Play therapy for children at home

Play is the main activity of children from the moment of birth and for many years. Through play, children learn and explore the world around them. While playing, children become aware of themselves as individuals, learn communication skills, and develop their physical and intellectual abilities. With the help of play therapy, a method that uses games and toys to correct and even out the development of children, it is possible to help children solve various problems in a non-traumatic way.

Often, young children are not able to talk about what worries or excites them. Little ones cannot explain the reasons for their anxiety or fear. Sometimes babies begin to lag behind in development for no apparent reason. In such cases, consultations with pediatricians and psychologists are very important. Very often, to correct developmental delays in babies, treatment using toys and games is recommended.

Game therapy concept

The effectiveness of the therapeutic effects of game therapy on preschoolers is due to the special state of children when they play. During this period, fidgets are in a good, cheerful mood. Little people are emotionally open, willingly make contact with adults, share their experiences, talk about their problems.

Games are an important component of the psycho-emotional, physical, and intellectual development of children. While playing, the baby prepares for an independent adult life: it learns the rules and norms of behavior accepted in society, gets acquainted with moral principles, and acquires useful skills for various types of activities. With the help of games, preschool children develop imagination, fantasy, and develop intelligence. Taking into account the importance of play activities for the formation of the psychosocial state of children, psychologists of the last century created play therapy as a method of influencing and correcting the development of children.

Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic method that is based on influencing a child’s development through various types of play activities. Many games not only carry information about the world around the child, but also have a healing effect. A psychologist observes the baby as he plays, immerses himself in the world of the little man, identifies problems, and more accurately determines the causes of alarming phenomena in the baby’s development. Only by identifying the source of the child’s anxiety can treatment be prescribed and progress made in its implementation.

Functions of play therapy

Play therapy, regardless of the form of its implementation, performs three functions that are essential for preschool children:

Diagnostics. Closed little people, who do not want to communicate with strangers, open up during the game. The conversation takes place at the level of the baby’s sensorimotor. An experienced specialist will be able to identify the phenomena that are disturbing the child. While playing, the baby reveals all his personal characteristics, which will help the psychologist select an individual program for the necessary correction of the development of the foolish child. Without a diagnosis it is impossible to help the little man. Game therapy, used at an early age, helps to get rid of many psychological and physical problems in children.
Education. Play therapy for children combines two significant functions: treatment and education. The game gives impetus to the development of the baby, teaches communication, and promotes understanding of objects. With the help of the game, the process of socialization and readaptation of the little man occurs. For many introverted children, it is the game that allows them to express themselves, find new friends, and get rid of problems with a lack of communication. During the gameplay, the baby can throw out the negative emotions that appear. The psychologist’s task is to correct children’s behavior using a process that children can understand.
Therapy. Preschoolers are not yet very interested in the outcome of the game. Preschool children enjoy the game itself and the gameplay. In the process, his little man gets rid of awkwardness and shyness in communicating with other children, as well as with adults. The child experiences his fears, tries to find and finds a solution to conflict situations and his other problems. A foolish child learns to communicate, develops tolerance for other people's opinions, and develops an adequate reaction to the world around him.

Who benefits from play therapy?

Pedagogical practice confirms that play therapy has a therapeutic effect and successfully copes with a huge number of diagnoses. There are only two exceptions in which such therapy is contraindicated - complete autism of the child, as well as non-contact schizophrenia.

Play therapy is very effective for working with children who have physical and mental developmental disabilities. The method of play therapy is very often used in psychocorrectional work as it is optimal in terms of efficiency and power of influence. Play therapy is indicated for the following problems:

bringing children whose parents have divorced out of depression;
treatment of various types of fear, fright. Ability to overcome feelings of anxiety, remove a child from a stressful state, for the treatment of various phobias;
for the correction of antisocial, aggressive behavior, when correcting bad, dangerous habits;
to bring the baby out of a state of isolation and over-shyness. When correcting speech deficiencies, including treatment of stuttering;
if the child has difficulty reading, to achieve higher performance for those children who have problems in learning and mastering educational material;
to accelerate the development of mentally retarded children;
for psychosomatic diseases such as bronchial asthma, neurodermatitis and others - play therapy is used here to alleviate the condition of the little man.

Game or treatment?

Some adults mistakenly consider game therapy to be identical to psychiatry and assume that game therapy should be used in especially rare cases. Recently, there has been a tendency to bring children who do not have obvious problems to a psychologist for play therapy sessions, for a more active and successful development of the child. Often during a session it becomes noticeable that the preschooler has problems that the parents were not aware of.

