The development of play therapy is associated with the child’s inability to adequately express himself at the verbal level. Apparently, play is needed to help the child develop more effective techniques for controlling the environment and to give him the opportunity to interact with adults who occupy different positions in relation to him as an individual.

History of play therapy. The use of play therapy dates back to the time when Anna Freud used play to woo children and Klein developed Play Analysis, which was faithful in its principles to the psychoanalytic tradition. Taft and Allen contributed by modifying Rank's theory in relation to the therapist. Rogers, although not the first, suggested that man has a powerful potential for self-government and development. Axline applied Rogers' client-centered philosophy to children's play. Exline refers to examples from which it follows that immature and dependent children have powerful internal resources for self-regulation and development. The parents of some of the children she observed were unable to participate in the therapy process, and other children came from public institutions where adult educators did not care for them. Despite these limitations, the children were clearly able to overcome traumatic experiences. This is possible because the child himself is changing and the people around him are also changing. The child stimulates those around him to evaluate the changes that have occurred in him and, accordingly, he is perceived differently and reacts to him in a different way.

Room and materials. Play therapy requires a playroom and a certain quality of materials. The room, if possible, should be brightly colored, light and soundproof. Walls and floors should be easy to clean and made of a material that will withstand clay, paint and hammering. A wash room with cold and hot water should be available. For research and educational purposes, the room where therapy is carried out must be equipped with sound recording equipment. In addition, if the room is equipped with a one-way mirror and a sound transmission system, then observations can be carried out unnoticed by the child. Naturally, such observations and sound recordings imply that they comply with ethical requirements.

The list of materials successfully used in play therapy grows every year. Klein used only small, primitive toys laid out on a low table. Exline lists a long list of “acceptable toys.” Since then, many other toys have been used with success. Lebo's success in using toys not previously recommended by other therapists; reminds that there are no obvious restrictions on play equipment that can help a child solve his problems. Indeed, it is wise to offer your child a wide range of options so that he can find a convenient means of expressing his feelings.

Basic techniques. Many experiments confirm that dolls provide an adequate means for working on a problem. Already a fascination for young children, dolls are a simple tool suitable for identifying problem areas. Because a child's problems often stem from family relations, you need a complete set of dolls: dad, mom, brother, sister and baby doll. Dolls can help a child work through sexual anxiety and accept gender differences. Dolls and a bottle with pacifier are needed small child, which works through the need for dependence.

Here are the toys that were often used by children when expressing aggression: guns, trucks, toy soldiers, masks and inflatable toys. Axline has found that it is convenient to use a sand box placed directly on the floor as the basis for a doll's house, setting, and doll family. She found out that the sand turned out to be good material to express aggressive feelings. The child buries toys in it or uses sand to represent rain, snow, bombs or any other figurative symbols. The dolls are very popular with older children aged 6 to 12 years. They provide aids in acting out situations in faces involving easily recognizable figures such as a hero, a villain, a naughty monkey, a terrible alligator, or giants.

Finger painting and easel painting are very popular among some therapists. Shaw and Alshuler have successfully used these means and suggest that color provides many clues to the nature and level of the child's emotional life. Stainable materials such as paint and clay or sand and water are popular among children with difficult early parenting conflicts to work through.

Controlled or free play: pros and cons. There are different opinions as to whether the game should be controlled or free. Levy controls play by selecting specific toys that he feels the child will be able to use as he works through his specific conflicts. Even though Levi doesn't seem to

attempts to point out a child's feelings, develop transference, or promote behavior change, he has been extremely successful in therapy with children ages 2 to 10 years.

After reviewing the child's history, Levy determines the likely cause of the present problem. For example, a seven-year-old boy suffered from nightmares in which he was tied up and tortured. He woke up screaming in pain. Levi learned that two weeks earlier, his classmates had tied him to a tree and pretended to torture him. A little later, at school, a story was read about two knights who nailed the owner of an inn to the door of his own tavern. These two events were very threatening because they bore a strong resemblance to a traumatic experience that the boy had several years earlier: he was wrapped in blankets for a puncture of the eardrum without anesthesia. Levi placed dolls in the playroom that represented a knight, a doctor, and boys. There were toys to represent the inn, rope, wood and blankets. Using toys, the boy worked through his experience, and the symptoms were eliminated in four sessions. This illustration does not imply that a quick fix is a common situation. Most problems require more to achieve satisfactory results.

Levy found that children under six years of age received help without knowing why they were sent to the clinic and without realizing the connection between play and their behavior at home. Perhaps Levy's success reflects the fact that fantasy and reality are not structurally separated in early age. Mann's success using similar procedures supports this hypothesis.

Exline and Maustakas insist on free choice of materials. They set up the playroom equally for all children and all equipment is available for the child to use at their discretion. Spontaneous choice of material is the most natural; the child chooses his own means of working and acts at his own pace. The therapist may not even know the content of the problem the child is working with. Exline tells the story of a little girl who made a lame man out of clay, punched a hole in him, broke him into pieces, and finally buried him. She continued to build and destroy the clay man in each session for several weeks. After the work with the girl was completed, the therapist learned that her mother was planning to marry a lame man.

