Tag Archives: activity

September 16, 2012 · 1:58 pm

50 Activities and Games Dealing With Anger

background courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

Over time, I have come across many anger-related activities from websites, blogs, and more. I decided to gather them all in one place and came up with a list of 50. If you have any other tools targeting anger, please share with the rest of us!

Activities:

1. Angry Paper Toss

2. Creating a Calm Down Box

3. Deep Breathing Activities

4. Angry Tornado

This anger management activity can show a client how anger can build up inside a person. It can also show the client that when they feel an angry tornado building up inside of them they can use coping skills to help defuse the anger.

5. The Tower

With this activity the play therapy client will create a “visual” of their problems being locked away in a tower and come up with solutions to solving these problems. If the play therapy client is not ready to create a solution to the problem the client can still benefit by visualizing the problem locked away in the tower. The play therapy client can become empowered by separating themselves from the problem that is locked away in the tower.

6. Anger Control Problem Solving Cards

Anger control cards define problems experienced in a variety of settings and enable children to develop self-awareness and behavorial skills.

7. The Angry Octopus Activity

8. Anger Management Flip Book

9. Calm Down Sandwichesphoto of a strategy sandwich

The ingredients – some meat and cheese, two tomato slices and a piece of lettuce – represent the things that we’ve talked about trying when the worries start to overwhelm.

10. The M&M Anger Game

11. Power Cards

Power Cards are highly visual and they contain short blurbs or lists of information that will help a child in various situations that he may come across.

12. Don’t Be Caught Being Angry. Be A Smart Fish.

13. Anger Map

14. How Big Is Your Anger Worksheet

15. Don’t Be An Angry Bird and Cool Down Strategies

16. Balloon Anger Activity

17. When Sophie Gets Angry

After reading When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry…, we played a game with the tree pictured. I gave students examples of things that made them or Sophie angry and had students put a leaf on the tree for their response.

18. Anger Gage

19. Cooling Off a Hot Temper: Reset The Thermostat

20. Books That Help Kids Deal With Anger

21. Relaxing Rice Jars

22. Anger Control Puppets

The Anger Management Puppet Set includes 3 Puppets, a CD of recorded script and catchy original music, and a separate guide. The two scripts and one CD that are designed to help counselors, teachers, or parents teach children about how to be a good sport and how to deal with anger. These puppets are suitable for small and large hands are quite durable. They are made for long term use.

23. Hidden Heart Group Activity

For people to recognize and understand that the anger they keep on the inside affects how they live their lives. To help people recognize the good things that they have in their hearts and to encourage them to share this part of themselves with others.

24. Anger Management Cards

Give these cards to students to use throughout their day. Have them place their thumb behind the card and watch for the color change to reveal how calm they can make themselves. Four useful steps to anger control are provided on the back of each card.

25. Turtle Time Relaxation Technique

26. Humortunities: Using Laughter Meditation to Let Go and Relax

27. Fun and Easy To Make Relaxation Flip Books

Kids had fun practicing these, and it was inexpensive to reproduce laminated flip books to send home with clients.

28. Mind Movie: The Relaxed You

29. Sailing Through the Icy Fields of Anger (online interactive tool)

30. Squeeze Your Angries Out (online interactive tool)

Games:

1. Escape From Anger Island

Escape form Anger Island™ is designed with the busy counselor in mind, and it can be played in just 15 minutes. There are six skills in total, and one skill is the focus of each 15 minute session. Kids can play multiple times to learn all six skills.

2. Anger Blob Cards

These cards depict different elements of the anger cycle. Using appropriate cards in a variety of activities discussed in the accompanying booklet will facilitate awareness of the causes of anger and help to work out ways to overcome those triggers. For use one-to-one or with small or large groups.

3. Anger Control Dominos

In this new game, players have fun playing dominoes while learning to manage their anger and problem-solve in a thoughtful, assertive, and respectful way.