Play therapy has almost unlimited possibilities for influencing the development of children. While playing, the child learns to express his thoughts, speak more clearly and clearly, and logically justify his actions. Through play, the baby strengthens his will, learns to control and restrain his emotions. While playing, the baby gains confidence in his abilities and interacts with other children and adults. The baby learns to communicate, find friends, and solves communication problems.

Examples of games for home

Naturally, full-fledged classes should be conducted by a specialist, but parents can provide invaluable assistance to the child by communicating and playing with him. What can a preschooler do outside of kindergarten? Familiar exercises will come to the aid of all of us.

Fun in the sandbox. In the sandbox, during games in the fresh air, the most bizarre shapes are modeled from wet sand using different molds.
Magic mirror. Sitting opposite, the baby and mom (dad) repeat gestures and facial expressions one after another, like reflections in a mirror.
Snowmen. Parents and children pretend to be snowmen, gradually melting right down to the puddle.
Swamp. You can cut out special bumps from paper, the size of two feet, or you can just use newspapers and arrange races around the room, moving only through such safe places, trying not to get on the floor, which has become a swamp.

Home play therapy

Parents are concerned about whether it is possible to carry out play therapy work at home, without the participation of a professional psychologist. Experts advise that you definitely consult with a psychologist in each specific case so that the psychologist can select the necessary exercises for a particular child and solve his problems.

You can complete the entire session of such treatment in a specialist’s office or attend several classes to learn how to properly perform the exercises of the prescribed treatment. Psychologists believe that the best results come from activities with the presence of significant adults for the child - parents, as well as grandparents. The foolish child, feeling his parents nearby, behaves more relaxed.

The maximum benefit from play therapy, as well as a strong psychological impact on a preschooler, is provided by games in which relatives and loved ones act together with the child. Such treatment sessions are also useful for parents, because joint activities help to better understand their own child, establish trusting contact with the baby, and strengthen relationships within the family.

Where to begin

It is necessary to remember that the baby completely trusts his parents and will play with mom or dad with great joy. Before parents start playing, they should learn a few simple truths that will help their little ones get the maximum benefit from play therapy:

A baby is a full-fledged person who must be accepted entirely.
Respect and take into account the wishes of the little man.
Never force your baby to play by force or threats.
The atmosphere during the game should be cheerful and carry a positive mood.
Monitor the emotional stress experienced by the baby.

Monitor your child's well-being. If your fidget starts to get distracted, yawn, rub its eyes, or become capricious, stop the game immediately. Invite your child to change the type of activity. For example, go for a walk. Or maybe the baby is tired from intense activities, then it is best to put the baby to sleep for a while. Sometimes the foolish one begins to behave too actively. Increased excitability and hyperactivity are also reasons to change the type of activity to a calmer one.

Creative games, such as drawing and modeling, require the perseverance of a fidget. However, preschool children do not like to sit in one place for a long time. Parents should alternate between quiet games and active role-playing games: “mother-daughter” games, playing doctor or drinking tea with dolls.

Usually classes begin with drawing. Ask your child to draw a house, a family. Together with your preschooler, paint flowers and leaves on the trees. While drawing, ask why the little one drew his mom and dad this way, why he chose the outfits for them. The details of the drawing can tell a lot to attentive parents. The presence of black, gray, brown colors indicates that the baby feels anxious at home and is afraid of something. Perhaps the little man is affected by the unfavorable situation in the family.

Playing with toys also reveals the baby’s true attitude towards the family and the environment. If the dolls do not have names, or the baby calls them insulting words: shaggy, incompetent, stupid, stupid - parents should think about their attitude towards the younger generation. Sometimes a preschooler starts fights among dolls, imitates car accidents; the child’s toys communicate only by shouting and swearing.

All these symptoms are not only problems with the perception of the surrounding reality, they demonstrate problems in the family of the foolish one. After all, most often the mental problems of children have roots in family upbringing. And then it is necessary to correct not only the behavior of the child, but also the rethinking of the adults’ own behavior.

Who is better for a child to play with?

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. It all depends on the goals described above. If it is necessary to reveal potential or slightly correct behavior, then it will be comfortable and adaptive to do this with parents. After all, they are the ones who know their baby better than anyone else and will find an approach to him. And the child will be more comfortable playing with relatives. Regular trips to the office with a “Psychologist” sign can themselves cause stress, which is unnecessary if the baby is just a little capricious, for example.

Parents cannot always cope with psychological disorders on their own due to many factors: subjectivity, lack of appropriate education, time, desire, and others. Therefore, in such cases, it is better to contact a play therapist who, if necessary, will involve both mom and dad in the game or teach them how to play at home.

Types of play therapy

When working with children using the play therapy method, the most important thing is to maintain an open play atmosphere. A little person should not feel like he is at a doctor's appointment. In such a case, there will be no effect from the treatment. The emotional background during the game process and the preschooler’s experiences will be hidden from the attention of a specialist. It will be very difficult for a psychologist to find contact with a foolish person, to understand the causes and origins of his problems.