Special play techniques for dealing with children's frustrations were presented in the film, which was created at Vassar and Sarah Lawrence colleges. These techniques, later developed in more detail by Eugene Lerner, suggest that a person can react to a frustrating situation in various ways, in accordance with his current needs. If a child learns to overcome obstacles in play, he can learn to resolve other problems in his life. In this film, several children take turns playing with adults who present a series of playful obstacles.

First, the child finds himself in a situation where the cars of an adult and a child meet on a narrow path. The adult says: “We met in the middle. How can my car get through? The child's verbal or nonverbal response allows the counselor to understand what he is dealing with: whether he is faced with dependence, aggressiveness, or fear of authority. Ruch offers three answers that the child; can answer a similar question. The child can turn the ma- } tire around and go back, so that the adult’s car can- ; can continue moving; he will start pushing the car towards the ig-? push an adult or hit an adult in the hand; he may shyly object to the adult and slowly and carefully push his car in order to clear the way for his toy. Then the adult stopped the child's car with the doll. What's going on? Does the child run over the doll or offer it a ride? In a game with cars, an adult says: “Let's see who gets there first?” The therapist observes: either the child should always be first, or he should never win. Does the child allow the car to “break” and if so, does he show pleasure or, on the contrary, look scared?

When a domestic situation plays out, an adult asks the question: “Can my doll come to your home?” After a short period of time, the roles change. When the child's doll wants to enter the house, the therapist says "no" and notes the child's reaction. A wide variety of situations similar to Lerner's can be used to study the child's feelings and reactions.

Both free play and controlled play are worthy of use in helping a child work through his or her problems. The success of a variety of methods used by different therapists shows that the counselor can choose his own means of working and let the child do it. It should be noted that there is no adequate rational explanation for the effectiveness of play therapy. Undoubtedly, here, as in adult therapy, there are many hypotheses originating from various theories.

Limitations of play therapy. At the initial stages, it is very important that the child feels greater freedom of expression in the playroom than outside it. However, it is equally necessary for the child to notice certain limitations in subsequent stages of therapy. These boundaries should be well defined and detailed, but should not be mentioned until a situation arises in which the child might violate them. This way he learns what he is allowed to do as the therapist explores the relationship.

Precisely defined restrictions on therapeutic activity are aimed at preserving the child’s psychological security, health and safety.

The first element of reality considered is time. You should determine the start and end times of the session, regardless of how interesting the game is. In addition, the consultant, if he works on a schedule, must clearly explain to the child that freedom is not unlimited and focus his activity for a certain period of time. Another element to discuss is the rule that materials can only be used in the playroom and cannot be taken home. However, the counselor may allow the child to take home pictures that he has drawn or simple toys that he has made himself from paper or clay if this seems important to improving his self-esteem. In such situations, it would be prudent for the counselor to instruct the parents on how they should respond. Parents can show interest by asking the child to talk about a toy he made and listen to a story told to him.

You should not allow your child to break things that cannot be repaired or to throw toys out of the window. Granting a child unlimited freedom in handling property will not teach him to assess the real value of property, nor will it help him channel his feelings into less aggressive and destructive behavior. It is very likely that excessive freedom will increase the child's anxiety.

Most therapists follow general rule, which prohibits the child from hitting the therapist, as well as people significant to him, since such behavior can create a feeling of guilt, or reinforce openly destructive behavior.

The health and safety of the child presupposes the exclusion of any behavior that will harm him. For example, if he wants to break a glass bottle against the wall, drink water in which paints were mixed, or throw sand in someone's face, then the therapist must stop him.

Bixler offers three options for formulating the limit; nothingness.

1. The therapist can reflect the child's desire or his OTHomei, for example: “You are very angry, you want to hit me.”

2. The therapist can express the limitation with words such as, “You can't hit me, but you can hit Bob.”

3. The therapist can monitor the child. by physical means, for example, holding his hands in yours or sitting him on a chair and saying: “You can hit with this hammer.” If the child continues to try to fight, the therapist should send him outside the playroom for the remainder of the session. The therapist should not take a punitive attitude, but should strictly fulfill everything that he verbally promised. If he doesn't do this, he causes even more aggressive behavior. However, by showing toughness, he must let the child understand that it was his actions that were rejected, and not he himself. Bixler says that boundaries in the playroom can be just as important for positive change as understanding what triggers a child's behavior. This statement is similar to the idea of acceptance discussed in Chapters 6 and 7, which discussed permissiveness and structure in adult counseling.

The playroom and its equipment are merely a means to achieve the original goal of child therapy: to help the child establish a working relationship with a permissive adult. When the therapist can act as a permissive parent, he creates an emotional climate that encourages the child to verbalize and dramatize his conflicts in play. This will help the child express himself in hopes of receiving warmth from adults and thus learning that not all adults are punishers.

