COMMUNICATION AND

THERAPEUTIC PLAY
WITH CHILDREN AND
FAMILY
By
Hidayat khan
MSN, BSN & DCH

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 Therapeutic PLAY
 defined as purposeful and directive use of

toys or other materials to assist children in
 communicating their perception and kno
wledge of their world and to help in
gaining mastery of their environment.

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 Play therapy
 Play therapy is a form of therapy primarily geared
toward children. In this form of therapy, a therapist
encourages a child to explore life events that may
have an effect on current circumstances, in a manner
and pace of the child's choosing, primarily through
play but also through language.
 Play therapy, can help individuals communicate,
explore repressed thoughts and emotions, address
unresolved trauma, and experience personal growth
and is widely viewed as an important, effective, and
developmentally appropriate mental health
treatment. 
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 WHY CHILDREN NEED TO PLAY?

Research shows that emotional distress is common

during health care experiences and afterwards.
Long term negative sequel lasting from weeks or
months may occur
Because they are not mentally developed to cope with
hospital anxiety therefore play is done for avoiding
“separation anxiety”

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TYPES OF
PLAY

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 THERAPEUTIC PLAY

 Use of play especially as a language for children to

communicate their thoughts
 It often serves the nurse to gain insight into
children’s needs and feelings
 It doesnt need any experties, anybody involoved in
tertiary care can give therapeutic play

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 PLAY THERAPY
 Most commonly used for children who have
serious emotional and psychological problems
such as sever traumatized child
 Requires experties
 It is a form of psychotherapy, carried out by a
professional who has been educated in play
therapy

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 FUNCTIONS OF PLAY IN
DEVELOPMENT
 Sensory motor development
 Intellectual development
 Socialization
 Creativity
 Self awareness
 Therapeutic value
 Moral value

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 CLASSIFICATION OF PLAY
CONTENT PLAY SOCIAL PLAY

1.Social-Affective Play: 1.On Looker Play:

Infant take pleasure in Children who watches
relationship →holding a others
baby when they see their Learn to play by watching
mother---Feel secure

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2. Sense Pleasure: 2. Solitary Play:
Non social stimulating → Typical of young and
Objects e.g., Sucking inexperienced players
thumb, holding hand of Child who plays alone
mother or any pillow without interacting with
while sleeping others

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3. Skill Play: 3. Parallel Play:
Ability to grasp, by the Children who share
time become confident, material or play near
mature enough to feed each other without
themselves or being coordination
able to cross the stairs May have same toys to
play with
Took their own toys but sit
in groups

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4. Unoccupied Behavior: 4. Associative Play:
Do just for doing it without Children are involoved in
any purpose. May run similar activity near
and run and run each other. Sit in group
without any reason or and play in group with
play hide and seek same toys

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5. Dramatic or Pretend: 5. Cooperative Play:
By role plays→ Domestic Interrelated with
role play associative play→
organized in
groups,played in
groups dividing the
different jobs of the
same play amongst each
other

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 SOCIAL STAGES OF PLAY
1. 1.On looker play

2. 2. Solitary play

3. 3. Parallel play

4. 4. Associative and cooperative play

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 SIGNIFICANCE OF PLAY
 Play and recreation are natural part
of childhood and vital to normal
developmement

 Children learn, master experiences,

expresses themselves, cope with
anxiety, creat, achieve and develop
skills through play and recreational
activities

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 FUNCTIONS OF PLAY IN THE
HOSPITAL
 Provides diversion and bring about relaxation
 Helps the child feel more secure in a strange
environment
 Helps to lessen the stress of seperation and feeling
of homesickness
 Provides a means of release of tension and
expression of feelings

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 FUNCTIONS OF PLAY IN THE
HOSPITAL
 Encourage interaction and development of positive
attitude towards others
 Provides an expressive outlet for creative ideas
and interests
 Provide a mean for accomplishing therapeutic
goals
 Place a child in active role and provides
oppurtubity to make choices

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COMMUNICATION WITH CHILDREN

 Allow children to feel comfortable

 Avoid sudden or rapid advances,
broad smiles, extended eye contact
or other gestures that may be seen as
threatening
 Talk to the parent if child is initially
shy
 Communicate through transition
objects such as dolls, puppets or
stuffed animals before questioning a
young child directly
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COMMUNICATION WITH CHILDREN
 Give older children the opportunity to talk without the
parent’s presence
 Assume a position that is at eye level with the child
 Speak in quite, unhurried and confident voice
 Speak clearly, be specific and use simple words and
short sentences
 State directions and suggestions positively
 Offer a choice only when exists
 Be honest with children
 Allow children to express their fears and concerns
 Use a variety of communication techniques

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PLAY ACTIVITIES FOR DIFFERENT
AGES
INFANTS
 Body Awareness:
1. Looking in a mirror
2.Learning the body parts

 Outlet for frustration or anger:

1. Knock over a tower of blocks, showing
pleasure

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 INFANTS
 Tension Release:
1. let them make noises of their own
2.Give them rattles, plastic spoons,
plastic bowls or pots

 Visual and Auditory stimulation:

1. Moving toys
2. Verbal instructions
3. Music, singing songs, musical toys

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  INFANTS
 Tactile Stimulation:
1. Learn their body using eyes,
mouth, hands, uses fabrics to handle

 Interactive Play:
1. 6-10 months can play “
peekaboo”, “push pull toys”

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 TODDLERS

 Self Expression:
1. Medical play

 Tension Play:
1. Playing musical instruments

 Visual, Tactile and Taste Stimulation:

1. Playing with gelatin blocks
2. Digging into box of sand
3. Chocolate, chips, orange juice--Taste

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 PRE –SCHOOLERS
 Adjustment to Hospital
surrounding:
1. Collection of pictures
2.Imaginary trips
3. Guided imagery

 Self Expression:
1. Decorative name bracelet
2. Pictures with different facial
expressions

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 PRE –SCHOOLERS
 Tension Release:
1. Squirt water or objects that cause
them stress

 Breathing Games:
1. Blow through a straw to move
ping pong ball

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THANK YOU!

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