Written By: Zaida JoliCoeur, BA

Parents often wonder how child therapists can teach therapeutic skills to youngsters who have short attention spans. When working with children in therapy, it’s essential to be creative and adaptable. By incorporating fun and interactive activities, therapists can create a safe, supportive environment where kids feel comfortable expressing themselves, learning coping strategies, and building emotional resilience. Here are five effective ways we make therapy engaging and enjoyable for young clients:

1. Integrate Sensory Play

Studies show that sensory play helps with cognitive, physical, and emotional development. By engaging multiple senses, children can better regulate their emotions, stay focused, and enhance communication skills. Sensory activities also give kids a calming, structured outlet to explore their feelings.

Ideas for Sensory Play:

• Kinetic sand or play-doh for tactile exploration and stress relief.
• Water tables to promote relaxation and mindfulness.
• Fidget tools to improve focus and self-regulation.
• Calming jars to help with emotional grounding and managing distress.
• Scented items to reinforce deep breathing techniques.

2. Use Board Games

Board games provide a fun and structured way for children to open up and discuss their thoughts and emotions. Playing games teaches important skills like patience, emotional regulation, and social interaction. Therapists can also adapt traditional board games to fit therapeutic goals.

Benefits of Board Games in Therapy:

• Encourages communication and helps kids feel comfortable talking about their feelings.
• Teaches how to handle frustration and disappointment with resilience.
• Reinforces rules and boundaries to build self-discipline.

3. Incorporate Arts & Crafts

Art can be an effective tool for children to express emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words. Creative activities promote self-reflection, problem-solving, and emotional expression, while also fostering a sense of accomplishment.

Therapeutic Art Projects to Try:

• Values Exploration: “My Strengths Tree” or “Areas of Growth Garden” to build self-awareness.
• Self-Esteem Building: “Self-Belief Flower” to highlight personal strengths and positive affirmations.
• Emotion Processing: “My Worry Monster” to externalize fears and manage anxiety.
• Body Awareness: “Where I Feel Emotions in My Body” to promote mindfulness and self-regulation.

4. Make Skill-Building Fun & Creative

Kids learn best when they can engage in activities that are playful and memorable. By making therapeutic techniques fun and interactive, children are more likely to retain the skills and apply them in real-world situations.

Examples of Fun Skill-Building Techniques:

• Breathing Exercises: “Smell the flower, blow out the birthday candle” or “5-finger tracing” to teach relaxation through deep breathing.
• Energy Release: “Roar like a dragon” for anger management and emotional release.
• Anxiety Reduction: “Pop the worry bubbles” to visualize and let go of anxious thoughts.

5. Incorporate Movement & Body Awareness

Physical activity is essential for emotional regulation and stress relief. Movement-based activities help children connect with their bodies, release built-up energy, and develop self-soothing techniques.

Ways to Incorporate Movement in Therapy:

• Mindfulness & Relaxation: Teach yoga and stretching to promote calmness and self-awareness.
• Anger Management: “Squish the pillow” or “Push the anger into the wall” as safe ways to release frustration.
• Somatic Awareness: Help children identify physical sensations linked to emotions and practice grounding techniques.

These activities not only enrich therapy sessions but also help children build valuable lifelong skills for emotional regulation, problem-solving, and resilience.