The main goal of treatment is to identify the problem, find the source of its occurrence, solve and correct the negative impact on the development of children. To obtain the desired result, it is first necessary to choose the right treatment method. There is no one way to solve all problems. Each situation has its own relevant method that must be applied in a particular case.

Game therapy methods

Noting the role of adults in the gaming process, the following two methods of therapy are distinguished:

Directive, directed therapy. The role of an adult is to organize and control the entire game process. An adult offers a foolish child ready-made solutions for various types of problems that arise. This leadership role of a significant adult allows the little person to understand and understand the essence of the problem or conflict.
Non-directive therapy. During such therapy, an adult distances himself from participation in play activities, thus creating an atmosphere of complete trust and reliability among preschool children.

Depending on the use of different structures of materials for therapy, the following 2 methods are also distinguished:

Structured play. Most often, this method is used to treat children 4-12 years old. The game in this case is an active method of psychotherapy. The children play with dolls, cars, and pistols. Objects for play activities directly express the desires and actions of children. Children are involved in role-playing games, which help correct antisocial behavior and instill moral standards.
Unstructured. The gameplay is aimed at performing physical and sports exercises. Materials for unstructured play therapy include play dough, play dough, or sand. With the help of such material, the baby can express his hidden feelings and experiences.

Game therapy for children, according to the chosen form of organizing the game process, is divided into the following types:

Individual therapy. This therapy is used if the baby has not developed a sense of communication and communication with other children. When a foolish child is afraid or embarrasses other children, the psychologist prescribes individual therapy to help the child in the process and instill a sense of communication.
Group play therapy is widely used in child care settings. Games in groups help children to open up more fully in joint communication, develop strong-willed qualities, and in group activities the socialization of little fidgets takes place.

Features of group classes

Before group classes, the specialist needs to identify children who may have contraindications to this type of therapy. First of all, the preschooler should not exhibit increased aggressiveness or stress, and the child should not exhibit antisocial symptoms in his behavior. Such preschool children can suddenly start a fight or scandal and harm other children with their behavior. It is undesirable to have a child with exaggerated childish jealousy in the classroom, which can result in tears and hysterics.

A group lesson creates conditions so that a preschooler can recognize himself as an independent person and feel his individuality. Playing together raises children's self-esteem and creates an understanding of the need for communication. Group play therapy in the process of work reduces anxiety in preschool children, reduces anxiety, as well as the sense of guilt of the ignorant.

During group treatment, fidgets are taught responsibility for their own actions, self-control skills are formed and further developed. The baby begins to believe in himself, in his own strength. In such classes, preschool children develop the ability to independently make and defend their decisions.

Game room in an educational institution

In a kindergarten that meets the modern needs of parents, a special room should be equipped for a psychologist to work with children. To achieve the optimal effect from classes, it must meet certain criteria.

Requirements for the size and design of the room

To work with one preschooler or a group of 2-3 children, a room with dimensions of 3.5 m by 4.5 m is sufficient. This is necessary to ensure a comfortable distance between the adult and the child. For group classes where the number of participants is more than 4 people, at least 27 m2 is required. Then the risk of injury during outdoor games will be minimized. For the child’s comfort, there should be no doors with glass elements or windows located on the interior walls, otherwise they should have curtains or blinds. It is advisable to lay linoleum on the floor; carpet is laid only for appropriate games. It is necessary to exclude dark tones from the interior, cover the walls with light washable paint: play therapy should evoke positive emotions.

equipment requirements

Toy shelves rigidly attached to the walls are placed no higher than 1 m from the floor: children should be able to demonstrate independence without harming themselves. Ideally, a small bathroom adjoins the study room. The room is equipped with tables with a wooden surface. Slides with drawers are also good, especially if you can draw and wash on their surface. The classroom for activities in kindergarten is equipped with the following groups of toys:

conveying the real world around us - a family of dolls, a house, transport, a cash register, puppets;
for self-expression in creativity and weakening emotions - clay, sand, water, cubes, paints with a palette;
giving the opportunity to react to aggression - guns, predatory animals, toy soldiers, rubber knives.

Types of therapeutic games

In treatment using gameplay, games are divided into types, depending on the children’s illness. These are the games:

for diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
with cerebral palsy;
for diseases of the respiratory organs;
correcting speech deficiencies, stuttering, speech therapy;
restoring the physical and psychological state of children;
for various social deviations.

Some exercises should only be performed under the supervision of a specialist. Most of the play activity can be done at home in the family circle. While playing, the baby, with the help of adults, will achieve his goals.