Natalia Zueva
Article “Play therapy in working with children.”

Play therapy in working with children.

N. A. Zueva

teacher

MBDOU combined type kindergarten No. 13 in the city of Mtsensk

Play therapy– the process of interaction between a child and an adult through play. primary goal game therapy - to help the child express his experiences in the most acceptable way for him - through play, as well as to show creative activity in resolving difficult life situations, “acted out” or modeled in gameplay.

In the process of observing children’s games, I concluded that group play gives very good results. play therapy for withdrawn children, shy, uncommunicative. For example, in the game "Entertainers" Shy Ksyusha, being in the role of presenter, portrayed various pets. She did it with pleasure because everyone was having fun and laughing. I noticed how a child gets rid of his embarrassment while playing, while receiving positive emotions. Play therapy helped Pasha, overcome your isolation in word games “Tell me what you love?” During the game, the boy noticed the interest of all the children in what he was telling. He began to communicate more with his peers and found his best friend in Sasha.

In his working with children in play therapy I used things, with which they like to play, the so-called “adult things”: phones, a player with headphones, a camera, various "decorations". It is important for children to use them for fun, since these objects are associated with numerous prohibitions, which causes tension in children. Fairytale play, or play with the help of dolls, helps children understand the reasons for their behavior in everyday life.

The calm, spontaneous activity of a child, especially of older preschool age, gives him the opportunity to actualize and structure the levels of activity, his experience and the feelings associated with it. Play, in this sense, gives the child the opportunity to react to situations that are incomprehensible, confusing, and complex for him. His ability to understand is still just developing.

In any case, play represents children's attempt to organize their experience, and perhaps with game connected to those rare moments in children's lives when they feel safer and can control their own lives.

I, as a teacher, consider play therapy, as a necessary component of the healthy development of a child. Play gives concrete form and expression to the child's inner world. After all, play is the most beloved and all-consuming activity of children.

In his work on this topic, I use with children various play situations: during morning reception, between classes, individually work, After sleep. They help me identify the causes and problems of behavioral disorders and suggest ways to solve them. I use gaming therapy with uncommunicative, anxious children, with underdeveloped communication, with conflict situations (for older preschoolers).

On walks I play with children in a variety of outdoor games, relay games, sedentary games. They help children get rid of internal fears, and also help reduce emotional stress in children.

I think that playing with sand is very useful in childhood. Actions performed by a child with sand calm his nervous system, and sculpting figures from this material develops fine motor skills hands, promotes the development of imagination. Sandplay helps children learn what it means to build or destroy. Children feel free and are not modest in expressing their inner feelings and emotions.

I would like to offer a few game situations, which will help teachers find out what their students like and what worries them. Using methods play therapy, I correct the behavior of the guys playing, directing it in the right direction. Also, using this method, you can help children explain a certain life situation, sometimes even eliminate emerging mental trauma.

That's how it is in the game "Magic chest" I show the chest and explain that it is magical, you can put all your bad things in it feelings: anger, resentment, fear, rage, etc. I suggest that children do this by imitating folding movements. At the end of the game, we close the chest and say that all the feelings we don’t need remain in it.

In Game "Surprise" children sit in a circle. I suggest the guys give their friend a surprise, but not a real one, but something like a fairy tale. The players need to depict this surprise with their hands, present it to their friend, smiling, while saying something pleasant and kind. When all the children receive surprises, ask what they were given and clarify how correctly they understood it. A variant of the game could be to use not the exact name of the surprise, but the name of its property as a description of the surprise. For example: “My friend gave me a surprise, this surprise is round and soft”.

The game is played with interest "Our hands". To carry it out you need markers and sheets of paper. The children sit at the tables, I explain that they need to put their palm on a sheet of paper, spread their fingers wide and trace the outline of their palm. Then I suggest that on each finger depicted on paper, draw something good about yourself. Afterwards I collect "palms". I show them to the kids, and they guess whose it is. "palm".

I believe that a game is for a child what speech is for an adult. It allows the child to replace game actions with symbols, which replace words for the baby. And in preschool age in children it already accumulates quite a lot of gaming experience, which is difficult for children to express in words. That is why the child uses the game to show and convey to his playing partner his inner feelings. While playing, the baby acts, independently uses various methods of behavior, freely expresses his desires, feelings, and ideas.

Children perceive the game as far from being a frivolous, non-entertaining activity, as adults consider it. This is where such a direction of psychotherapy as play therapy. No matter what theoretical basis It has play therapy, it continues to develop due to the fact that this science opens up a natural path for establishing a dialogue between a preschool child and a teacher.

Play therapy is life.

