Play Therapy
Play is the most important thing a child can do. When children play they are functioning at their optimal level of development. “Play is vital to every child’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, creative and language development.” (BAPT 2005) It is through play that children best express themselves, therefore children with poor play skills will be hampered in their relationships and ability to make sense of their world and their experiences.
Play is not a luxury or a pastime for children – it is the way children learn – about themselves their bodies, their environment, and the people and objects around them. For a child, play is serious business; through play, a child develops self-confidence, a positive self-image and learns to express feelings, make decisions and cope with real-life situations.