imagination of a child. 

Typical sandtray miniatures include:

 Landscape items – trees, rocks, marbles, flowers, crops

People- boy, girls, mom-dad, couple, doctor, nurse, firefighters, army men

*People should represent various ethnicities

Action figures – Ninjas, super-heroes, villains, power rangers etc.

Buildings- huts, small houses, tall building, mansions, school, hospital, bridges,

Animals – wild animals (tiger, lion, elephant, dinosaurs), pets (horses, cat, dog, fish), Water animal (fish, shark, whale, dolphin, turtle), birds, farm animals (chickens, goats, pigs)

Holiday miniatures- Santa Claus, witch, ghost, Easter eggs, menorah, candles etc.

*Keep in mind multicultural holidays

Animated miniatures- Disney movie related- Gene- Aladdin, the Incredibles family, the Mermaid, the Snow white, etc.

Vehicles- Cars, trucks, boats, airplane, helicopter

Benefits of sandtray therapy:

1. Sandtray therapy provides a safe medium for expressing non-verbalized emotional issues. If play is the language of childhood (and of anyone who is unable or unwilling to verbalize), then the miniatures are the words.

2. Sandtray therapy has a unique kinesthetic quality providing for the need of a sensory experience for clients in distress or crisis.

3. Sandtray therapy serves to create a necessary therapeutic distance for clients as they experience emotional release through symbolization and sublimation through projection onto the tray and miniatures.

4. Sandtray therapy naturally provides boundaries and limits, which promotes safety for clients. Even though these boundaries are intentional, they promote freedom for expression.

5. Sandtray therapy provides a unique setting for the emergence of therapeutic metaphors, the most powerful of which are created by the client and interpreted solely by the client as well.

6. Sandtray therapy, because of its non-threatening and engaging qualities, can captivate the involuntary or uninterested child or adult due to the fact that sandtray therapy provides a means of communicating which diverts the fear of verbal conflict.

7. Sandtray therapy provides a needed and effective communication medium for the person with poor verbal skills.

8. Sandtray therapy cuts through verbalization used as a defense mechanism. 

9. Sandtray therapy creates a place for the child, adolescent, or adult to experience control as opposed to the loss of emotional, psychological or even physiological control. 

10. Deeper intrapsychic issues may be accessed more thoroughly and more rapidly through sandtray therapy.

Source:Homeyer, L.E., & Sweeney, D.S. (1998). Sandtray: A practical manual

.

This is a very brief introduction of the sandtray therapy.

 For more information please visit-

http://www.junginla.org/education/what_is_sandplay

Or read

Sandtray: A Practical Manual by Daniel Sweeney and Linda Homeyer