Play Therapy

Importance of play

Play is a fundamental part of childhood, supporting children’s learning, development, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. It brings joy, fun, and opportunities for children to explore their interests, express themselves, and connect with others.

Play helps children build confidence, creativity, communication skills, resilience, and positive relationships, while supporting their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Through play, children make sense of the world around them and solve problems. By creating inclusive environments and removing barriers to participation, all children can access meaningful and joyful play experiences whilst feeling valued

Play is not a luxury – it is a right!!

Play therapy

Play Therapy builds on children’s natural way of expressing themselves through play by offering a safe, supportive space with a trained professional. It focuses more specifically on helping children work through difficult feelings or experiences, using play as a gentle way to understand emotions, strengthen confidence, and develop positive coping skills. Led by qualified Play Therapists, it provides a structured and trusted approach for children who may need extra support with their emotional wellbeing.

Play at home

Sensory play at home can be simple, flexible, and shaped around what your child enjoys, whether that’s exploring nature outside or getting creative with things like water, playdough, or different textures indoors. There’s no right or wrong way to do it—what matters most is giving your child the time, space, and support to explore freely, make their own choices, and have fun in a way that works for them. Using everyday items and following your child’s lead can help make sensory play a joyful and meaningful part of family life.

These are some simple items you may already have at home that can be used for sensory play. Using these everyday materials in different ways can create fun, engaging, and accessible sensory play experiences for your child:

• Shaving foam
• Ice cubes
• Pasta, rice, and lentils
• Flour and water
• Food colouring
• Flowers and leaves
• Stones
• Paper

Play therapy resources

• Sense – Play for disabled children
• Sense – Sensory play
• BBC – Bitesize article

Other useful links and resources

• Play England – Charter for play
• Play England – What we do
• Unicef – The power of play
• Unicef – Lego foundation learning through play
• Literacy Trust – 10 reasons why play is important
• Coram Family Lives – Why play matters
• BAPT – What is play therapy