 

4. Berenstain Bears Keep Your Cool Card Game

This game is intended to introduce the concept of anger management to children, while encouraging them to talk about things that bother them. The game is played like the familiar children’s card game of War, but with a peaceful twist!

5. Keep Your Cool Game

The game can be introduced with two included short stories about “Self-Control Seth” and “Bad Attitude Brittany.” Also included are ideas for reinforcing the concepts presented in the game.

6. Stop That Angry Thought Card Game

Here’s a deck of cards that teaches children how to manage their anger. Using two internal dialog techniques—Thought Stopping and Self-Talk—kids can stop anger in its tracks. By simply playing cards, they learn to envision a stop sign whenever their anger is triggered and to replace their angry thoughts with more positive responses.

7. Angry Animals

Angry Aardvark, Cranky Crab, Furious Frog, Mad Meerkat, Peeved Pig, and Raging Racoon teach children how to respond to anger in healthy ways. As they move from the Anger Volcano to Tranquility Beach—with occasional visits to the Time-Out Tent—kids answer game card questions about behavior, responsibility, sibling rivalry, conflict, and relationships. Along the way, they learn that anger is a natural feeling, neither good nor bad. It’s the way one expresses anger that matters.

8. Smart and Angry

Smart and Angry is a therapeutic and educational board game designed to teach young people specific skills that will help them look objectively at anger-provoking situations and react in a thoughtful, assertive, and respectful way. It is not the anger that gets kids in trouble, but rather the actions they take when they are angry, that determine whether they can solve the problem or make things worse. In addition, many people misread situations and become angry when it is inappropriate.

9. Peacetown: A Conflict Resolution Game

10. The Anger Solution Game

11. Remote Control Anger Control

12. Positive Ways To Handle Anger Card Game

The Positive Ways to Handle Anger Card Game is played like the classic Old Maid card game. There are 20 sets of matching cards that show positive, safe ways to handle angry feelings. Each game includes playing instructions, information about anger and how to use the game as an educational tool.

13. The Berenstain Bears Keep Your Cool Bingo

14. The Berenstain Bears Keep Your Cool Card Game

15. Stop That Angry Thought Card Game

16. Exploring My Anger Board Game

17. Anger IQ (Adolescence through Adult)

The Anger IQ game educates players about the hazards of irrational thinking associated with anger, and gives them practice avoiding them by using a set of principles for dealing with anger. Players will translate this rehearsal of responsible decisions made under conditions of anger to the real world. This combined use of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and Social Learning Theory is particularly effective.

18. “I Was So Mad” Anger Game

This game helps children learn how to stay cool and not blow up when they are angry. The object of the “I Was So Mad” Anger Game is to help children learn positive ways to control and regulate themselves when they are angry.

19. Anger Bingo for Teens

20. Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game

feature imageThis fast-paced therapeutic card game helps children control their anger in the moment, practice effective anger management techniques, and understand what anger looks and feels like. Mad Dragon plays like the popular card game Uno.

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July 8, 2012 · 5:40 pm

Another Step In “All Tied Up with Worry”

If you have read my blog, you know I love sharing great therapeutic activities. I have already posted one of my favorites, which is using yarn to learn more about a person’s worries (see original post below). I added another step during a family therapy session that provided a strong visual impact and gave them an option to continue this technique at home.

  • I found face shapes of varying shades at a craft store and asked the client to choose a face that will represent them.

  • Instead of cutting paper squares to label the yarn, I used address labels since they are also stickers.
  • I then asked the client to stick each worry in the “brain” of their face shape. Once this was done, we talked about how worries can fill up their head and make it hard to think of other things, such as school work.

  • We then took each worry out of their “brain” and talked about various solutions and ways to deal with the worries. If the client chose, they could cut the worry down to make it shorter to indicate they felt a little better about the worry.

