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As a Play Therapist one of the first things that I needed to prepare was my Play Therapy tool kit, which is basically just all of the toys that I bring into the play room for the children to be able to choose from to play with. There are suggested categories of toys that you should include in your tool kit and I spent a lot of time trying to choose the right things.
Some of the guidelines that I followed are that you do not want too many things that will overwhelm a client when the enter the room, but that you do want the toys to be inviting. For this reason it is actually helpful to choose some gently used toys to include, if the toys look all shiny and new that might be intimidating to some clients. So I started out by finding toys in the house that my children no longer played with and also asked friends for toys that their children no longer used. I also checked some local charity shops as they are full of great toys and then went to inexpensive shops such as pound shops and craft shops to find some bits there as well. I also follow some of the same principles that I did with play based learning as a teacher and at home and look for lots of open ended toys that children can use in a variety of different ways.
Here's a peek of my tool kit that I shared on Instagram a few months ago:
Sand Tray:
- we were recommended these blue trays that are actually for washing oven trays as they are nice and big and have blue at the bottom (which is ideal) - Lakeland Oven Tray
- I actually also bought a large tray with a lid, as I find this easier to pack up at the end of the day, so it depends on your set up on what you find easier - Really Useful Box 20 Litre
Clay:
- I like using the terracotta coloured clay - Red Air Drying Clay
- but grey clay is also available if you prefer - Grey clay
- and some simple clay tools are also helpful - Clay Tools
Symbols:
- you will need a lot of different animal symbols and this kit includes wild animals, farm animals and dinosaurs (and comes in a case, which is always a bonus!) - animal symbols
Arts and Crafts:
- a good place to start is with a selection of crayons, coloured pencils and markers - Crayola art kit
- then some paints and brushes
- and a craft kit that comes with a variety of different craft bits - Craft kit
Musical Instruments:
It is best to have two of each instrument so that you can play alongside the client.
- we've got to start with some drums - hand drum
- then add some shakers - maracas
- castanets
- xylophones
Puppets:
Again it is ideal to have two of each type (does not have to be the same creature, just the same style of puppet)
Small World / Doll house:
- I am still on the look out for an affordable option in charity shops, but ideally I would like a small dolls house that folds up nicely for storage a bit like this one - fold up dolls house
- at the moment I just use the doll house furniture on it's own, which is working ok - dolls house furniture
- along with a set of little dolls that can represent a variety of people - dolls
Role Play:
- a variety of easy to put on and take off items is ideal, I like these capes and masks - superhero capes
- and a variety of other costumes that are just little jackets or aprons to represent different jobs - costume set
Lego:
- not an essential, but of course you know that I love Lego, so I do include it in my tool kit - assorted Lego
Games:
I like to include a few games, even though they are also not essential
Follow Play & Learn Everyday's board Play & Learn Everyday - Crafts and Activities from the Blog on Pinterest.
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