Favorite Play Therapy gear
Meebie
Meebie is big, purple and fuzzy! Meebie has swappable facial features and accessories to help children express and communicate feelings, thoughts, and life situations. Since Meebie is purple, the eyes have all colors represented, and Meebie has no identified gender it is something that all clients can identify with.
Mindful Kid Cards
50 mindful activities for kindness, focus and calm. The bright illustrations make it fun and interesting for kids!
Worry Eaters
Friendly creatures who can eat your client's worries so they don't have to hold on to them anymore.
Washable Feeling Heart
Bring feeling hearts to life using markers and these washable feeling hearts.
People Play Dough Mats
A free printable of heads and body outlines with four different skin tones. You can laminate the mats and have children create feeling faces and identify body sensations with dry erase markers or play dough.
Hey Warrior! and Hey Awesome!
A book series to help kids understand the fight or flight response as well as learn coping skills with companion plushies.
Happy Kids Hand Puppets
Great set of diverse puppets.
Hape Kitchen Set
Gender neutral kitchen.
Dollhouses I Love: Pidoko and Hape
**lkea Dollhouses - neutral and affordable at $34.99 to have two.
Ideas for how to set up your playroom and select toys
The Art of How to Set Up a Play Therapy Room with Pam Dyson
Podcast "Lessons From The Playroom" Episode 4: What Our Playroom Says About Us
Center for Play Therapy - Video Tour, Playroom Toys, and Playroom Materials
How to Set Up a Filial Play Therapy Room, Dr. Van Fleet
What are the "Must Have" Toys for a New Play Therapist?, Jen Taylor
How to Organize a Portable Play Therapy Kit, The Play Therapist
A Cool Mental Health Intervention: How To Organize Your Sand Tray Therapy Room - With Pictures!, The Play Therapist
Play Therapy Bag - a video of the essential elements of a portable play therapy bag
Where to shop
The Dollar Tree - miniatures for sand tray, animals, trees, houses, figures, fairy house materials, play dough, craft supplies, spiritual symbols.
Michaels - many miniatures in the floral isle used for fairy houses or planters including seating, furniture, food, houses, and cradles.
Ikea - doll houses, dramatic play toys, tunnels, etc.
Fleet Farm - inexpensive toys, and during the holiday season miniatures for the sand tray
Goodwill or other thrift stores- miniatures, play sets (barns, castles, etc.), books, doll houses, costumes (especially around Halloween), games
Amazon - figures, doll houses, dramatic play, family figures, games, play food, puppets, etc.
Target - the dollar section will seasonally rotate miniatures for the sand tray (erasers that are shaped like ghosts, food, etc.), masks, swords, and other dress up toys.
Safari LTD - many tubes of miniature character sets. You can also purchase on Amazon.
Toys of the Trade - sand tray miniatures.
Counseling Toys - "starter kits" for play therapy, most play therapy toys and categories.
Child Therapy Toys - "starter kits", most play therapy toys and categories.
Melissa and Doug - great place for puppets.
Seasonally shop garage sales and toy swaps, black Friday sales, Halloween, and holiday sales.
Fish tank section - most stores will carry structures, greenery, and other miniatures.
Other Resources
Categories of Toys and Effective Responses
Identifies categories of toys needed for Client Centered Play Therapy, portable play therapy, and categories and examples of effective responses from a Child Centered approach.
Trauma and Play Therapy: Holding Hard Stories
A TEDx talk by Paris Goodyear Brown MSSW, LCSW, RPTS about trauma informed play therapy practices with case examples.
Sand Play Therapy: A Brief Overview
An overview from Dr. Barbara Turner of Sand Play Therapy.
Play Therapy Examples
Child Centered Play Therapy
Video clip with Gary Landreth with a nondirective play therapy session. Full play therapy room set up.
Rapport-Building and Check-In Activities for Child Therapy Sessions
Liana Lowenstein shares approaches for checking in for directive play therapy sessions. Her YouTube channel has many directive play therapy activities.
Play Therapy Demonstration Part 1: Building a Growth Mindset, Play Therapy Demonstration Part 2
Two nondirective play therapy videos with explanations for tracking. Not a full play therapy room, toys arranged in categories on the floor.
Play Therapy with Explanation of Techniques
Nondirective play therapy examples with explanation of tracking. Not a full play therapy room, toys arranged in categories on the floor.
Sand Tray Explained
Southern Sand Tray Institute explains the benefits of sand tray for children and how it works. You can find the adult version of the video HERE.
Sand Tray Therapy Demonstration of a Teenager
Tammi Van Hollander shows a traditional tray and sand tray therapy room set up. The demonstration shows the addition of resources at the end.
0 to 5 in 30 Minutes Sand Play Therapy
KVPTBS news story on Sand Play Therapy with client examples.
Sand Play Therapy - An Introduction by Patricia Dunn-Fierstein
Sand Play therapy examples with a full sand play room as well as a wet and dry tray.
Play Therapy
Directive Play Therapy techniques from Dr. Heidi Kaduson, examples of a feeling game and feeling heart.
Therapy Technique: Sand Tray Safe Place
Theresa Fraser demonstrates Safe Place in the sand tray. Can use for phase 2 of EMDR. Great example of how to introduce sand tray materials. Demonstrates how to process in a way that is a bit different than a typical tray.
Play Therapy Session working on Feelings with Candy Land Game
Dr. Knapp demonstrates a directive play therapy intervention with feeling identification.
Play Therapy Technique: Feelings Go Fish
Liana Lowenstein demonstrates a directive play therapy technique for feeling identification.