Since we used address labels to stick on the face shape, I demonstrated removing some of the worries. I emphasized the importance of talking about our problems and applying any stress reduction techniques we have reviewed in our sessions together. For this particular client, we referred to the relaxation flip books completed in a prior session.

  • The client took home their project and some blank labels so they can remove worries, or add worries. This was helpful for the mother to understand more about her child’s worries and removing or cutting a worry down also felt really good for the client!

Mom actually told me the whole family is on board in discussing their worries and the size of their worries with one another. This dialog has already improved the family’s communication and given the child permission to share their feelings with the parents. I was very excited to hear this!

Therapy is always full of opportunities for creativity. If you find another twist to this activity, or any others, please feel free to share!

Original Post On 4/16/12: 

Therapeutic Activity: All Tied Up With Worry

This is a great activity for helping someone to visualize their worries and gives great insight into what they may be worrying about the most. You can do this for yourself, your children, or professionals can use this on their clients. Great for all ages!!

The pictures below are from an actual client and I’ll discuss a little more about what I found.

What you will need: yarn, small squares of paper, and something to write with.

Next, talk about something the person worries about and pull out a string of yarn that represents how big the worry feels. Write the worry down on a piece of paper. Be sure to attach the worry to the string of yarn so you can keep track of which wory goes with which string of yarn.

Once all the worries have been mentioned and the yarn pulled, you can evaluate what you see. In my experience with this activity, I have found that some people have A LOT of worries. Others only have a few worries, but they may be really big. This also puts into perspective what worries are bigger than others. It’s a wonderful tool for gathering AND processing information!

This isn’t the greatest photo, but you can get the idea. There are three worries pictured, ranging in length from small to very long. The smallest worry is “worrying about mom not being able to support me” and the longest worry is getting in trouble for things he didn’t do. This is a school age child who had been getting into trouble so much lately that he was the first one pointed at when something went missing or a fight broke out in class. He was given an opportunity to talk about this issue and how he feels about getting in trouble so much.

This particular child did not have many worries, but some do. For those who have a lot of worries, we have balled up the yarn and talked about how all these worries in their head feel. Another option is to string the worries up into a web. I did this with a child around Halloween and he had a lot of fun, and actually added in some of those plastic spiders!

Many times the topics we are talking about can be emotionally heavy so adding in some fun and light-heartedness can help the person through the activity without leaving them feeling weighed down!

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Angry Paper Toss

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April 16, 2012 · 5:14 pm

Art Therapy: Painting Your Body In Emotion

Painting emotions is a great way to learn more about where and how a person experiences their feelings. I learned this activity from a colleague, and I wish I knew the original source so I could credit them here. This is a fairly popular activity among therapists, which is a testament to how effective it is. It’s great for all ages, but I have used it only with children and teens so far.

You don’t have to be a therapist though. This is a wonderful tool for parents to use when talking with their kids about feelings. Whether you want to have a general discussion, or you want them to express feelings they may have over a certain event or problem (such as changing schools or divorce), this activity is appropriate.

I’m going to share some pictures of this activity done in previous sessions. No identifying information about the painters, such as gender, age, or names, will be shared in order to protect confidentiality.

What You Need:

Large construction paper

Cut-out of body (or draw one- I show examples of both)

Paint (at least 4 colors)

Paint brushes (although finger painting would work too)

Glue or glue stick

Pen or marker

.

Glue the body onto the construction paper.

.

Choose the feelings you want represented (Happy, Sad, Angry, Worried, Fearul, Nervous, etc.) and paint the part of the body that feeling is most often expressed. Talk about a time when you felt that feeling as well. Here are some examples to help with the explanation. Notice how the key to the colors is written on the side to reference later.

This child indicated their happy feeling was in their heart. They painted the face blue because they cry when they are sad. Notice they painted their legs red (anger) and explained this was because they want to kick things when they are angry. Purple is for nervous because their hands get sweaty.

