Healing Through Play: Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing
The “Healing Through Play” training guide emphasizes the transformative power of play in helping children recover from the adverse effects of conflict and crisis. Designed as a psychosocial support tool, the guide equips volunteers to create safe, nurturing spaces for children, fostering emotional healing and resilience. Download “Healing Through Play” Training guide here.
The Role of Play in Healing
Research highlights the significant link between play and children’s emotional and social wellbeing. Play supports children in:
- Recognizing and expressing emotions.
- Building positive relationships with peers and family.
- Reducing anxiety and enhancing concentration.
In crisis contexts, play restores a sense of normalcy, providing children with the tools to cope and fostering hope for a brighter future. Safe play opportunities offer an outlet to channel negative emotions while practicing stress management strategies.
About the Training Guide
Purpose: This guide is for volunteers working with children (aged 3–12 years) and their families in crisis contexts, even with no prior psychosocial support experience.
Structure:
- How to conduct the training.
- Detailed training sessions.
- Supporting PowerPoint slides.
Delivery: The program is a one-day workshop, adaptable for in-person or online settings. Facilitators are encouraged to tailor the content to their cultural and situational context.
Training Objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Understand the importance of play in crisis recovery.
- Learn basic psychosocial support principles, including recognizing limitations.
- Gain access to activity resources for social-emotional play.
- Feel prepared to lead Healing Through Play sessions.
- Recognize when and how to refer children and families to specialized support.
Key Training Sessions
- Introduction and Expectations: Aligning participant goals, introducing the training objectives, and highlighting the role of volunteers in creating safe spaces.
- Understanding Wellbeing and Play:
- Definition of wellbeing.
- Identifying protective factors and signs of distress in children.
- Exploring the benefits of play in alleviating stress and enhancing resilience.
- Basic Psychosocial Support Skills: Teaching grounding techniques and supportive communication methods for children in distress.
- Facilitating Play Activities: Guidance on delivering social-emotional play activities to foster connection and healing among children.
- Facilitator Wellbeing: Emphasizing the mental health of volunteers and their ability to seek support when needed.
- Reflections and Closing: Participants discuss their learnings and share personal insights.
Play as a Tool for Resilience
Play promotes resilience by creating opportunities for children to:
- Build positive social connections.
- Develop coping mechanisms.
- Feel supported by nurturing relationships.
When facilitated in a structured and culturally sensitive manner, play can significantly enhance children’s capacity to recover from adversity and thrive in challenging environments.
This training guide, a collaboration between the LEGO Foundation and the MHPSS Collaborative, stands as a testament to the power of play in transforming the lives of children in need. By empowering volunteers with tools and techniques, it paves the way for a generation of resilient, hopeful young learners.
How can this training be applied in various settings?
The “Healing Through Play” training can be adapted and applied to a variety of settings, depending on the unique needs of the children, families, and communities. Here’s how this training might fit into different contexts:
1. Community Centers
In community centers, especially those in areas affected by conflict or crisis, this training enables volunteers to facilitate play-based activities in safe, structured environments. It fosters social-emotional skills and helps children develop positive relationships, offering them a sense of normalcy and stability.
2. Schools and Educational Institutions
Teachers and school staff can use the principles from this training to integrate play into classroom routines. Play-based activities can support children in developing concentration, managing emotions, and enhancing peer interactions. The training is particularly useful for promoting inclusive environments where children recovering from trauma feel supported.
3. Refugee Camps and Displacement Centers
In humanitarian settings, the training helps volunteers and aid workers provide structured play activities to alleviate stress among children. Safe play areas in these camps can serve as spaces for healing, fostering resilience, and offering emotional support to displaced children and their families.
4. Health and Child Welfare Services
Professionals in child welfare or health services can incorporate play-based techniques as part of psychosocial support. These practices can help identify children in distress, provide basic support, and make appropriate referrals to specialized care.
5. Online Platforms
In situations where in-person training or activities are not feasible, online adaptations of the training allow for virtual facilitation of play-based activities. Breakout rooms, digital drawing tools, and group games can simulate an interactive and engaging environment.
6. Homes and Caregiver Settings
Caregivers can use the training’s techniques to support their children at home, creating small-scale play activities that strengthen family bonds and enhance children’s emotional resilience.
7. Natural Disaster Areas
In post-disaster recovery scenarios, this training can be employed by first responders or local volunteers to create play zones. These zones help children process traumatic events, regain a sense of safety, and rebuild emotional stability.
By tailoring the training content to the cultural, logistical, and contextual needs of each setting, its impact can be maximized, offering a lifeline of hope and healing to children in challenging circumstances. If you have a specific setting in mind, we can explore how to adapt the training further!