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The Portable Playroom: Comprehensive Play Therapy Kit Source List

9/23/2020

17 Comments

 
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​Playing while apart is hard.  Playing together with masks and cleaning procedures is hard.  Playing is pretty hard in general right now. To make it a teensy bit easier I put together a Portable Playroom In A Tote for my clients to use for play therapy sessions at home.  It is a comprehensive play kit that is just a bit smaller than the actual playroom.  One that fits in a tote, bag, or rolling suitcase for portability.
 
One of the most frequent questions I get asked by new play therapists is about what toys to buy, most of the time on a budget.  It is a struggle as a new play therapist to get a feel for what “should” be in the Playroom while balancing a pretty non existent budget. 
 
When it came time for me to start developing Play Therapy Kits for my clients (I talk about the process and pros and cons HERE) I felt like I was starting all over again.  I flashed back to my early days of trying to cobble together something that was comprehensive, but feeling very overwhelmed by the 80+ toys that are recommended for Child Centered Play Therapy.
 
Back I went to hours and hours of internet searching, scouring multiple Dollar Tree locations (because not every store has the same darn stuff), and attempting to match, to the best of my ability, the lists and categories of what my young people may need in a portable Playroom. It was definitely a lot of work, but easier this round than last.
 
This kit I created for my clients is pretty comprehensive and includes all categories from Garry Landreth’s categories of toys in his text HERE on Child Centered Play Therapy. Categories of Real Life Toys, Acting Out Aggressive-Release Toys, and Creative Expression and Emotional Release.
 
The kits are also not gendered and they are nearly identical.  There is no “boy kit” or “girl kit”, because we don’t want to make assumptions about what a child may or may not need to express themselves.  My female identified clients get the scary monsters, army toys, and trucks, and my male identified clients get the dolls, bottles, and princesses.   
 
In his text Play Therapy: The Art of The Relationship Garry Landreth also has a toy idea list for a “Tote Bag Playroom”.   A lot of those items are included in his kit, however there are many additional items that I selected due to what I find the children I work with are drawn to most.  There is also the addition of Sand Tray and miniatures (which represent the categories above as well as Sand Tray categories for miniatures) also making it a larger and more comprehensive kit. 
 
Lastly because I also do Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy I included more directive items such as cards, a dice, stickie hands, and a folder for art and projects.  However, as we know those items can also be used to do almost anything a child may want.
 
So without further ado here is the source list for the comprehensive Play Therapy Kits:
 
Containers:
 
Shoe Box Tote *these appear to be out of stock but most Target, Walmart, or Dollar Tree stores carry these for around $1.00.  Make sure the top is flat if you are going to create a stove on top. Check out this link HERE for a free printable to turn the top of the shoe box tote into a stove!
 
Sand Tray Tote *If you wanted to only have one tote this would likely fit it all BUT the top isn’t flat enough to be a stove, so if you want a cooking area you might print and laminate a sheet of paper to just sit on top or the floor.

Grab a set of free downloadable and printable labels for kits HERE! 
 
Orientation Handout: 

I created a handout to orient parents and children to the Play Therapy kits including frequently asked questions, a list of rules, and an inventory.  Grab your free printable (and editable) copy HERE! 

Sand Tray and Miniatures:
 

Check out this post HERE for a comprehensive list of sources for all the miniatures and sand.  I included a dice in the miniature but BUT it is a great took to take out and use for Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy. Also, if you are transporting the sand tray, store the sand it a Zip Lock bag…trust me.
 
Toy Tote:
 
Dish/Pot and Pan set *these have enough for silverware, a cup, and a plate for 4 kits.  They only had a pot/pan for 2-3 depending on what you want in your kits, but the Dollar Tree had a set with a frying pan, egg, knife, and spatula all for $1.00 so I purchase several to supplement.   
Princess Kit (crown, wand, ring in a 10 pack)  *For the price and number of items you get, these were much cheaper than the Dollar Tree, where it was $1.00 for one crown
Babies *I LOVE that each of them has an outfit you can take off AND that they are multicultural.  When I purchased they were $28.00, so watch out for a sale! The Dollar Tree also has plush multicultural dolls, but they are all female.  These come in both gendered/neutral colors and the Dollar Tree ones are in dresses and not infant like.
Glue Sticks, Markers, Crayons, Play Therapy Folders  – at Target on discount for back to school, the BEST time to refill your art supplies!
Baby Blanket *I cut up one yard piece of fleece to make over 10 blankets.  You can choose any pattern or hit up a sale at your local fabric store!  
Doctor Kit (Stethoscope, Syringe (Dollar Tree 4 pack), cotton ball, tongue depressor, band aids (make sure if they are “skin color” all skin tones are represented.  If not characters are great!), and medicine bottles.  If you are only making one kit a used (empty) medicine bottle from your home or a friend/family member will work great!)
Toy Gun
Food (9+ items per kit)
Play Money *The Dollar Tree also has play money
Baby Bottle *these are meant to be party favors but you can get a TON for a great price.  I had my husband drill a hole in the nipple of the bottle to make that part less of a choking hazard, even though it is fairly big.  You could also hot glue the whole thing together!
Printable Doll House  *I designed a pop up free printable doll house that I laminated with a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room.  With laminated sheets it is also super wipeable.  Stay tuned for the link for the free download! 
 
Dollar Tree:
 
Playing Cards (2 pack)
Police Kit (badge and walkie talkie) * I choose to purchase these for the walkie talkies but decided to leave out the guns that came with it because although bright orange they appeared a bit too realistic
Bubbles (3 pack)
Pom poms (multipack)
Play Dough (8 pack, 2 per kit)
**Check out this post HERE for miniature items that also came from the Dollar Tree
 
Materials from my office:
 
I have a big craft supply at my office so I dug into the stash as well as my treasure chest for these items.
 