The pre-teen painting this body has symptoms of ADHD and struggle with attention. They requested to include “distracted” as a feeling and painted their face “distracted” because they claimed to have trouble keeping their mind focused. Theypainted their hands red because they want to hit things when angry.

This child painted red for angry and covered their head, one hand (for hitting), and heart. Needless to say this is a child with a lot of anger. Black represented scared and blue represented sad.

Like other therapeutic activities, a lot of the value is in the discussion, as well as the activity itself. I always tell them that they can paint a feeling, and if they choose not to share more about why they painted that feeling where they did, they don’t have to. This allows them the opportunity to express feelings within themselves, even if they are not comfortable sharing more.

Have you tried this activity? If so, what was your experience?

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· 4:51 pm

Therapeutic Activity: All Tied Up with Worry

This is a great activity for helping someone to visualize their worries and gives great insight into what they may be worrying about the most. You can do this for yourself, your children, or professionals can use this on their clients. Great for all ages!!

The pictures below are from an actual client and I’ll discuss a little more about what I found.

What you will need: yarn, small squares of paper, and something to write with.

 

Next, talk about something the person worries about and pull out a string of yarn that represents how big the worry feels. Write the worry down on a piece of paper. Be sure to attach the worry to the string of yarn so you can keep track of which wory goes with which string of yarn.

Once all the worries have been mentioned and the yarn pulled, you can evaluate what you see. In my experience with this activity, I have found that some people have A LOT of worries. Others only have a few worries, but they may be really big. This also puts into perspective what worries are bigger than others. It’s a wonderful tool for gathering AND processing information!

This isn’t the greatest photo, but you can get the idea. There are three worries pictured, ranging in length from small to very long.  The smallest worry is “worrying about mom not being able to support me” and the longest worry is getting in trouble for things he didn’t do. This is a school age child who had been getting into trouble so much lately that he was the first one pointed at when something went missing or a fight broke out in class. He was given an opportunity to talk about this issue and how he feels about getting in trouble so much.

This particular child did not have many worries, but some do. For those who have a lot of worries, we have balled up the yarn and talked about how all these worries in their head feel. Another option is to string the worries up into a web. I did this with a child around Halloween and he had a lot of fun, and actually added in some of those plastic spiders!

Many times the topics we are talking about can be emotionally heavy so adding in some fun and light-heartedness can help the person through the activity without leaving them feeling weighed down!

You may also like Angry Paper Toss!

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April 11, 2012 · 6:19 pm

A Simple Explanation of Play Therapy

I meet with a lot of parents who are bringing their child for play therapy, either because they were referred by another child professional, or they just figured they would give it a shot to help them with their child’s behavior. However, most do not really grasp what play therapy means or what a play therapist does with the child. So, what does a play  therapist do during a session?

My favorite explanation is to use the image of adult therapy. I call it the “Couch Explanation.”

When you think of an adult getting counseling, you think of someone sitting on a couch, talking to the therapist while they listen to your problems. The counselor may point out patterns they notice in your life, help you reframe certain ideas, reflect your feelings, and even teach you some therapeutic techniques. You would feel you have a a safe place to express yourself, talk about intimate details of your life, and process events that have happened, or are happening, in your life.

When a child comes to play therapy, it is very much the same. Sometimes the child uses words and other times they use play or art to communicate and express thoughts and emotion. Similar to working with adults, the play therapist will reflect the child’s feelings, point out patterns, likes, and dislikes they notice. They may also teach the child techniques to help them identify feelings, cope with their anger, or socialize at school. And most importantly, the play room is set up to be a safe place for the child to express themselves and process various things in their life. For example, a child struggling because their parents divorced and now they are living in a new house and going to a new school will definitely need to process all that has happened in order to move on.

As a Registered Play Therapist, I really believe in the power of play therapy. I have witnessed the benefits and encourage parents to seek out a play therapist if their child is struggling.

Please visit the Association for Play Therapy website for more information on play therapy and Registered Play Therapists!

