PLAY

1. PLAY Annanda Bothma HPCA Conference 2010

2. OBJECTIVES Understands the principles of play Identify different kinds of play material Demonstrate skill in a play technique

3. THE PURPOSE OF PLAY Play helps children to recover from hurt and to cope with ongoing trauma. Through play they can gain control over a part of their lives, and feel less anxious and helpless. Play can also help them to express safely and channel the raw emotions that may overwhelm them.

4. THE PURPOSE OF PLAY Play also allows children to relive their experiences, safely, and make more sense of their often chaotic memories of what happened. Play provides welcome relief, a chance to escape worries and fears and to relax.

5. THE PURPOSE OF PLAY Play opportunities are especially needed by children who have been abused, or who have been in accidents, who are hospitalized for any cause, or who have been bereaved.

6. PROJECTION TECNIQUES

7. RELAXATION PLAY Reducing child�s tension Open up to therapy Build relationship Musical instruments Puzzles Games Pets and animals

8. ASSESSMENT PLAY Examine the child�s skills, phase of development Board games (win/lose) Bag games Ecomaps Incomplete sentences

9. BIBLIO-PLAY Develop insight Working through feelings Provides alternative problem-solving mechanisms Children's stories Life books Diaries Comic strips and cartoons Magazines and pictures

10. CHILDREN�S STORIES Use material that you know Do not use long complicated stories. Look for a book that addressing the specific needs of the child The story should be in line with the child�s circumstances and development stage. The story should relate to the child�s feelings The story must be more or less comparable to the child Illustrations are important

11. CHILDREN�S STORIES The story should contain a character with witch the child will identify. This character must be realistic. Must also be naughty, angry or sad sometimes, but must be acceptable. One or more of the characters must be unacceptable The characters should offer positive ways of coping and working through their problems The characters should display healthy functioning Stories should have comforting endings

12. Dramatic play ADVANTAGES OF DRAMATIC PLAY It gives the child the opportunity to release his emotions By acting out experiences, he comes into contact with reality A way of learning new or specific roles

13. Dramatic play It creates a special means of communication between the therapist and the child During dramatic play, the child manage his world as he likes Insight into certain aspects of his situation may develop, by playing through situations over and over

14. Dramatic play TECHNIQUES OF DRAMATIC PLAY Role Play Dolls, puppets and paper dolls Telephone Play Masks

15. CREATIVE PLAY ADVANTAGES OF CREATIVE PLAY Relaxing and therefore create the correct atmosphere for further therapy Functional Way of gaining information concerning the child�s world Can be used for assessment Offers the child the opportunity for examination and release of feelings

16. CREATIVE PLAY ADVANTAGES OF CREATIVE PLAY A child self-image may be enhanced (if praises for creativity) Situations are relived and adaptations are made during creative play The therapist can reach children who are emotionally frozen and blocked

17. The greatest gift you can give to a child is the gift of SELF!