Any treatment should begin with improving the psycho-emotional state of the baby, which will allow you to establish trusting contact with the little person, relieve nervous tension, get rid of certain types of fear, improve the fidget’s coordination, and improve physical well-being.

"Blind Man's Bluff." The blindfolded driver must catch one of the children who are running around and clapping their hands, attracting attention. If the driver identifies the caught child, the children change roles.
"Hide and seek." From the age of 2 years, a child can actively participate in hide and seek. The leader closes his eyes, or is blindfolded, and counts to 10. During this time, the rest of the participants must have time to hide.
"Swamp" or "obstacle course". Bumps and obstacles are created on the floor using sheets of paper or ropes, pillows, and toys. The winner is the one who is the first to overcome all obstacles without mistakes.

To correct aggression

"Battle". Weapons are made from crumpled paper or small soft toys. The kids are having a fight. After the victory of one of the parties, reconciliation of the parties necessarily occurs.
"Boxer". Place the hoop on the floor. The kid in the center of the hoop imitates a boxer's punches.
"Name-calling." Children stand in a circle. The condition is to call your peer some kind of fruit, vegetable or flower. This condition helps transform aggression into positivity.

To correct fears

"Ghost". A curtain or sheet is thrown over the driver. Such a player runs after everyone, shouting that he is a terrible ghost. The task is to escape from the ghost.
"Cats and mice." The cat is sleeping, the mice are mischievous. The cat will wake up, the mice must have time to run away.

A lot of interesting games have been developed that will help your child cope with his problems. But here a lot depends on the attention and care adults need to give to the child. You can come up with your own exercises and present them to your baby in a playful way. The main thing is to achieve results without compromising the preschooler’s psyche. Therefore, before experimenting, you must definitely consult a psychologist.

It must be remembered that treatment always takes a long time, so it is better to contact a specialist at the first alarm bells and take preventive measures.

Play therapy in kindergartenarticle

Consultation

on the topic “Play therapy in kindergarten”

Educator

MBDOU d/s No. 7 “Belochka”

Dushanova D.K.

You and I know that play is a child’s vital need; it occupies an important place in the life of a preschooler and is the main means of raising children.

Indeed, we do not think about the importance of the games we played as children in our lives. Why do we associate our childhood with the sandbox, dolls and blind man's buff? It turns out that this is the best way to our mental stability, to getting rid of fears and to the ability to communicate.

Play therapy is based on the recognition that play has a powerful influence on personal development. The goal of using play therapy is not to change or remake the child, not to teach him any special behavioral skills, but to give him the opportunity to “live” situations that excite him in the game with the full attention and empathy of an adult.

The goals of play therapy are to help the child:

1) become more responsible in your actions and actions;

2) understand yourself and others better;

3) become more self-directed;

4) develop greater capacity for self-acceptance;

5) gain a sense of control;

6) develop sensitivity (sensitivity, a person’s ability to sense, distinguish and respond to external stimuli) to the process of overcoming difficulties;

7) develop an internal source of assessment;

gain faith in yourself.

Nowadays, sand play therapy is considered the most useful for little ones. Children's love for the sandbox has long been explained. There the kids begin to make friends with their peers, there the first fights occur over scoops and buckets, there the fidget feels calm and comfortable. Remember how many times you were surprised to watch the picture of a child’s many hours of bliss on the beach or in the sandbox? Sand attracts little “builders” with its unusual structure and the new sensations they experience when touching the sand. Sand play therapy is a record of perseverance for any little one.

Play therapy

• Games with rules, competitive games, long-term cooperative games

• Dramatization games, imaginative role-playing games, liberating games in overcoming children’s comfortable behavior

• Role-playing game

• Collective educational games

• Director's games

• Folk game as a universal means of correcting deficiencies in personal development

Play therapy helps resolve a child’s internal conflict, promotes changes in feelings and attitudes towards positive acceptance of oneself and the world around him.

Today's preschoolers are noticeably different from their peers of previous years: they are more relaxed, more proactive, and smarter. But more and more children are found with behavioral deviations: some are completely unfamiliar with the state of peace and concentration, while others, on the contrary, can play alone for hours, speak quietly, and avoid contact with peers and adults. In such cases, behavior is characterized as deviant and unconstructive.

All types of unconstructive behavior can be divided into 6 types:

1st group - impulsive, hyperactive, “nimble” children, “disaster” children;

2nd group - demonstrative, “whims” children;

3rd group - protest;

4th group - aggressive;

5th group - undisciplined, “withdrawal from activity”;

6th group - conformal, children are “mumblers”, children are “mattresses”, passive, shy.

Modern science considers play therapy as one of the most effective means of correcting unconstructive behavior, since play is the leading activity at this age.