If you have experience with this as a parent or professional, I would love to hear other explanations you have found helpful!

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March 31, 2012 · 2:46 pm

Using Easter Eggs to Learn About Feelings

I am so excited about the Easter holiday next weekend, getting to color eggs and set up a hunt for my toddler for the first time! One great thing about being a parent is getting to do all the fun stuff we did as kids, but I think this is even better! Of course, I am always thinking of the holiday and how to incorporate the themes into fun feeling-related activities for the kids. Although my little guy is still too young this year, I hope you find these to be something you can do in your home!

Coloring Your Feelings

What you need:

Hard boiled eggs

Easter egg dye

  1. Choose 3-5 feelings. I suggest using Happy, Sad, and Mad as your first three. Other feelings to choose from are Excited, Silly, Scared, Shy, Distracted, Frustrated, and Anxious.
  2. Have your child choose a dye color to match each feeling.
  3. Dip the egg in the dye and have them talk about that feeling while it is getting colored.
  4. Ask questions like:

Tell me about a time when you felt _______.

What or who sometimes makes you feel ______.

When you feel ______, what does it feel like in your body? Examples are face gets hot, heart races, etc.

When you feel _____, how can you calm yourself down?

This is a fun way to bring up feelings with your kids. Depending on their age, it may help them learn the names of feelings, recognize that all feelings are normal, and even learn some ways to cope with the negative feelings.

Discovering Inside Feelings

What you need:

Plastic Easter eggs, paper, marker, scissors.

 

Identifying Feelings Version (for the younger kids)

  1. Cut out small squares of paper small enough to fold and fit into a plastic egg.
  2. On each square, draw a face with a feeling- Happy, Sad, and Mad, etc.
  3. Fold the paper and place one in each plastic egg.
  4. Mix these eggs in with other plastic eggs filled with the fun stuff.
  5. Include these eggs with the child’s regular hunt or hide these separately, your preference.
  6. When the child goes through their eggs, explain to them that some of the eggs have feelings inside, just like they do. We are going to discover some of those feelings and talk about them when they are opened.
  7. If you are doing this with your toddler, say and sign the feeling for them. Be sure to use the expression as you say the feeling (i.e. frown for sad). To learn about feeling signs for babies, visit my post on Using Signs to Teach Your Toddler About Feelings.

Scenario Version (Older preschool)

  1. Cut out small squares of paper small enough to fold and fit into a plastic egg.
  2. On each square, write a scenario that reflects at least on feeling, including Happy, Sad, Mad, Frustrated, Silly, Excited, Hyper, and Shy.
  3. An example of a scenario may be “Madison is running on the playground when she fell down. Another kid laughed at her. How do you think she feels?” *Keep in mind that scenarios that ask them to identify the feelings of other people help them to learn empathy. Scenarios that ask them how they feel help them learn how to identify their own feelings. Both are important.
  4. Fold the paper and place one in each plastic egg.
  5. Mix these eggs in with other plastic eggs filled with the fun stuff.
  6. Hide the eggs outside or in your house.
  7. When the child goes through their eggs, read the scenario and see if they can tell you how that person may feel. You may want to have a picture of feelings nearby to give them a choice. Here is a good Feelings Chart I pulled from printablebehaviorcharts.com.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
You may also like Angry Paper Toss!

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· 2:20 am

A Therapist’s Tote of Techniques: Deep Breathing!

When I mentioned I was going to be sharing my “best therapeutic techniques,” I imagine some of you were surprised when I said deep breathing would be first on my list to share. This should tell you how important it is to know good breathing technique and how often it is used in treating all kinds of symptoms- anxiety, anger, nervousness, worry, and so on. (By the way, this image is meant to get you in the mood to relax!)

I’ll also share some fun ways to teach kids about deep breathing exercises!