A game as a means of preparing for the future life is one of the main provisions of Russian folk pedagogy. The game is designed to help the child accumulate spiritual material, form and clarify ideas about vitally important actions, deeds, and values. Children's play provides the child with both safety and “mental space”, “mental freedom”, necessary so that all the forces and potentials dormant in the depths of the soul can take shape.
Play therapy- the process of interaction between a child and an adult through play, in which, at a deep value level, the magical sacrament of gathering and strengthening one’s own “I” occurs, and the successful modeling of one’s own present and future. This is the process of living together with a child and understanding some vital situation, presented in a playful form.
The main ghost of fairy-tale game therapy is instructions for the game in the form of a fairy tale or parable. Instructions in a fairy-tale form create conditions for the child to experience the entire course of the game more deeply.

There are two ways to transform ordinary play therapy into fairy-tale therapy:
“rewriting” existing instructions for the game in the form of a fairy tale or parable;
The game is made up of a fairy tale. Depending on the goals of the work and the problems of the student, fairy tales are selected and games are invented based on their plot.
A fairytale game, especially played out in a sandbox or with the help of dolls, will help children understand the reasons for their destructive behavior and understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Playing with sand is one of the forms of natural activity for a child. That is why you can use the sandbox when conducting correctional, developmental and training sessions. By building pictures from sand, inventing various stories, knowledge and life experience are transferred in the most organic form for a child, and the laws of the surrounding world are learned. Interaction with sand cleanses a person’s energy and stabilizes him emotional condition, improves the well-being of adults and children. All this makes sand therapy an excellent tool for human development and self-development.
Sand therapy is considered in the context of fairy tale therapy:
as a medium for creating fairy tales and myths. The mystery of myth-making and fairy tale-making takes place in the sandbox;
the sandbox is considered as an intermediary in establishing contact with the client;
playing in the sand, creating his own world, his own fairy tale, the child feels like a real wizard;
sandbox games allow you to overcome the “bad artist” complex;
playing in a sandbox has no methodological limitations, only universal ones;
a sand painting allows you to deeply comprehend the inner world of another;

A fairy-tale instruction, which gives the client the role of a wizard, allows you not only to transfer your emotional state into the sandbox, but also to find creative ways to change it.
So, speaking about fairytale therapeutic sand therapy, on the one hand we have an excellent developmental environment. On the other hand, we work with the phenomenon of “transfer”, “projection” of the inner world. All this makes it possible to use fairy tale sand therapy. in four aspects:
aspect of projective psychodiagnostics;
aspect of psychocorrection and psychotherapy;
aspect of psychoprophylaxis;
aspect of learning.
All four aspects are manifested both in individual lessons and in group lessons, without age restrictions.
Staging puppet shows gives children the opportunity to create a creative product addressed not only to themselves, but also to other people. Thanks to puppet therapy, a special “therapeutic” environment is created that stimulates the development of the child’s personality, and the following results are achieved:
children's speech develops;
emotional and motor adequacy develops;
communication skills develop;
spatial orientation develops;
the alliance with parents is strengthened.

“By bringing to life” the doll, the child feels and sees how his every action is immediately reflected in the doll’s behavior. Consequently, the child receives prompt, non-directive feedback about his actions. And this helps him independently correct his actions.

Working with a doll allows you to:
improve fine motor skills and coordination of movements;
be responsible for managing the doll;
to express through a doll those emotions, feelings, states, movements that in ordinary life, for some reason, a person cannot or does not allow himself to express;
realize the cause-and-effect relationships between your actions and changes in the state of the doll;
learn to find adequate bodily movement for various emotions, feelings, states;
develop voluntary attention;
improve communication skills and culture.

Thanks to the variety of dolls you can change different kinds activities, so the guys don’t get tired for a long time. Staging puppet shows is also becoming possible. Impromptu fairy tales occupy a special place in fairy-tale productions. These are fairy tales that are born “here and now”, without home preparation.

Staging a fairy tale is always a holiday for its participants. If it is skillfully organized, it will help in the correction and therapy of even the most complex problems.

Having lived the life of a fairy-tale image, a person acquires extra strength. In a fairy tale, he can compensate for what he lacks in life; he feels a surge of strength from the depths of himself.

Often new image emphasizes the “nature” of a person, something that is carefully hidden. And this provides rich material not only for diagnosis, but also for corrective work.

Changing the image, changing clothes, can greatly help the teacher himself. By changing the image, he changes his character, style of behavior and communication. Through a fairy-tale transformation, an adult can “polish” a naughty, capricious or overexcited child. Therefore, a change in image, a magical transformation can be useful not only for a child, but also for an adult.

Starting point play therapy– this is the complete acceptance of the child’s individuality. Respect his wishes, do not force him to play, make the game enjoyable. Measure the emotional burden on your child and monitor his well-being.

Game therapy is treatment through play. How to play with a child correctly?

Play is the leading activity for a child. Look how excitedly our children play! How funny they are “babysitting” dolls, racing cars and making sand castles. And how we are moved by looking at these games.

