05/26/2026
This video illustrates the child development principle of "Conservation."
While a pretty hilarious and fun experiment to do with kids between the ages of 3–7, it is a perfect illustration of why Play Therapy, performed by specialized providers, is so important.
Children go through various developmental stages with different degrees of cognitive, emotional, and linguistic limitations. Before the age of 7, a child’s brain literally cannot process logic, abstract concepts, or cause-and-effect the way an adult brain does. Just as they cannot logically deduce that the amount of water stayed the same, they also cannot sit on a couch and logically dissect big emotions, trauma, or anxiety through traditional "talk therapy." Their brains aren't wired for it yet.
That is where Play Therapy comes in. Toys become a child's words, and play becomes their language. Specialized providers use this natural medium to meet children exactly where they are developmentally, helping them express what they don't yet have the cognitive capacity to say out loud.
Providers at Aspen Grove Family Therapy have additional specialized training in Play Therapy and receive either supervision or consultation from Dr. Whitehead, a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor.