5 Reasons to Practice Deep Breathing

  1. It’s FREE! There is no cost for you to learn or apply this technique and it is an excellent tool for stress and anger management.
  2. It tricks your body into thinking it is in a calm state (as opposed to the fight or flight state).When we are in a state of stress, our bodies are in a “fight or flight” response, meaning it is reacting as if there is a threat present and we either need to stay and fight the threat or run away. When our bodies are in this state, our heart rate rises and our breathing becomes rapid and shallow.
  3. Deep Breathing gives you energy! The act of breathing deeply helps to deliver nutrient rich oxygen throughout your body.
  4. This delivery of oxygen also helps to eliminate waist in the body an help maintain healthy cells.
  5. It’s a useful technique to have ready when the time comes. Practice now so when you are feeling angry, anxious, etc., you will be prepared to use it!

When To Use Deep Breathing

  • If you are nervous about an important meeting, public speaking engagement, or personal situation you are about to face.
  • When you feel angry. You may notice your heart beating faster, face getting hot, and an urge to react to the source of your anger.
  • If you are feeling an urge to do something you don’t want to do.
  • Anytime you feel the need to relax and de-stress.

Teaching about deep breathing proved to be difficult without a visual aid. Unfortunately, I could not find one that I was comfortable adding to my blog. So… for your entertainment, I made a short video of my own to teach you proper deep breathing technique (no laughing!).

VIEW MY TUTORIAL VIDEO HERE FOR PROPER BREATHING TECHNIQUE! 
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NOW, FUN WAYS TO TEACH THE KIDS!
I have found that teaching kids about deep breathing is similar to teaching them other things… you have to trick them into thinking they are not learning or practicing something important! Here are some fun activities to help your kids learn about deep breathing. Once they learn the skill, teach them how and when to apply deep breathing.
 
Blowing a Pinwheel
Such a simple, yet fun toy! Who doesn’t love to watch the pinwheel colors mix together as it spins?
  1. Have your child take a deep breath (remind them slow and deep)
  2. Hold their breath for 2 seconds
  3. Release their breath by blowing the pinwheel
  4. Repeat 2 more times

Candle and Flower

  1. Gather together a candle (you can light it if you feel your child is old enough) and a flower
  2. Starting with the flower, have your child take a deep breath (remind them slow and deep) through their nose as if they are smelling the flower
  3. When they are breathing in the flower, have them pretend they are breathing in good, calm feelings
  4. Hold their breath for 2 seconds
  5. Release their breath by slowly blowing out the candle, pretending that they are breathing out the angry, yucky feelings
  6. Repeat 2 more times

References: www.webmd.com www.kidsrelaxation.com
http://www.stress-and-relaxation.com/deep-breathing.html

You may also like: A Therapist’s Tote of Techniques

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March 28, 2012 · 2:06 am

Angry Paper Toss

I have to share an activity I recently found online by Dr. Amy Wickstrom that has been a wonderful tool in therapy. I began using this just last week since the weather has been so beautiful. I have to admit that I figured some of the kids I brought out for this activity would only half way participate. However, to my surprise, all the kids have enjoyed this exercise! Many people have a difficult time saying what makes them angry and are more comfortable writing it down or drawing a picture. Plus, the physical activity and fresh air also got them to open up even more. This activity can be used for most any age, even adults! It can also be done with one person writing or in a group. I also encourage families to do this activity together!

Here is how it works:

1. Gather together some large white paper, markers, napkins or toilet paper, tape, and a container of water.

2. Tape up the paper somewhere, like the side of a building, or even on a driveway.

3. Have each participant write down situations or people that make them angry. I also allowed them to include things that annoy them. Also, some kids chose to draw pictures rather than write in words.

4. Dip the napkins in water. The more soaked the paper is, the better it sticks. The marker actually drips down and the words or drawing fade. Visually seeing their words or drawing drip and fade away was a lot of fun for the kids, and me!