The childhood of each of us is associated with catch-up games, dolls or cars, and a sandbox. And these memories are perhaps one of the warmest and most carefree. But not everyone thinks about the importance of games in our lives. What is a game - just a pleasant pastime, or something more?

Since the twenties of the last century, psychologists have been talking about the fact that with the help of games you can not only develop your abilities, but also correct various psychological problems, cope with physical limitations, and even eliminate delays in intellectual development. Scientists have noticed that the game is one of the most effective ways to increase the child’s psychological stability, acquire and improve communication skills, and get rid of various fears and phobias. That is, gaming activity is not only excellent leisure time and an easy way to develop, but it can also heal.

Play is extremely important for a child’s mental development. With her help, he maintains mental health and prepares for adulthood. Playful activities help the child acquire skills in different types activities, assimilate social norms of behavior, improve physical and emotional well-being, get rid of mental trauma, allowing you to experience painful circumstances for the psyche in a simplified form.

How to explain such effectiveness of the game? Psychologists associate it with the fact that during the game the child is almost always in good mood, does not perceive such an activity as something harmful or unpleasant for him. And it is in this state that the baby is most open to interaction, including with significant adults: parents, grandparents.

What is "play therapy"? A little history

Play therapy, or play therapy is a method of psychotherapeutic influence using games.

Game therapy was first used in psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud, describing children's games, argued that the child turns his past passive experiences into active play.

M. Klein began using toys in the psychoanalysis of children. This was the first such experience in the history of psychology. Klein considered a child's play to be an analogue of free association, providing access to the unconscious.

Later, play therapy began to be widely used in other psychological approaches. Currently, the following types of play therapy are distinguished:

psychoanalytically oriented;
non-directive and directive;
building relationships;
behavioral;
response therapy;
individual and group;
and etc.

Among the general indications for play therapy are the following: isolation, unsociability, phobias, hyperobedience, behavioral disorders, bad habits, etc.

Play therapy is an effective method of correction when working with children who have completely different physical and mental characteristics. The only contraindications to play therapy are non-contact schizophrenia and complete autism.

Game therapy as a psychotherapeutic method helps well:

to improve the mental state of children who have experienced parental divorce;
with aggressive behavior;
when pulling out hair;
for the prevention and treatment of fears;
for the treatment of anxiety and stress in hospitalized children;
for difficulties in reading;
to improve the performance of children with learning difficulties;
with delays in speech development;
to accelerate the development of children with mental retardation;
in the treatment of stuttering;
to alleviate the child’s condition with certain psychosomatic diseases (neurodermatitis, bronchial asthma, ulcerative colitis, etc.);
for many other problems.

Many people are mistaken in thinking that play therapy is almost psychiatry and is only necessary in rare cases. In fact, the possibilities of play therapy are virtually unlimited. It helps in the active formation of the cognitive sphere, stimulates the development of speech, and improves the emotional and volitional spheres. During the game, the baby socializes, learns to interact with others, which allows him to solve many communication problems.

Who is better to play with: a play therapist or mom?

Of course, you can get a specialized course of play therapy in the office child psychologist. He will be able to select the methods that are most suitable for your child, depending on his needs and the tasks that you set for him.

But, nevertheless, experts note that the greatest impact on a child is exerted by a game in which mom or dad takes part, and not a stranger.

In addition, the benefits of activities that parents spend with their children are obvious. At the same time, changes occur not only in the child, but also in the parents, changes parent-child relationship. Play therapy helps adult mothers and fathers seem to return to their carefree childhood. These sensations teach them to better understand their children and bring back childlike spontaneity and simplicity into communication.

Therefore, if you are still thinking about whether to play or not to play, play! Help your baby, and at the same time, yourself!

Where does the game start?

The first step in play therapy is to fully accept the child's personality. What should be understood by this concept? This:

respectful attitude towards the wishes of the baby;
preventing forced play;
dosage of emotional stress on the baby;
creating a joyful gaming atmosphere;
monitoring the child's well-being.

If all these principles are met, the main thing remains - the game. How to play with a child correctly?

Almost every child loves to draw. This is where games usually begin. The kid draws his family, home. Through these drawings he can show his fears, experiences and even psychological traumas that he cannot voice. Pay close attention to what your child draws. It is not at all necessary to have a degree in psychology to determine from pictures that something is bothering or frightening your baby. Draw with him, ask him in the form of a game who is drawn in the picture, what he is doing, why he is like this, etc. This way, you will not only become emotionally closer to your child, but you will also be able to calm him down, dispel his doubts and worries with your warm and pleasant participation.

One of the most accessible and at the same time effective games is considered to be role-playing - with dolls or with daughters and mothers. Children are happy to give them names real people, for example, parents. Based on the child's play, the parent can determine what the baby likes and what he doesn't. If the family environment is favorable for a child, his dolls will most likely be friends; if the dolls fight, the baby senses some kind of conflict in the family, and it is necessary to urgently eliminate it.

