17/10/2025
The Play Therapist's Toolkit...each child has the power to select and use what they're drawn to within their sessions. Play and creative approaches 'speak' when words aren't the chosen mode of communication. My top three...sand, theraputty and lego.
Every Play Therapist has their own version of a toolkit crate – not just a box of toys, but a collection of symbols, sensory materials, and creative tools that invite communication beyond words.
Here’s a look inside what often travels with a therapist – and the deeper purpose behind each item:
🧸 Miniature figures: help children project real-life relationships and explore power, safety, and belonging through small-world play.
🎨 Art materials: drawing, clay, or watercolours provide a safe way to show feelings that might feel “too big” to name.
🪵 Natural objects stones, shells, feathers, and sand remind children of stability and connection to the real world – grounding tools in moments of stress.
🎭 Puppets and masks: give permission to express strong emotions through a character, allowing the child to stay both “in” and “outside” the story.
🧩 Building materials: blocks, magnetic tiles, or recycled cardboard let children create and rebuild worlds, testing out control, safety, and change.
📖 Story cards and blank books: help children reshape difficult memories into stories with new endings – a key part of therapeutic processing.
It’s not the items themselves that heal – it’s how they’re used, the intention behind them, and the emotional space they create.
A good toolkit crate is never just full – it’s alive, constantly evolving with the child’s needs.
✨ Imagine opening your own toolkit – what three objects would you include to help a child feel safe enough to play?
Learn more about play therapy here: https://zurl.co/RinDm