Balloons
Stickie Hands
Pipe Cleaners
Popsicle Sticks
Googly Eyes
Construction Paper
2 Envelopes
2 Paper Bags
 
The Breakdown:
 
Each kit comes in 2 containers, around 170 individual items and cost around $75.00 per kit.  The great news about these kits is that I wanted to make them as comprehensive as possible so I did include a lot of stuff.  It was an investment I was willing to make in my Play Therapy practice as I knew I would be playing apart for some time, and then when returning to office still likely using the kits for the first bit.
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Here are some of my kits ready to be picked up by clients!  Seriously for how many hours I put into these I felt like I was giving away my first born child (I'm only kind of joking)!  But seriously I am hoping this source list saves you a boat load of time if you are thinking about creating these for your clients! 

Both totes are labeled with numbers (ie Kit 1, Kit 2, etc.) so the matches can stay together and I have a list of what client is in possession of what kit.  Also, the awesome thing about this source list is it is so easy to pare down.  You can select less to fit your budget.  Amazon also has fluctuating prices.  Sometimes if you keep an eye on something and come back there will be a sale and discounted pricing. 
 
Lastly, if you are making multiple kits you can hit that price point much easier than if you were only doing a single kit, because most come in multi-packs.  If you are just starting up and looking for a single kit, pair with other Play Therapists and cost share the price of the kits!
 
Have you started the journey of Play Therapy Kits?  What is your most loved item in the kit?  Let me know in the comments below!

Want to know more about setting up your play therapy office or practice?  Check out this training HERE! 

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17 Comments
Lisa Rutman
10/5/2020 05:44:37 am

I am so appreciative of your generosity of spirit, resources, and information! I am transitioning in my work and am just starting out on the "play therapist" journey. Thank you for making the process just a little bit easier during super intense and stressful times.

I wish you well!

Reply
Ann Meehan
10/5/2020 02:24:23 pm

Thanks Lisa!! I hope this helps you at the start of your journey! The field of Play Therapy is amazing!

Reply
Rebecca Levin
10/30/2020 03:28:13 pm

Thanks!

Reply
Katie
12/8/2020 04:52:50 am

I love this. I’m thinking about making these for when we start outdoor sessions in the spring or if my office mandates I bring people back in. I’m wondering if you found that kids and families were able to keep the kits together or if they played with them outside of therapy time and became a mess?

Reply
Ann Meehan
12/9/2020 07:56:39 am

For the most part families have been able to keep them together! The link below has a free download of the handout I included and had a pretty explicit verbal informed consent as well that they were only to be played with during session and we brainstormed where to keep them! I hope this helps!

https://www.meehanmentalhealth.com/the-playful-therapist-blog/free-kit-handout-bundle

Reply
Shauna Kelsey link
9/20/2021 12:04:38 pm

THIS IS A LIFE SAVER! I am in the process of going back into school as basically a traveling play therapist and I love this!! Thank you so much for making this blog!!

Reply
Ann
9/21/2021 05:35:15 am

Shauna I am so glad you found this helpful! It can be so hard to travel from school to school or office to office and I'm glad this well help you do the amazing work you do with clients! When I was going between offices and schools a rolling suitcase was my best friend! Good luck this year!

Reply
Merab Akinyi link
5/4/2022 06:30:57 am

Anne,this was really useful.l struggle with toys as we share the space in an urgency.At times l have had to carry my own toys because our levels of neatness is different. Thanks so much for your generosity.
Play therapy is still a growing profession in Kenya.

Reply
Ann Meehan
5/4/2022 01:19:29 pm

Hi Merab!! I am so happy you found this helpful! I am also extremely excited to hear about the work you are doing in Kenya with Play Therapy - so needed and exciting!

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Susan Garcia
5/19/2022 09:43:22 am

Hi there! Thanks for this amazing resource! I will be a traveling school counselor and currenty working on becoming a registered play therapist. I was trying to figure out how I could make play therapy on the go work for me. So I am very grateful for this! One question: What is in the play therapy folder?

Reply
Ann Meehan
5/19/2022 10:09:12 am

Hi Susan! Since I made these for Tele-Health the folder is meant to be a place they can store their confidential art or drawings! If you are in schools you can definitely skip that if you have another filing system!

Reply
Alan Dodson link
8/5/2022 08:32:13 am

Of what my young people may need in a portable Playroom. It was definitely a lot of work, but easier this round than last. Thank you for making this such an awesome post!

Reply
Ann Meehan
8/10/2022 06:55:26 am

Yes!! Definitely a lot of work but yes it does get easier with time!!

Reply
William Planas link
8/6/2022 12:51:46 pm

My female identified clients get the scary monsters, army toys, and trucks, and my male identified clients get the dolls, bottles, and princesses. Thank you for making this such an awesome post!

Reply
Ann Meehan
8/10/2022 06:55:45 am

AHHH yes!!! I am so glad you connected with this!

Reply
Karl
1/1/2023 10:33:32 am

Thanks. This is really helpful. I have just started training to become a play therapist and have been unsure what to get, until I came across your website and list.

Reply
Ann Meehan
1/3/2023 05:57:29 am

Thank you Karl! I'm so excited you have started the journey to become a play therapist! This is such a gift to the kids and teens you are serving!

Reply



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    Hi, there!

    I'm Ann Meehan, an LPCC,
    ​RPT-S
    ™, and EMDR Consultant. I help therapists that work with kids and teens go from a place of stress and survival to inspired and thriving.  I give child therapists the resources, tools, and skills they need to be effective and confident in their practice!

    I am organization obsessed, coffee loving, playful therapist who is showing up for life in the north woods of Minnesota. 

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  • Home
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