Games to repress fears in children

1. The game “Hide and Seek” - to overcome the fear of closed spaces, loneliness, darkness, indecision and emotional stress. You can play from 1 year old. We discuss where you can’t hide. With older children we can play in the dark, with only the night light on.2. The game “Shaggy Dog” is for overcoming the fear of animals, sudden influence, in unexpected situations, overcoming self-doubt. You can play from 1 year old. We offer one of the children the role of “dog” and seat him on a chair. The rest of the children slowly come as close as possible with the words: Here sits a shaggy dog, burying his nose in his paws. Quietly, peacefully he sits: either dozing or sleeping. Let's go up to him, wake him up and see if something happens. After the words “something will happen,” the dog jumps up and, with the words “woof, woof,” rushes towards the children, they must dodge and run away from the dog.3. Game "Tags". Serves as a kind of warm-up for subsequent games, helps to significantly reduce fear in case of a sudden unexpected attack, punishment from parents (since staining as a light blow imitates physical punishment), and relieves accumulated nervous tension. You can play from 2 years old. It is advisable to stipulate the rules of the game in advance: move along a limited agreed area, only mark with a clap on the back. To create emotional tension, the presenter can make remarks - threats: “Well, hold on!”, “As soon as I catch you...”, “Yeah, I gotcha!” and others. And to relieve the emotional intensity and build the child’s confidence in his own abilities, we give a positive assessment in the form of an exclamation: “What a dexterity!”, “There’s no way to catch up!” etc.4. Game "We are hunting a lion." To overcome timidity, fear of exposure to unexpected situations, fear of water, animals. We've been playing since we were 2 years old. Children pronounce the text, accompanying it with appropriate movements: We are hunting a lion. We are not afraid of him. We have a long gun and a telescope. Oh! What is this? And this is a field: top - top - top. Oh! What is this? And this is a swamp: chav - chav - chav. Oh! What is this? And this is the sea: glug-glug-glug. Oh! What is this? And this is the path: shur-shur-shur. You can't crawl under it. You can't fly over it. There is no way around it, but the path is straight - We went out into the clearing. Who is this lying here?

