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Children sometimes find it difficult to identify and express the emotions they are experiencing. When a child does not know how to express their feelings appropriately, consequences such as: bullying, aggression, hyperactivity, learning problems, soiling, bed wetting, anxiety, obsessions, sleep problems, nightmares, eating problems, withdrawal and unhappiness (to name a few) result. Child Therapy Toolbox provides tools that can be used to educate, empower and help heal children.

Tools in the toolbox include therapeutic stories, puzzles, charts and cards, Face Blocks, puppets and The Feeling Tree. These techniques can be used in an individual or group setting.

Therapeutic Stories©

Stories speak a child’s language. They can get to the core of the problem by speaking to the child on a deeper and immediate level. By using colour, images, action, fantasies and metaphors in a non-threatening manner the child is able to relate to the story. Stories are familiar to children and give them the opportunity to explore various issues without feeling as though the focus is on them. Each story is focused on a specific theme such as feelings, anger, anxiety, bullying, divorce, loss, abuse etc. The content is concise, validating of feelings the child may be experiencing, provides coping skills and is interactive. Other activities can be introduced to further explore the theme of the story.

Puzzles

There are a variety of puzzles which can be made for each age group. The options are: a story puzzle for each therapeutic story book, feeling puzzles and puzzles with coping skills included. These are all A4 size wooden puzzles and can be used with children from the age of 4 to 9 years.

Charts and Cards©

A tool to help children visualize the difference between ‘Parents problems’ versus ‘Childrens problems’, ‘Okay’ versus ‘Not okay secrets’ and ‘Good coping’ versus ‘Not so good coping’. This is done by using charts and cards. The child places the correct card under the appropriate heading. You may need to read the cards out for younger children.

Face Blocks©

This is a game based on the Domino principle, but you match feeling faces instead of numbers. This game is a fun way to start recognizing the similarities and differences in facial expressions of emotion.

Puppets

These are a fun and safe way for children to express their thoughts and feelings. Puppets can be used as medium for verbalizing or acting out inner conflicts in an indirect way. There are many character and animal puppets to choose from.

This is a 65cm x 45cm laminated poster with a large tree on it and 30 different feeling faces. This tool helps children to become aware of the many different feelings that there are and encourages them to choose the emotions that they have. All the faces are stuck under the tree and as the child identifies a feeling they have they stick it on the tree. By the end of this activity the child begins to see how they can experience more than one emotion at a time, sometimes opposite emotions at the same time and that it’s perfectly normal. This activity also provides an opportunity for further discussion about triggers for these feelings and to explore how the child copes.