How to Create a Play Therapy Room

A play therapy room and a kid’s playroom may sound like they’re the same thing, however they’re actually quite different. 

Play therapy is a therapeutic modality meeting children at their level to bring about change and healing. And the play therapy room is a controlled environment, designed for a child’s holistic wellbeing and therapeutic growth.

Therefore, all items in a play therapy room are selected for specific, therapeutic purposes. 

Following from this, you may be wondering what toys to include in a play therapy room (and which toys to exclude), and, additionally, what furniture to use as well as how to set up the room. 

Read on for specific examples, tips, and guidelines to help you create an effective play therapy room, wherever you might have space that can be used.

How to Set Up a Play Therapy Room

First, choose a location that is separate or distanced from other offices and people, so children can be noisy without complaints. 

The space should be comfortable enough for one child and one therapist to move around in, roughly twelve feet by fifteen feet—the ideal area is 150 to 200 square feet.

Next, ensure the space is private (e.g. without windows in the door or on interior walls) to establish and safeguard confidentiality and also to help children focus. 

If windows or a one-way mirror exist in the space, cover them with curtains when not being used for supervision.

There is no need to decorate a play therapy room—doing so can result in children’s overstimulation and distractibility. Paint the room in an off-white color, to create a calm setting.

Avoid dark tones which can create a depressive atmosphere. And, don’t mix too many bold colors together which can overwhelm the senses.

Your selection of furniture, carpeting, and curtains will add the color accents. All furniture in the play therapy room should be sturdy, wooden, or hard-surfaced.

Choose a child-sized table with two chairs, and a low-seated rolling chair for your use.  Depending on the activity, you’ll sit at the table with the child or follow them around the room in the rolling chair. 

Always move to the child’s level, don’t make them move to yours. If space allows, add a small storage cabinet that can hold extra supplies (playdough, glue, paints, etc.) while serving as a countertop for the child’s use.

Be sure to include well-built shelves that can be easily reached by children. For example, the top shelf should be no more than 38 inches tall. 

If possible, permanently anchor shelves to the wall so they won’t overturn if children climb on them. 

Make sure that all toys can be accessed by children, since they shouldn’t have to ask for help to reach them. 

Provide enough space for a child to play with multiple toys at once, as well as space for them to play some distance away from you. 

Many children enjoy using water tables and sand boxes. If you choose to use these, set them up in the center of the room. This placement provides a nice focal point for the room and makes for easy clean-up.

Most children enter their play therapy sessions from chaotic and stressful environments. 

We can help them regulate by keeping the play therapy room clean, safe, and predictable. 

This is achieved when we put toys back where they belong before our next session, group the same toys together, remove broken toys to repair or replace them, and clean the floor and provide rugs for children to sit on (if the room is uncarpeted).

Items to Include (and Exclude) From Play Therapy

Play therapy toys must be selected, never collected. This means every item in the play therapy room must have a purpose and be conducive to therapeutic progress. 

Some basic questions to ask about toys when creating a play therapy room:

• Is this toy age-appropriate for the children I work with? 
• Do children have to ask me for help to use this toy?
• Will this toy frustrate children because of its complexity? 
• Will this toy distract children from engaging in other play or social interaction? 

Answers to these questions will help direct you in the selection of toys and supplies.

These items should be uncomplicated, long-lasting, and enjoyable. All toys should give children chances to develop insight and express their feelings.

Avoid name-branded toys so children can use more of their imagination. For example, choose a plain doll rather than a Disney princess. And provide basic dress-up clothing instead of Marvel superhero apparel. 

Include items in play therapy which allow for imaginative expression, like dress-up clothing, domestic and exotic toy animals, toy vehicles, and building blocks. 

Make sure real-life toys are available, such as baby dolls, puppets, dollhouse with family, play money, and a toy kitchen. These will provide children opportunities to re-enact experiences or create new ones.

Allow children to test their limits and build frustration tolerance by including a toy cash register, toy dart board, and Bobo (bop bag). 

Provide art supplies for creativity, like a small easel with cups of paint, brushes, and paper; add glue, child-safe scissors, popsicle sticks, markers, and construction paper. 

If your play therapy room includes a sandbox or water table, supply small shovels, rakes, and buckets.

Toys to Exclude in a Play Therapy Room

Items to exclude in play therapy are those which can become distractions or barriers to

therapeutic growth. 

Some examples of toys to exclude from the play therapy room are:

• Electronic toys, puzzles, and books – These usually result in one-sided play in which the child becomes fixated on that activity and ignores the therapist
• Board games and card games – These can be competitive in nature and can prompt power struggles
• Full containers of paint, glue, and water – These may become messy and wasteful
• Large collections of Legos or other building sets – These can be time-consuming to clean up

Where and How to Use Play Therapy When You Don’t Have a Specific Dedicated Room

Most of us won’t have access to a separate room which we can reserve solely for play therapy. 

Even if we do, this room may be occupied if we share it with other play therapists. 

In these cases, we may be able to make space and provide resources for play therapy in whatever space that’s available to us. 

For example, you can try creating a play therapy space in these different types of rooms. Here are some suggestions.

Therapy Office

Just because we meet adult clients here doesn’t mean it’s a space that’s completely off-limits for children. 

Consider your current office space and notice how it can be altered to offer play therapy. 

For example, store play supplies in a cabinet so they aren’t seen when the doors are closed, or on a bookcase with a curtain covering the front. 

Pack toys in containers with lids and stow them in a closet, under furniture, or neatly in a

corner. You can even keep them in decorative baskets which complement your office. 

When meeting a child client, spread a blanket or tablecloth on the office floor to create a “play space” on which toys can be used.

School Classroom, Music Room, Art Room, Gym, Playground or Cafeteria 

School-based counselors can give children a break from academic stress using play therapy. 

Pack a large tote bag or backpack with basic play therapy supplies. Learn when certain spaces are unoccupied (cafeteria, music or art room, and auditorium stage), and host play therapy in those areas at specific times. 

You can also use a secluded area of the gym or empty side of the playground for play therapy sessions.

Hospital rooms

Play therapy can be the most anticipated event of a child’s hospital stay. Be sure to check with the management team about restricted items, like scissors and glue, and sanitation standards. 

Carry hand-sanitizer for both yourself and the child to use before and after play therapy, and clean toys immediately after using them. 

Store play therapy supplies in a private employee closet, or transport them using a rolling suitcase. My supervisor at the psychiatric hospital used a three-tiered, rolling toolbox to visit children on the unit. He fit all the toys inside its compartments which were easy to unload and repack. 

When meeting with children, spread toys out on a fold-up playmat or exercise mat to make room for play.

Play therapy rooms are created by mindfully choosing supplies and furnishings, with children’s therapeutic needs in mind. Select toys based on their usefulness and appropriateness inside the play therapy room. 

Keep the space clean, safe, and simple. 

Remember that we can create a “play therapy space” for children almost anywhere we have space available by following the guidelines above and using the same thoughtfulness and intentionality.

References

Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas (2023). Playroom.

Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas (2023). Recommended Toy List.

Landreth, G. (2012). The Art of the Relationship, Third Edition. New York, NY: Routledge.

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