For a child, play is as natural a function as breathing. Don't be afraid to offer your baby new games! He is always ready to follow an interesting invention of an adult.

Different games for different purposes

There are games aimed at achieving certain goals. Next we will look at them in more detail.

These games help:

establish contact between the child and parents;
relieve nervous tension;
charge with optimism and cheerfulness;
reduce fears of loneliness, punishment, attack, confined space;
improve the child’s physical health, develop coordination, dexterity and dexterity.

Games aimed at improving overall psychological well-being include:

Age criterion – from 4 years.

The driver is selected. They blindfold him with a scarf. All other players run around him and clap their hands.

The driver catches the participant and must recognize him by touch. If the participant is identified, he becomes the driver.

2. Tag

Age criterion: from 3 years.

Here, too, the driver is selected. He runs after the other players, catches up with them and “spots” them - slaps his hand on the arm, leg or back. The one who is “stained” becomes the driver.

During the game, the driver can shout out comic threats: “I’ll catch up now!”, “I’ll catch you!” And the players tease him: “You won’t catch him!”, “I’m faster than you!”

This game is always accompanied by joy and fun, helping to unite all family members.

Everyone knows this children's game. But for maximum effect you need to make some additions to it.

A driver is appointed again. He is blindfolded, counts to ten (during this time all players hide), removes the blindfold and goes to look. At the same time, during the search, he angrily exclaims: “Where is he hiding? Now I’ll find him!”

The player who is found later than everyone else becomes the driver.

Then the game can be complicated and played in the dark.

4. Obstacle course

Age criterion: from 2 years.

From available materials - boxes, chairs, ottomans, blankets and pillows - an obstacle course is built: tunnels, mountains, hummocks. Players take turns overcoming obstacles.

In this game it is useful to support the baby with the words: “Well done! Hooray! Faster!".

1. Battle

A real battle is simulated: players throw small paper balls at each other Stuffed Toys, possible from cover.

The game ends with a general truce and hugs.

2. Evil - good cats

Age criterion: from 2 years.

All players, at the command of the driver, turn either into kind cats that arch their backs, purr, and caress, or into evil cats that hiss and scratch.

3. Karateka

A hoop is placed on the floor. The player stands in the middle of the hoop, and, without going beyond its edges, sharply moves his legs, imitating blows. The audience egged him on by shouting: “Stronger!”

If instead of moving the legs the player uses punches, then such a game will be called “Boxer”.

4. Calling vegetables, fruits and berries

Age criterion: from 3 years.

The players begin to call each other names with angry faces, using the names of fruits and vegetables instead of curses: “You are a radish!”, “And you are cabbage!” etc. If a player starts to really swear, using hurtful words or being physically aggressive, the game ends.

Then the participants call each other flowers: “You are a tulip,” “And you are a rose.”

Such games help the child to throw out aggressive energy in a constructive way.

Games aimed at relieving tension and relaxation

1. Snowman

Age criterion: from 3 years.

Players turn into snowmen: they stand up, puff out their cheeks and spread their arms to the sides. This pose must be held for 10 seconds.

Then the parent says: “And now the sun came out, its rays touched the snowman, and he began to melt.” The players gradually relax, begin to lower their arms, squat down, and finally lie down on the floor.

2. Pinocchio

Mom or dad says the text and performs the movements together with the baby:

Imagine that you have turned into a Pinocchio doll.
Standing straight, freeze in a doll pose. The whole body becomes hard.
Tighten your shoulders, arms, fingers. Imagine that they became wooden.
Tighten your legs, knees, feet. Walk as if your body has become wood.
Tighten your face, neck, clench your jaw, wrinkle your forehead.

Now turn from dolls into people again. Let's relax and soften up.

3. Soldier and Ragdoll

Age criterion: from 4 years.

Invite your child to imagine that he is a soldier. Show him how you stand on the parade ground - standing at attention and standing still.

As soon as you say the word "soldier", have the player pretend to be a soldier.

Second command: “rag doll”. The child should relax as much as possible, lean forward so that his arms dangle like cotton wool.

The player then becomes a "soldier" again.

4. Pump and ball

Age criterion: from 4 years.

The players stand opposite each other. One represents a ball, the second a pump. The “ball” first stands “lowered” - the head has fallen down, the arms hang limply, the legs are bent at the knees.

The “pump” makes movements simulating pumping. The more intense the movements of the “pump”, the more inflated the “ball” becomes: it inflates its cheeks, stretches its arms to the sides.

Then the “pump” inspects its work. You may now have to deflate the “ball” a little. Then you can show the pump hose being pulled out. After this, the “ball” is completely deflated and falls to the floor.

5. Tender paws

Age criterion: from 4 years.

The parent selects several small objects of different textures: a bead, a piece of fur, a glass vial, a brush, cotton wool, etc. All this is laid out on the table.

The child rolls up his sleeve to the elbow. The parent explains that an “animal” will run along the hand and touch it with its affectionate paws.

