These Are a Few of My Favorite Things... (games edition)
This post came out of a previous favorite things post, book edition, where I was asked to name some of my favorite therapy/non-book things.
I really had to think about some of my favorite things I use in sessions. There tend to be a lot of different items I use, and sometimes I use the same item for different things. However, I pulled out my phone and walked around my office to figure out what really are my go-to items. These items are in no particular order and if you decide to try some of them out, they are not to substitute or be a continuation of therapy services.
Calm-Down Bottles
I LOVE creating calm-down bottles! Calm-down bottles can be made in a variety of different ways, depending on what the child wants. My favorite one is the glitter bottle, but I also create lava bottles (blue), i-spy bottles, and beach bottles. These bottles can be used as a distraction and coping skill for children (and even adults too!) when emotions might be getting the best of us.
I like to use plastic Voss water bottles, although any plastic bottle will do. I have also found that the smaller the bottle the better as children seem to prefer the smaller bottles. Directions for each of the calm-down bottles can be found below. If you do create one, I would love to see it!
Glitter bottle with purple glitter
Lava Bottle with blue food coloring
Glitter Bottle
Supplies: 1 plastic water bottle; silver glitter; another glitter color of choice (I usually ask them to pick a calming color OR their favorite color); water; glue and tape. A small funnel is also helpful!
Directions: Start with an empty bottle, and pour in the silver glitter. There is no right or wrong way to do the glitter- some people prefer LOTS and others not so much. Let the child tell you when to stop. After the silver glitter is added, add the second glitter color to the bottle using the same method. Next, fill up the bottle with water and leave about an inch at the top. Securely close the cap. I recommend adding some glue before twisting it closed. Then, add some trusty tape to secure the seam where the cap and bottle meet. I have the child pick if they want clear tape (as in my picture) or I provide a choice of fun-themed duct tape. Secure the cap with the tape and get shaking!
Lava Bottle (aka OUTSIDE bottle)
Supplies: 1 plastic water bottle; water, cooking oil (I use vegetable oil), 1 Alka-Seltzer tablet, food coloring, water, glue, and tape. A small funnel is also recommended!
Directions: Start with a bottle that is half-filled with water and the other half filled with cooking oil, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Have the child pick a food coloring color (I usually ask them to pick a calming color OR their favorite color). Start by adding 2-3 drops of the color to start. Each time securely close the cap and shake so the child can see what the color looks like once mixed with water and oil. Let them know you can always make the color darker, but can’t go back to lighter. Once the child likes the color, add in the Alka-seltzer tablet and let it dissolve. This can take up to an hour, so plan for an activity to do while you wait for it to dissolve. Securely close the cap. I recommend adding some glue before twisting it closed. Then, add some trusty tape to secure the seam where the cap and bottle meet. I have the child pick if they want clear tape (as in my picture) or I provide a choice of fun-themed duct tape to pick from.
Secure the cap with the tape and get shaking!
**Because the oil and food coloring can stain, I recommend using this as an outside calm-down bottle!
I-Spy Bottle
(not pictured)
Supplies: 1 plastic water bottle; uncooked white rice, 10 small objects that can fit inside the bottle, index card and writing utensil, hole punch, string, glue, and tape. A small funnel is also recommended!
Directions: Start by listing out all 10 small items that the child has picked to include in their bottle. Some examples are paper clips, pennies, tiny toys, buttons, pieces of string, game pieces that have been lost, beads, feathers, rubber bands, etc. List them all out on a piece of paper or index card so you know what you are putting inside. Then, start by adding some uncooked white rice to the bottle. Every now and then, stop, and add 1-2 items before adding more rice. Leave about an inch at the top of the bottle so the rice has room to move around. Securely close the cap. I recommend adding some glue before twisting it closed. Then, grab that paper you wrote the list on and punch a small hole in the corner. Use yarn, twine, or thread to wrap that list around the bottle so you know what items to look for. Then, add some trusty tape to secure the seam where the cap and bottle meet. I have the child pick if they want clear tape (as in my picture) or I provide a choice of fun-themed duct tape to pick from. Secure the cap with the tape and get hunting with finding items. To make this take a little longer, have the child find the items in the order they are listed on the paper.
Beach Bottle
(not pictured)
Supplies: 1 plastic water bottle; sand (any color), seashells, glue, and tape. A small funnel is also recommended!
*You can get colored sand online or at any craft store. Some children like the natural color sand and some prefer their favorite (or a calming) color. There is no wrong way!
