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Center for Play Therapy - At the University of North Texas

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Fall Conference 2010

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Create A Therapeutic Environment: A Well-Planned and Organized Space is Very Important Especially for Distressed and Traumatized Children

  • Orderly and Predictable
  • Allow for Messiness & Ease of Clean Up
Criteria for Selecting Toys and Materials
Toys should:
  • Allow for exploration of real life experiences including cultural values, traditions and roles.
  • Facilitate contact with the child by gaining the child's interest and attention
  • Permit reality testing/limit setting
  • Provide the opportunity for development of self-control
  • Facilitate exploration of the self and others
  • Allow children to express their needs symbolically (without any need for verbalization)
  • Provide for expression of a wide range of feelings
  • Provide opportunities for insight/self-understanding
  • Allow for creative expression
  • Toys should also be durable, simple, and easy to operate, allow for success & are fun
Reminder: Toys should be selected, not collected
Categories of Toys
  • Real-life and Nurturing
    Doll family, doll house, baby bottle, variety of puppets, animal families, cars, money, cash, register, kitchen food, medical kit, phone, etc.
  • Acting-out, Aggressive, Scary Toys (or not?)
    oBop bag, toy soldiers, guns (colored plastic-not real looking!), scary/aggressive puppets and animals (alligator, shark, etc), rubber knife, foam sword, handcuffs, etc.
  • Creative expression and emotional release:
    Sand, water, paints, craft materials, clay, musical instruments, magic wand, dress-up clothes, etc.

Toys and Materials For Play Therapy
Fully Equipped Playroom

 

Doll furniture (sturdy wood)

Gumby (bendable nondescript figure)

Doll bed, clothes, etc.

*Bendable doll family

*Dolls

Pacifier

Nursing bottle (plastic)

Chalkboard, chalk

Refrigerator (wood)

Dishes (plastic or tin)

Pitcher

*Plastic food

Egg cartons

Broom, dustpan

*Crayons, pencils, paper

Toy watch

Paints, easel, newsprint, brushes

Lone Ranger type mask

Tongue depressors, popsicle sticks

*Truck, car, airplane, tractor, boat

Pounding bench and hammer

*Cymbals

Toy soldiers and army equipment

Sandbox, large spoon, funnel, sieve, pail

Rubber snake, alligator

*Multicolored chalk, eraser

Stove (wood)

*Pans, silverware

Dishpan

*Empty fruit and vegetable cans, etc.

 

Band-aids

Sponge, towel

Soap, brush, comb

Transparent tape

Building blocks (diff. shapes and sizes)

Play-Doh or clay

Pipe cleaners

ATV (multi-wheel vehicle for riding on)

School bus (Fisher Price type)

*Xylophone

*Drum

*Fireman's hat, other hats

Zoo animals, farm animals

Bop bag (Bobo)

Handcuffs

Toy noise making gun

*Telephone (two)

*Construction paper (several colors)

Rags or old towels

Tinker toys

Tissue

Rubber Knife

Dart gun

Balls (large and small)

Medical kit

Blunt scissors

Play money and cash register

*Hand puppets (doctor, nurse, etc.)

Rope

*Purse and jewelry

 

Multicultural Considerations 

Toys provide children with symbols to express their experiences and gain insight. Therefore, a variety of toys is essential to provide children the opportunity to fully express themselves in manageable ways and in accordance to each child's unique needs. It is recommended to include toys representative of the child's culture and experience (toys can be added that are specific to a unique culture or event, ex: Sept 11).

You can make your playroom culturally sensitive by including toys representative of your clientele's cultural background. The above list identifies toys that can be culturally responsive (note * items), examples include, but are not limited to: inclusion of dolls/puppets of different skin colors, ethnically diverse food as well as kitchen utensils representative of different cultures, musical instruments, hats, and jewelry representative of diverse cultures.