The child must, with his eyes closed, guess which “animal” is walking on his hand, that is, guess the object. Touches should be pleasant, stroking, gentle.

6. Colored palms

Age criterion: from 3 years.

Invite your child to draw the sun, grass, clouds with his fingers, dipping them in paint. For older children, they suggest drawing a plant, animal, or person.

7. Modeling from salt dough

Age criterion: from 2 years.

This is the kids' favorite game. Must be prepared first salty dough– half flour and salt, water according to the norm. After kneading the dough, put it in the refrigerator.

You can sculpt anything - people, animals, fairy tale characters. The finished figures can be baked in the oven and then painted.

In summer it is good to sculpt with sand outside. Such games help relieve stress, calm you down, and joint activities bring you closer together.

This block of games teaches the child to alternate tension and relaxation of muscles, relieve muscle tension, reduce aggressiveness, and develop sensory perception.

1. Brave mice

Age criterion: from 2 years.

Choose a “cat” and a “mouse”. The cat is sleeping in his house, and the mouse is running around and squeaking. The cat wakes up and runs after the mouse. The mouse runs away and hides in the house.

Then they change roles.

2. Ghost

Age criterion: from 3 years.

The driver is selected. They put a sheet on him, he turns into a ghost, runs after other players and scares them by shouting: “Oooh!”

The one caught by the ghost becomes the driver.

3. Owl and hares

Age criterion: from 3 years.

This game requires the ability to gradually create darkness, so it is better to play in the evening.

A hare and an owl are chosen. During the day - when the lights are on - the owl sleeps and the hare jumps. At night - when the lights turn off - an owl flies out and, shouting: “U-u-u”, looks for a hare. The hare freezes.

When the owl finds the hare, they change places.

These simple and warm games will help you spend pleasant and useful time with your child, helping him to be joyful and happy, and strengthening your family relationships.

But remember that the most important thing is not what game to play, but how to play. And the answer to this question should be – with love! The most useful psychotherapy is the love of mom and dad.

Kiss and hug your child as often as possible, tell him about your love, about how wonderful he is. Then any games will be the best!

Love your children and be happy!
Anna Kutyavina for the website website

Game therapy is the immersion of a psychologist into the world of preschool children. Observing children while they play allows us to identify problems possible reasons their occurrence. Play therapy is designed to help a young patient overcome developmental difficulties, eliminate behavioral problems, and figure out what is really bothering them. A well-conducted session of such a game will allow him to understand how he feels and how to behave better.

The result of the therapy: the child’s self-esteem should increase, communication skills should develop, and the level of anxiety should decrease. It is better if the process takes place in a specially equipped room with a psychologist in kindergarten.

Functions of play therapy

Play activities perform three functions that are important for the successful work of a specialist with a preschooler in kindergarten:

Diagnostics. Play therapy helps clarify the characteristics of a child’s personality, his relationships with the outside world and people in particular. Just talking with a child who withdraws for various reasons, it is difficult to understand something, whereas in an informal setting the child at the sensorimotor level shows what he has ever experienced. Spontaneous action will allow the preschooler to express himself most fully, and completely involuntarily.
Education. Game therapy allows you to learn how to rebuild relationships and expand your horizons during one or several sessions. Thanks to her, the baby goes through a painless process of readaptation and socialization, learns about how everything is organized in the world around him.
Therapeutic function. The preschooler is not yet interested in the result of the game; what is much more important to him is the process itself, during which he plays out his experiences, fears, awkwardness in communicating with others, and finds a solution to his conflicts and problems. As a result, he not only develops, but also significantly strengthens the necessary mental processes, gradually

Indications for the use of play therapy

The work of a psychologist in a kindergarten with preschoolers is very important. He must promptly determine the need for play therapy sessions with individual children or groups.

As world practice has shown, play therapy copes with many diagnoses, except for the most difficult cases - complete autism or non-contact schizophrenia.

isolation and reluctance, inability to communicate;
phobias and infantilism;
bad habits and antisocial behavior;
over-obedience with over-conformity, etc.

The psychologist’s task is to get to know the child and select all the necessary methods that will be useful to him.

Main types and forms of play therapy

There are several criteria by which play therapy is classified. The following types and forms of this activity are most often distinguished.

1. Depending on the role of the adult in the game:

directive - a directed process, where the adult is the organizer for the child, who is offered ready-made options for solving a particular problem; during the game, the child himself comes to understand himself and his own conflicts;
non-directive – non-directive play therapy is carried out during play activity preschoolers, where the adult tries not to interfere, creating a cozy, warm atmosphere of reliability and trust around the children.

2. According to the structure of materials for the game:

structured games - used when working with children from 4 to 12 years old, provoke open expression of aggression (toy weapons), expression of immediate desire (with human figures), develop communication skills (fun with trains, cars, telephone);
unstructured games - outdoor activities and sports exercises, work with plasticine, water, clay, sand, which contribute to the child’s indirect expression of his feelings and the appearance of a feeling of victory.