Meebie
Meebie is big, purple and fuzzy! Meebie has swappable facial features and accessories to help children express and communicate feelings, thoughts, and life situations. Since Meebie is purple, the eyes have all colors represented, and Meebie has no identified gender it is something that all clients can identify with.
Mindful Kid Cards
50 mindful activities for kindness, focus and calm. The bright illustrations make it fun and interesting for kids!
Worry Eaters
Friendly creatures who can eat your client's worries so they don't have to hold on to them anymore.
Washable Feeling Heart
Bring feeling hearts to life using markers and these washable feeling hearts.
People Play Dough Mats
A free printable of heads and body outlines with four different skin tones. You can laminate the mats and have children create feeling faces and identify body sensations with dry erase markers or play dough.
Hey Warrior! and Hey Awesome!
A book series to help kids understand the fight or flight response as well as learn coping skills with companion plushies.
Happy Kids Hand Puppets
Great set of diverse puppets.
Hape Kitchen Set
Gender neutral kitchen.
Dollhouses I Love: Pidoko and Hape
**lkea Dollhouses - neutral and affordable at $34.99 to have two.
Ideas for how to set up your playroom and select toys
The Art of How to Set Up a Play Therapy Room with Pam Dyson
Podcast "Lessons From The Playroom" Episode 4: What Our Playroom Says About Us
Center for Play Therapy - Video Tour, Playroom Toys, and Playroom Materials
How to Set Up a Filial Play Therapy Room, Dr. Van Fleet
What are the "Must Have" Toys for a New Play Therapist?, Jen Taylor
How to Organize a Portable Play Therapy Kit, The Play Therapist
A Cool Mental Health Intervention: How To Organize Your Sand Tray Therapy Room - With Pictures!, The Play Therapist
Play Therapy Bag - a video of the essential elements of a portable play therapy bag
Where to shop
The Dollar Tree - miniatures for sand tray, animals, trees, houses, figures, fairy house materials, play dough, craft supplies, spiritual symbols.
Michaels - many miniatures in the floral isle used for fairy houses or planters including seating, furniture, food, houses, and cradles.
Ikea - doll houses, dramatic play toys, tunnels, etc.
Fleet Farm - inexpensive toys, and during the holiday season miniatures for the sand tray
Goodwill or other thrift stores- miniatures, play sets (barns, castles, etc.), books, doll houses, costumes (especially around Halloween), games
Amazon - figures, doll houses, dramatic play, family figures, games, play food, puppets, etc.
Target - the dollar section will seasonally rotate miniatures for the sand tray (erasers that are shaped like ghosts, food, etc.), masks, swords, and other dress up toys.
Safari LTD - many tubes of miniature character sets. You can also purchase on Amazon.
Toys of the Trade - sand tray miniatures.
Counseling Toys - "starter kits" for play therapy, most play therapy toys and categories.
Child Therapy Toys - "starter kits", most play therapy toys and categories.
Melissa and Doug - great place for puppets.
Seasonally shop garage sales and toy swaps, black Friday sales, Halloween, and holiday sales.
Fish tank section - most stores will carry structures, greenery, and other miniatures.
Other Resources
Categories of Toys and Effective Responses
Identifies categories of toys needed for Client Centered Play Therapy, portable play therapy, and categories and examples of effective responses from a Child Centered approach.
Trauma and Play Therapy: Holding Hard Stories
A TEDx talk by Paris Goodyear Brown MSSW, LCSW, RPTS about trauma informed play therapy practices with case examples.
Sand Play Therapy: A Brief Overview
An overview from Dr. Barbara Turner of Sand Play Therapy.
Play Therapy Examples
Child Centered Play Therapy
Video clip with Gary Landreth with a nondirective play therapy session. Full play therapy room set up.
Rapport-Building and Check-In Activities for Child Therapy Sessions
Liana Lowenstein shares approaches for checking in for directive play therapy sessions. Her YouTube channel has many directive play therapy activities.
Play Therapy Demonstration Part 1: Building a Growth Mindset, Play Therapy Demonstration Part 2
Two nondirective play therapy videos with explanations for tracking. Not a full play therapy room, toys arranged in categories on the floor.
Play Therapy with Explanation of Techniques
Nondirective play therapy examples with explanation of tracking. Not a full play therapy room, toys arranged in categories on the floor.
Sand Tray Explained
Southern Sand Tray Institute explains the benefits of sand tray for children and how it works. You can find the adult version of the video HERE.
Sand Tray Therapy Demonstration of a Teenager
Tammi Van Hollander shows a traditional tray and sand tray therapy room set up. The demonstration shows the addition of resources at the end.
0 to 5 in 30 Minutes Sand Play Therapy
KVPTBS news story on Sand Play Therapy with client examples.
Sand Play Therapy - An Introduction by Patricia Dunn-Fierstein
Sand Play therapy examples with a full sand play room as well as a wet and dry tray.
Play Therapy
Directive Play Therapy techniques from Dr. Heidi Kaduson, examples of a feeling game and feeling heart.
Therapy Technique: Sand Tray Safe Place
Theresa Fraser demonstrates Safe Place in the sand tray. Can use for phase 2 of EMDR. Great example of how to introduce sand tray materials. Demonstrates how to process in a way that is a bit different than a typical tray.
Play Therapy Session working on Feelings with Candy Land Game
Dr. Knapp demonstrates a directive play therapy intervention with feeling identification.
Play Therapy Technique: Feelings Go Fish
Liana Lowenstein demonstrates a directive play therapy technique for feeling identification.