Directions: Start with an empty bottle. Add some sand to the bottle, and every now and then, stop, put some seashells in the bottle, then add more sand. Continue this process until you reach the top of the bottle. Again, leave about an inch at the top of the bottle so the sand has room to move around. Securely close the cap. I recommend adding some glue before twisting it closed. Then, add some trusty tape to secure the seam where the cap and bottle meet. I have the child pick if they want clear tape (as in my picture) or I provide a choice of fun-themed duct tape to pick from. Secure the cap with the tape and get to looking for some seashells!
What child (or teen) doesn’t love to play games. Also, in 2021, who doesn’t know what an emoji is? Playing games in session is a way to break the ice and establish rapport. It can also be an easier way to talk about the tough stuff. I like to use Uno Emoji in the beginning with my littles who may be less talkative. I use the different emojis to prompt them to tell me about a time they felt a certain way. For example, the smiley face emoji would be appropriate to represent a time they were happy or excited. I also play the game and will tell about my own experiences to show that I am also HUMAN!
Hula Hoops
I work on boundaries a lot with children in sessions. One way to show appropriate physical boundaries and personal space are by using hula hoops. We each get a hula hoop and carry it around in the session. If we sit on the floor to play a game, we have to remain inside our own hula hoop. If you want to go into each other’s hula hoop, you must ask permission first and wait to hear “yes.” I also use the hula hoops as the “wiggle area” for any children who might have a difficult time sitting still. The wiggle area is to get out those wiggles so we can become less distracted!
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals are an awesome ice breaker for reluctant kids, as well as a comfort item if the child is feeling some strong emotions. I always keep two stuffed animals in my office at all times. The first one is Oakley the Octopus. Oakley also serves to help communicate emotions. I allow the child to turn Oakley to the color or feeling that they might currently be experiencing as a way to communicate emotions.
Kind Koala is my other friend who helps me with… you guess it, kindness. Kind Koala also has a mini friend and a kindness bucket. I talk to children about everyone having an invisible kindness bucket that we carry around with us. When we do nice things, our bucket gets filled (visual used is craft pom poms). If we do nice things to other people, their bucket also gets filled. If we aren’t doing nice things, our bucket starts to lose our fillers, as does the person’s bucket we are mean to. It’s a fun visual and activity and if I catch someone being kind in session, they get a mini koala, which is a pencil hugger, as a prize.
Stickers!
I cannot stress the use of stickers enough with the younger kids. I have about 200 sheets of stickers at any given time and pick about 3-4 sheets for each season to rotate through. I use stickers to help with positive reinforcement and an instant reward when children are doing appropriate and awesome things! They are also useful if we are decorating an art activity (or calm-down bottle), and to use with behavior modification or sticker charts.
Fidget Items
I have a variety of fidget items in my room. Some are kept in the room and used throughout sessions to keep children engaged, others I give out to encourage use at home or at school, and others I use for other things.
The Hoberman Sphere is a fun toy to use to teach and practice appropriate deep breathing (think big deep breaths in as you make the sphere bigger, and slow, long deep breaths out as the sphere gets smaller). It’s also a toy the kids like to play with as we talk.
These come in a variety of versions and themes, and I tend to have them all spread across my office. They are great conversation starters to break the ice, or you can use the themes to work on certain treatment goals. I tend to use them with some of my kids that are not as talkative and we take turns creating different stories, or working collaboratively on a story!
Inside Out Material
I might have spent a small fortune on this franchise. If you haven’t seen the movie, watch it. I use the movie as a homework assignment for between sessions and a way to have some parent and family bonding time. I have books, characters, and other toys that correspond to the movie, which helps when talking about emotions and emotional reactions. The kids remember the characters and make connections between the colors and emotions (blue= sadness).
Board Games
Board games are helpful in sessions as a positive reinforcement at the end (I usually leave 5-10 minutes for downtime after an awesome session). You can also use them therapeutically to establish rapport, distract the child while they are talking (you would not believe how much you can talk about while simultaneously playing a game), or switch up the rules. I am big on Candy Land (not pictured) being used to help with emotions- if you land on a yellow spot you have to tell about a time you were happy. I change up the game so that while we are playing it, we can include some helpful talking points for what is bringing the child to therapy.
I will be sure to include another post in the future for new favorite items!
I have no relationship with the items or manufacturers and did not receive any compensation for this post. These pictures are also my own photos that I took.
These pictures are mine and taken with my own phone. No permission required.