3. According to the form of organization of the process:

group;
individual.

In kindergarten classes, psychologists use play therapy in the form that is optimal for achieving the goals and objectives facing them.

Group play therapy

To determine the necessary form of classes in each specific case, the child’s need for communication is analyzed. If it is not formed, then an individual one will be selected, but provided that there is no contraindication - a deep degree mental retardation. In all other cases, play therapy is preferable, which allows children to easily communicate with each other, revealing themselves more fully. But first you need to make sure that they have no contraindications to using this form of exercise. Children should not experience the following severe symptoms:

sexual development ahead of age norms;
excessive aggressiveness that is difficult to calm down;
the stressful state in which the baby may be at the time of observing his play;
antisocial behavior, the manifestations of which may cause harm to surrounding children;
sibling rivalry.

Play therapy in a group helps a preschooler realize himself as an individual, raise self-esteem, respond to all negative internal emotions, reduce anxiety, guilt and worry. This process is favorably affected by the opportunity for children to observe each other and strive to try one or another role in the game themselves. The goal of the specialist’s work is not the entire group, but its individual participants.

The optimal number of players is 5 children and 1 adult.

There should be no difference in age of the children by more than 1 year. Play therapy in a group develops in each child:

formation of a positive “I-concept”;
instilling responsibility for actions;
development of self-control skills;
strengthening the ability to make independent decisions;
gaining faith in one's own self.

Gradually, unstructured play therapy is replaced by structured one, which allows the preschooler to more freely express his worries and feelings, even the most aggressive ones. This means that it will be easier for the psychologist to track and correct them.

Game room in an educational institution

In a kindergarten that meets the modern needs of parents, a special room should be equipped for a psychologist to work with children. To achieve the optimal effect from classes, it must meet certain criteria.

Requirements for the size and design of the room

To work with one preschooler or a group of 2-3 children, a room with dimensions of 3.5 m by 4.5 m is sufficient. This is necessary to ensure a comfortable distance between the adult and the child. For group classes, where the number of people present is more than 4 people, at least 27 m2 is required. Then the risk of injury during outdoor games will be minimized. For the child’s comfort, there should be no doors with glass elements or windows located on the interior walls, otherwise they should have curtains or blinds. It is advisable to lay linoleum on the floor; carpet is laid only for appropriate games. It is necessary to exclude dark tones from the interior, cover the walls with light washable paint: play therapy should evoke positive emotions.

equipment requirements

Toy shelves rigidly attached to the walls are placed no higher than 1 m from the floor: children should be able to demonstrate independence without harming themselves. Ideally, a small bathroom adjoins the study room. The room is equipped with tables with a wooden surface. Slides with drawers are also good, especially if you can draw and wash on their surface. The classroom for activities in kindergarten is equipped with the following groups of toys:

transmitting real the world– a family of dolls, a house, transport, a cash register, puppets;
for self-expression in creativity and weakening emotions - clay, sand, water, cubes, paints with a palette;
giving the opportunity to react to aggression - guns, predatory animals, toy soldiers, rubber knives.

Examples of exercises for kindergarten classes

Play therapy is used very often to overcome children's fears. Here are a few exercises that are aimed at these goals.

Zhmurki

Allow preschoolers to cope with the fear of the dark and confined spaces. Blindfolded, the presenter must catch one of the players, recognize him by touch, clearly calling his name.

Big dog

Helps cope with fear of animals and uncertainty. The presenter sits on a chair and imitates a shaggy animal, pretending to be asleep. The rest of the children come up slowly and wake him up with a quatrain:

Look - scary dog

He sleeps with his nose buried in his paws.

Let's wake you up:

We will find out what will happen.

At the last words, the dog should wake up and rush to catch the children. Their task is to escape and not get caught.

Examples of games for home

Naturally, full-fledged classes should be conducted by a specialist, but parents can provide invaluable assistance to the child by communicating and playing with him. What can a preschooler do outside of kindergarten? Familiar exercises will come to the aid of all of us.

Fun in the sandbox. In the sandbox, during games on fresh air modeled from wet sand using different molds, blades of the most bizarre shapes.
Magic mirror. Sitting opposite, the baby and mom (dad) repeat gestures and facial expressions one after another, like reflections in a mirror.
Snowmen . Parents and children pretend to be snowmen, gradually melting right down to the puddle.
Swamp . You can cut out special bumps from paper, the size of two feet, or you can just use newspapers and arrange races around the room, moving only through such safe places, trying not to get on the floor, which has become a swamp.

Finally

This kind of play therapy does not take up much time at home, but brings many benefits. Such games exist a large number of;
The joint efforts of specialists in kindergarten and parents should be coordinated and aimed at providing effective assistance for a child to overcome his difficulties;
Play therapy is a very effective tool for these purposes. The main thing is not to leave the child alone with his fears and problems, to diagnose their presence in the child in a timely manner, and to provide effective assistance.

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