10 Tips for Powerful Play in Preschool Occupational Therapy
In Part One of our series on the Power of Play, we looked at why play was such an important occupation for kids (or anyone!). We also identified common barriers to play reported by occupational therapists.
In Part Two, we’re going to look at how to break down those barriers and provide ten suggestions for easily incorporating play into your therapy sessions.
Creating a Framework of Child Choice
The most important thing is to allow the child to have a choice in the play. If we are focusing on play as an occupation, the children must be intrinsically motivated.
You can suggest activities you think would be fun, but if your goal is true play, be prepared for and allow kids to say no. Use your activity analysis skills to make something therapeutic happen within the bounds of whatever kids choose in the session, without turning it into work. This requires creativity and fast thinking!
Kids should not be focused on your desired outcome, so true play is not “practice” of a specific skill. However, that doesn’t mean that skill development won’t occur during play.
The following tips will help you address the reported barriers of time, reimbursement, and role boundaries (and help you manage your own comfort level). They are intended to be used within the framework of the child’s choice, and with a focus on the process rather than the outcome. If you are able to function as a playmate as well as a therapist, you can foster improvement toward therapy goals within the child’s chosen play.
10 Tips for Playing Powerfully
1. Talk about and provide opportunities to incorporate the child’s favorites.
Do you have a child who loves tractors? Suggest the child pretend to be a farmer riding on a tractor. From here, all sorts of things can happen in the game:
- The tractor can break down, necessitating you both to drag the heavy tractor to the shop.
- The broken tractor could need a special part, requiring that you write a letter to the company to request the part you need.
- A visitor to the farmer’s house could suggest that it needs some artwork, and you could create a tractor painting for the living room or a collage out of pictures cut from tractor catalogs.
- Perhaps as part of the farmer game you end up with a tractor obstacle course. After all, in the field, there are giant roots or trees that grew up in the way.
Use your imagination and your role as playmate to suggest ideas that will guide the child toward fulfilling therapy needs. But be willing to negotiate the play as children do, and be ready for a “no.” (“Let’s make a collage for your farmhouse!” “No, let’s make a painting of my favorite tractor!”)
2. Know what’s “in.”
Feeling uninspired or unable to draw upon your creativity or playfulness? Let cartoons help.
Suggest a favorite or new and trendy Saturday morning or Disney hit. Ask the child if he or she would like to act out a scene and then collaborate to create activities within that scene. (“That looks like a magic carpet! Do you want to play Aladdin? We can ride on the magic carpet!”)
3. Watch your body placement.
As an adult, you indicate your willingness to participate in play partly by your positioning. Be attentive to where you place your body in relation to what the child is doing. When you hover, it signals adult control, whereas being on the same level indicates your desire to be involved in the game as a play partner.
4. Follow the leader.
Sometimes it’s best to step back and imitate the child for a bit. See what the child will come up with for the both of you to do.
5. Suggest putting silly things together.
When it’s appropriate within the activity you are doing, suggest merging things. You can accomplish this by saying something like, “I have an idea! Let’s draw a picture of what it would look like if a frog and a banana were put together into one thing!” Another option could be something like, “I have an idea! Let’s write a story for your mom about a dog that turns into a submarine!”
6. Don’t be afraid to be gross.
Check first with parents or teachers to ensure you have their buy-in, but then create a safe space in your therapy sessions for children to talk about their fascination with all things gross: poop, farts, boogers, anything—as long as it is safe.
Most grownups typically won’t talk about gross things, and children then learn to use them to get attention. Gross things become far less magical when the adult doesn’t overreact. For example, if the child is very into poop, you can suggest using brown bean bags to play “poop catch.” How silly is that? By joining in, you are indicating your willingness and agreement that this is just play and you are a playmate.
7. Make silly noises or say silly words during your games and activities.
Perhaps you are playing a pirate game, and you must leave a secret note for the rest of the crew. It would be quite hilarious to try to pronounce some secret nonsense words that you write. Say this out loud to yourself right now: “XHTYFULPILTO.” Who wouldn’t want to hear you say that in a silly voice? You might end up with a very playful and silly game that also just happens to include writing letters.
8. Use your face.
Over-exaggerate your facial expressions to indicate your engagement in the play activity. Big eyes, arched eyebrows, and a rounded and surprised open mouth can all give the child cues that this is play right now.
9. Allow yourself to be made to look silly.
Can you be covered all over with clothespin “feathers” to make you into a bird? Can the child be your hairdresser and do your hair with little hair clips until you look quite glamorous? Can the child color and cut out lots of red circles to tape onto your clothing to give you pretend spots and turn you into a new creature from another planet? Hilarious!
10. Use your voice.
As the therapist, you can indicate your playful approach to whatever you are doing by altering the way in which you describe the activity and communicate with the child. Silly, sing-song, hushed, or whispered voices all have a place in communicating your playful intent.
You can have fun, be playful, and engage children in their most meaningful occupation if you simultaneously play and use your skill as an occupational therapist to make required work into real play!
Gain More Insights with MedBridge Occupational Therapy Courses
For additional insights and techniques you can apply today, explore the MedBridge catalog of over 1,400 occupational therapy courses spanning specialties and settings. Advance your career and restore your patients to meaningful occupation with expert-led online OT CEU courses featuring interactive demonstrations that include real patients and up-to-date, evidence-based strategies.
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