- Let's touch it! (children “touch” an imaginary lion) Yes, it’s a LION! Oh, mommy! Oh, how scary! We got scared of him and ran home quickly: Along the path: rust - rust - rust. By sea: glug - glug - glug. Through the swamp: chav - chav - chav. Across the field: top - top - top. We ran home. The door was locked with all the locks: chick-chick. Wow! (on the way out) Tired. Oh yes we are! Well done! They ran away from the lion!5. Game "Blind Man's Bluff". To overcome the fear of closed spaces, darkness, sudden influence. You can play from 3 years old. We tightly blindfold the driver, that is, we imitate a closed space, which children are so afraid of in everyday life, and, turning it around three times, we offer to catch one of the children. As the game progresses, we give the driver signals in which direction it is best for him to move. When catching one of the children, the leader must identify who it is by touch. The game of "Tag" dies out only in adolescence, and "Blind Man's Bluff" and "Hide and Seek" - in primary school age. These games are a prelude to the competitive games "Who's First", "Quick Answers", etc.6. Game "Who's First". To remove the fear of unexpected influences and train the processes of attention and inhibition. We've been playing since we were 2 years old. From the age of 4 we introduce complications into the game. In the middle of the room we place 2 chairs, between them there is a passage for one person. Children get down on all fours and, at a signal, must crawl to the chairs, crawl between them and go around one of the chairs to return to the starting line. When they crawl, you can hold each other back, cling to clothes, push, taking into account the age of the players. Whoever gets to the launch pad first wins. Complication: crawl after the words “caterpillar”, not “crocodile”, “snake”. Then, from the age of 6, after the words “caterpillar”, “crocodile” or after clapping, and not hitting a tambourine, etc.7. Game "Bus". To overcome the fear of closed spaces, especially in transport, to coordinate your movements with the movements of your comrades. Holding each other's hands, the children form the frame of a bus with the driver in front. The “bus” picks up “passengers” at “stops” through a single, and poorly functioning “door” - everyone must make room and all move rhythmically together while the bus is “moving.”8. Game "The dog barks and bites the heel." To overcome the fear of unexpected influence, fear of animals, memory of unpleasant sensations. Kids are playing. A dog is being led past them on a “leash.” The dog barks and tries to grab one of the children by the leg. The child should cower in fear and then dodge the dog.9. Game "Wrathful Hyena". To overcome fear of animals, express anger. We've been playing since we were 3 years old. A monkey sits on a palm tree (chair), next to it is a hyena, she is angry: I am a terrible hyena, I am an angry hyena. Foam always boils on my lips from anger. The hyena catches those who try to help the monkey. Children must try to free the monkey without getting caught by the hyena.10. Game "Brave Bunny". To overcome the fear of sudden impact in unexpected situations, fear of animals. You can play from 3 years old. We choose a hare who likes to stand on a stump (chair), sing loudly and read poetry, a wolf, the rest of the children are “cowardly hares”. Carried away by the singing, the hare does not “see” how the hares ran away and the wolf crept up, so he must run away at the very last moment, when the wolf stretches out his “paws” to him.11. Game "Owl". To overcome the fear of sudden impact and unpleasant sensations. We've been playing since we were 2 years old. We choose an owl, the rest of the children are hares. Hares jump, frolic, at the signal “owl” the hares freeze, depicting fear on their faces, and the owl must choose the one who did not freeze well enough and inaccurately depicted the emotion of fear.12. Game "Swamp". To overcome the fear of depth, heights, fear of monsters living in the swamp. At a distance of 1 step we place chairs or cubes, turned in different directions, forming a straight or zigzag line - this is a “swamp”. Children must cross to the other side. At the moment of transition, we intensify the emotional tension with the words “you will fall”, “come back”, “you will not pass” and at the end - approval “well done”, “keep it up”, “managed it”.13. Game "My Fear". Used as a technique for partial release from fears. We've been playing since we were 4 years old. Children stand in a circle, hands free. They read the poem “Fear” by V. Kudryavtseva, accompanying the words with movements and facial expressions: Fear has big eyes, Fear has fangs instead of teeth. He eats everyone and drinks everything. Fear has a desire to eat. Grab, bite, even eat! The coward will come up with fear and gasp pitifully: “Ah!” But I’m not afraid of anything: I’ll invent fear and laugh!14. Game "Bear the Bear in the Forest." To overcome the fear of animals, sudden influence, being left alone. We've been playing since 1st year. We choose one of the children as a “bear” who sleeps in the den. The rest of the children go to the “forest”, performing actions according to the text: The bear has mushrooms in the forest, I take berries, But the bear does not sleep and growls at us. After the word “growls,” the children run away, and the bear catches them. To increase emotional tension during this period, the adult exclaims: “Catch him, hold him!”, “Aha, caught him, caught him!”, “Run away, run away!” etc. At the end, for the effort of self-confidence, we encourage “Well done, they ran away!”, “Oh, yes, fast, dexterous!”.15. Game "Cock Fight". To overcome the fear of unexpected impact, pain. We've been playing since we were 5 years old. Children stand in pairs sideways to each other and, jumping on one leg, push each other with either their right or left shoulder, trying to throw each other off balance.16. Game "Scary Chair". To overcome the fear of unexpected influence, talking through your fears. We've been playing since we were 4 years old. We place chairs in the center of the room (preferably in the middle of the carpet), the children sit around the chair on the carpet. And one of the children sits on a chair and tells his most terrible story, so that the end ends with the words “Grabbed!”, “Caught,” “Hold!” and after these words he tries to catch one of the children, and the children must quickly dodge, run away, crawl off the carpet.17. Game “Baba Yoshka, who am I?” To overcome imaginary, inadequate fears of fairy-tale characters, unexpected bodily contacts. We've been playing since we were 3 years old. One of the children, wearing a Baba Yaga mask or another scary mask, must find out who it is by catching the outstretched hand of the children running around him, touching him and calling in a changed voice: “Baba - Yoshka, who am I?”.18. Game "Baba Yaga". To overcome imaginary, inadequate fears of fairy-tale characters, sudden influence. We've been playing since we were 3 years old. We choose Baba Yaga. She, putting on a mask and taking a “broom” - a stick or twig, stands in the center of a circle cut out of paper. Children run around and tease: Baba - Yaga - Bone Leg. She fell from the stove, broke her leg, went to the garden, scared the people, ran to the bathhouse, scared the bunny. Baba Yaga jumps out of the circle on one leg and tries to stain the children with a “broom”. Whoever it touches freezes in place until all the children are stained.19. Game "Bee". To overcome the fear of animals, insects, unexpected influences, and physical contact. We've been playing since we were 1 year old. We choose a bear, the rest of the children are bees, “flying” throughout the room. The bear goes to the bees, saying the words: Bear - the bear is coming, He will take away the honey from the bees. Bees, go home! The bees fly away to the “hive” (to a certain corner), the bear goes towards them. The bees say: This hive is our house. Get away from us, bear! W-w-w-w! The bees begin to “sting”, the bear runs away from them.20. Game "Hunters". To overcome painful fear, unpleasant, unexpected effects. We've been playing since we were 5 years old. We choose three “hunters”, the rest of the children are “animals”. Hunters with a small ball in their hand are located at different ends of the playing area, the animals move in different directions in the center of the area. At the signal, the animals freeze, and the hunters must hit someone with the ball. The stained players take the place of the hunters, and the game repeats. Rules of the game: 1. You cannot throw the ball hard, aim for the head. 2. “Animals” can dodge the ball without leaving their place.21. Game "Corridor". To overcome the fear of pain, attack, animals, unexpected influence, confined space. We've been playing since we were 5 years old. Children are divided into two teams and stand opposite each other, forming a corridor. One of the children must run through the corridor to the other end, at a moment of calm - “the guards are sleeping.”22. Game "Bee in the Dark". To overcome the fear of darkness, closed spaces, heights. We've been playing since we were 3 years old. Children depict bees flying from flower to flower (chairs, benches, cubes of different heights). The bees ate nectar and fell asleep inside the flower (the children are hiding under the table). Night comes, the flower closes its petals (we cover the table with a dark cloth) and the bees sleep in the flower. But then morning came (we remove the fabric). The bees again began to fly from flower to flower. We repeat the game, increasing the density of the fabric to create a dark effect. 23. Game “Funny Mice”. To overcome the fear of animals, unexpected influences, loud, sharp signals. We've been playing since we were 1.5 years old. We choose “cat”, the rest of the children choose “mice”. The mice, pronouncing words and performing actions according to the text, approach the cat: “The mice came out one day to see what time it was. One, two, three, four, the mice pulled the weights. Suddenly there was a terrible ringing sound! Bom-bom-bom! The mice ran away." 24. Game “Scarecrow, scarecrow, show yourself!” - fear of the unexpected impact of an attack. We've been playing since we were 5 years old. We choose “scarecrow”, the rest are “rooks”. The chosen one behind the screen dresses up as a scarecrow, using unnecessary sheets, bathrobes, boxes, and children's buckets. The rooks gather in a heap and shout in unison: “Scarecrow, scarecrow, show yourself!” The scarecrow jumps out from behind the screen and scatters the rooks. Then we choose a new scarecrow. We play until everyone is in the role of a scarecrow.

