Great Games for Play Therapy

Most of us end up having four or five games in our playroom that we use over and over again. There are few seasoned child therapists that don’t own a copy of The Talking, Feeling, and Doing Game.  Even after 20+ years I still find myself using this game, especially with kids that are having a hard time opening up and talking. And, obviously, I like My First Therapy Game. I developed My First Therapy Game to help children identify important child therapy topics and issues, and I use it throughout the course of therapy. This game is now sold under the name The Social & Emotional Competence Game.

I like using The Nurturing Game with children that are having trouble showing kind and tender behaviors. This game helps children talk about being loving and kind. In therapy I encourage shaking hands rather than hugging since that can cause problems for male therapists. Of course lots of the children we see are not very good at cooperating and taking turns. Both Bambino Dino and Mountaineering are cooperative games. In order to “win” the players have to work together. Bambino Dino is popular with younger kids and older children really seem to enjoy Mountaineering. The Self Esteem-Game is a fun and a little silly, but it gets kids to start identifying positive thoughts about themselves. Lots of kids have difficulty regulating themselves when they are frustrated or angry. I find Furious Fred is a great way to teach kids how to cope with their angry feelings. I have also begun using Clear Thinking (now sold as Positive Thoughts) to help children begin the process of rationale thinking