FAMILY CORNER
Exploring feelings through play
Practical advice on supporting young children's emotional wellbeing with therapeutic play
Share this guidance with your families
Play is one of the main ways your child learns and make sense of the world around them. It builds their confidence and helps them to explore their feelings, manage their emotions and cope with change or new situations.
Young children do not always have the words to explain how they feel, what they are worried about or what they are trying to understand. Instead, they often show us through their play.
What is therapeutic play?
Therapeutic play helps children to work through 'big' feelings in a safe and calm way. Engaging in play therapy does not require special skills or equipment, it just means using play in a caring, warm and responsive way to support your child's emotional wellbeing.
Play provides a safe space for children to express themselves, work through new experiences and feel more in control of what is happening to them or around them. For example, if your child is worried about a dentist or doctor's appointment, or about a change in the family, they may explore this with dolls, teddies, toy animals or other objects.
For children aged two to five years, pretend play is especially useful. They can act out familiar experiences such as cooking, shopping, going to pre-school, travelling on a bus or putting toys to bed. Through this kind of play, they can practise routines, explore any worries they may have and try out different things. This can be reassuring, particularly if something feels new, confusing or difficult.
If you notice your child returning to the same games and stories again and again, this is part of how children process things and is perfectly normal. This kind of repetition helps young children understand their experiences and feel more secure.
Out and about
For children who find new places difficult, practising through play at home can help. You might use teddies, puppets or toy figures to act out going to the dentist, starting at an early years setting or travelling somewhere new. This can make those experiences feel less frightening.
Outdoor play is also particularly valuable because it combines movement, fresh air, sensory experiences and freedom to explore. Running, climbing, balancing, jumping, collecting leaves and splashing in puddles can all support children's emotional wellbeing as well as their physical development.
Role of the adult
Therapeutic play works best when you slow down, watch your child carefully and respond to them with gentleness and warmth.
Noticing what your child is interested in, listening to what they may be showing through their play and allowing your child to lead, enables them to feel listened to even if they are not speaking directly about their feelings.
You do not need to 'fix' the situation, take control or ask lots of questions, just being there in a calm and supportive manner and gently playing alongside will help your child feel seen and supported.
Play is a fundamental aspect of young children's emotional development. It not only helps them understand and express their emotions but also equips them with the skills they need to navigate social relationships and cope with life's challenges.
Under 5 magazine
The magazine of the Early Years Alliance