5. Right after the activity, process how it felt to write down their anger. Ask how it felt to toss the paper at the drawings. And finally, talk about how you feel after. If you are doing this as part of therapy, processing the activity is key to really dealing with the issues. As a family, just completing the activity can get people to open up with one another and promote bonding.

Please view the Angry Toilet Paper Toss video by Dr. Wickstrom and let me know how it works for you! I’m sure she would love to hear about your thoughts as well (www.morethanatoy.com)!

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Good Job Kiddo!

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March 10, 2012 · 11:59 pm

Bringing Back Old Fashioned Play

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple”

- Dr. Seuss

I though of this quote when I came across an article by Alix Speigel, Old Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills . This article touches on an important topic for all parents, which is the ever growing support on the importance of creative, “old fashioned” play. Please take a moment to read this article along with my post today.

Disorders like ADD and ADHD, childhood bipolar disorder, and Anxiety and Depression in children is reported to be at an all time high these days. While there is some controversy that these are over-diagnosed (which itself a topic for another blog post), it’s hard to deny that children today are struggling with issues surrounding poor impulse control, difficulty with emotional regulation, poor attention skills, etc. These are what we call “Executive Functions.” One of the current theories is that children today are not engaging in imaginative play, which researchers are discovering is a key component in developing executive functions. The types of toys available today, along with the electronics (tv, gaming systems, iPads) are what our kids are being exposed to and spending their time doing, rather than playing outside or using their imagination. A majority of people today think these latest and greatest toys and games make our kids smarter, but in fact, studies show just the opposite!

For those of you with preteens and teenagers, this information is still relevant. Rather than watching tv or game for 2 hours after school, have your kids journal, read, or build something outside. The possibilities are endless. Changing your expectations of them now, after the bad habits have formed, will be your greatest challenge. Start out slow, maybe requiring reading time for just 15 minutes a day. Suggest some fun activities you can do as a family. Get creative and make it a priority.

As a Play Therapist, I am encouraged by this growing research that supports the power of play in a child’s cognitive development. As a parent, I am relieved to know how simple it can be to create an enriched environment for my children to thrive and grow. We don’t have to spend a lot of money or stress that they don’t have the latest toy. Encouraging our children to play creatively with one another is one of the most important things we can do. Give them crayons, blocks, or a box and cheer on their imagination and zest for what the natural environment has to offer, rather than Mattel.

Here are some more articles on the topic I think you will find interesting.

Q&A: The Best Kind of Play for Kids

Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control

New York Times: Taking Play Seriously

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March 7, 2012 · 10:22 pm

Totika Game

Totika is one of my favorite therapy tools to use with clients 7 years and older. I even recommend parents buy this game to play with your family. It is similar to Jenga, except it comes with questions that you answer between each piece that is pulled from the tower. I’m sure my fellow therapists out there are familiar with this one and hopefully they have as much success as I do. It comes with a Self-Esteem Deck of Cards, but you can also buy the Teen-Adult Questions as well.

There are literally thousands of questions, but here are a few of the them just to give you an idea of what to expect:

Self-Esteem Questions-

  • If you are feeling unmotivated, who helps you get yourself going?
  • If you thought someone was laughing at you, what might you do?
  • What might you feel when you make a wise decision?
  • If you could get rid of one thing that irritates you, what would it be?
  • What might you be able to teach others?
  • What would you like to see change for you in the future?
  • Who are three of your role models?
  • Who notices when you do something well?

Teen-Adult Questions:

  • If you had it all to do again, what might you like to know sooner in life?
  • What are you doing to live a healthy life?
  • If you could be successful at anything, what might you do?
  • What are your three highest priorities in life?
  • What is the single most important choice you have made?
  • How might you describe faith?
  • What has brought you immense joy in life?

As you can see, there are a lot of really good questions that encourage thought and self-reflection. This game can be purchased online at www.selfhelpwarehouse.com or possibly www.childtherapytoys.com for around $20. Have fun! :)

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