The game “Brave Turtles” is about overcoming the fear of the dark, attacks, and unexpected influences. We've been playing since we were 4 years old.

We choose “peacock”, the rest – “turtles”. The turtles lie on their stomachs under a blanket. While basking in the sun, they stretch out their arms and legs from under the blanket, and the curious peacock touches their hands and “pecks,” and the turtles remove their hands under the blanket in time. We change the peacock after it touches someone.

The game “Master of the Mountain” is aimed at overcoming the fear of unexpected bodily contacts, pain, and unpleasant influences. We've been playing since we were 5 years old.

The “owner” of the mountain is located in a circle or on a rug, who must protect it from attacks by “warriors” /no more than 4-5 people/. The owner’s task is not to let anyone onto the mountain, and the warriors’ task is to push the owner off the top /circle/. Rules:

Keep your hands behind your back, push without hands, with your shoulder.
Do not attack the owner from behind!
We play until everyone is the master.

The game “Surprise”, to overcome the fear of the dark, unexpected bodily contacts. We've been playing since we were 4 years old.

Children sit in a circle with their eyes closed, arms extended, palms up. Older children can be blindfolded. The teacher places surprise objects on his palms, the children examine and recognize them. Complication: find out your surprise on the common table after the examination by opening your eyes.

The game “Treasure Search” is aimed at overcoming the fear of the dark and emotional stress. We've been playing since we were 5 years old.

We hide a chest with surprises in a dark room, the children must find it first according to verbal instructions, then according to the diagram, lighting their way with a flashlight.

The game “Find a Pair” is aimed at overcoming the fear of the dark, loneliness, and emotional stress. We've been playing since we were 5 years old.

Children have flashlights with colored filters. Everyone must use a flashlight to find a pair /one with the same filter color/ in a dark room.

Games to overcome the fear of the dark in children

Many preschoolers are afraid of the dark: they do not go into a dark room, ask to stay with them or turn on the light. What to do with such children? How to teach them to navigate in the dark and stop being afraid of it? The answer is simple: play games with such children in the dark. Here are the games in the dark offered by French psychologists:

Walking with children on the street, in the area after dark. Children who have become accustomed to dim street lighting will more easily get used to such lighting indoors.
Play with your children in a semi-dark room with the door ajar - let night fall according to the plot of the game, and travelers, taken by surprise, will have to look for firewood in the dark (this can be cubes or pillows). How interesting it is to drive a car at night! Neither boys nor girls refuse such a game.
Bring a flashlight or two into the bedroom. Light them and cover them with something like a shoebox (you can lift the box if necessary) and close the bedroom door. A flashlight is an excellent means of orientation in space, which also helps a child develop skills to control his own movements, because the child must learn to clearly direct the beam of light and hold it. You can suggest the following games with a flashlight:
Taking a flashlight in your hand, quickly rotate it - you get something like a small mill.
Light up the space in front of you, behind you, above you, going down, squatting, crawling on all fours, etc.
Create something like a snail on the floor - by raising the lantern, reduce the circle of light; lowering - increasing it.
Go to the mirror with your children. “Point” the flashlight at your leg, arm, chin, ear and invite the children, looking at your reflection, to illuminate the same thing for themselves. Make faces with your children in front of the mirror, using a flashlight to illuminate their faces.
Organize a simple “shadow theater” with your children: place a flashlight behind a hung sheet, go behind it and ask the children to guess what movements you are doing, then invite one of the children to show the movements behind the sheet, and the rest to guess.

In addition to playing with a flashlight, as children get used to playing in a dim room, you can organize other games in it: 1. Dance with the children in a dim room with the door ajar or in the light of a filmoscope, table lamp, flashlight, moving to music and without it. ; to slow and fast melodies; accompanied by music, interrupted by short moments of silence; with a stationary light source (lying on the floor) and with moving lighting (I move the light source away from the children), etc.2. Play the same game "Blind Man's Bluff", but in a dimly lit room.3. Game "What's in the corner?" We turn off the light and, to the words of A.L. Kushnir’s poem “What’s in the corner?” we determine what’s hanging in the corner: What can you see in the corner? With a black shadow on the floor, Incomprehensible, mute, I don’t even understand which one, a person or an object? Oh, quickly turn on the light! What if it suddenly jumps up and wants to drag me away? Suddenly, emitting a terrible groan, he will run after me? Will he grab it? Will he steal the blanket? The light was turned on - I felt ashamed. I made a mistake. Guilty. This is grandfather's (nanny's) robe! When pronouncing the text of the poem, children try to depict and experience all the feelings and emotions mentioned in the poem.

4. Game “Terrible Beast”. We've been playing since we were 4 years old. We choose a cat, a brave (preferably from those children who are afraid of the dark) and a cowardly boy and in a dimly lit room we play out the poem by V. Semerin “A Terrible Beast”: A terrible beast penetrates right into the room door! His fangs are sticking out and his mustache is bristling. His pupils are burning - I want to be scared! The predatory eye squints, the fur on it is shiny... Could it be a lioness? Maybe a she-wolf? The stupid boy shouted:

Lynx!

The brave boy shouted:

Shoot!

5. Together with your children, come up with a fairy tale about a boy, a girl, or a teddy bear who was afraid of the dark. Let the heroes of the fairy tale be very ashamed of their fear, and let them try with all their might to overcome it, and together with the heroes of the fairy tale, the children will overcome their fear. If the baby feels that he is not alone in his fear, it is easier for him to “open up”. Say that your favorite toy or character is more afraid of the dark than he is. Then, by calming the pet, the child will feel stronger and older and will be able to cope with his fear. At the end, you can invite the children to draw on the themes of night and sleep, compose lullabies together, and make a bed for a coward doll who is also afraid of the dark. Such games contribute to the fact that the child’s negative emotions and feelings of fear will remain only in games and on paper, and in life the child will be cheerful and courageous even in pitch darkness! For older preschoolers and younger schoolchildren, most of the fears lie in the area of educational activities: fear of “being the wrong person,” fear of making a mistake, fear of getting a bad grade (for one’s work, behavior), fear of conflict with peers. Such fears not only deprive the child of psychological comfort, the joy of learning and communicating with peers and adults, but also contribute to the development of childhood neuroses. You can also find out these fears and correct them with the help of games, drawings, fairytale therapy classes and certain techniques. Here are some examples: 1. The method of unfinished sentences. Used to diagnose fears in various areas of communication and activity of a child: When I think about kindergarten (school) ... When I go to kindergarten (school, forest) ... When the teacher asks a question, I ... When I receive a bad assessment of my work (action ) ... When I answer at the board ... At the end of the given sentences, the emotional experiences of the child are projected, which are so important for the teacher to know. 2. Drawing on the topics: “In kindergarten”, “At school”, “On the street”, “In the yard”, “Family”, “My fear”, “What was the worst thing I dreamed about” or “What am I afraid of at night”, “What am I afraid of during the day”, “What was the worst or the best thing that happened to me”. The topic “What I want to become” - proposed after drawing all the above-mentioned topics helps to increase children’s self-confidence and brings an optimistic spirit into the children’s mood. A graphic depiction of fear does not lead to its intensification, but, on the contrary, reduces the tension from the anxious expectation of its realization. In children's drawings, fear is already largely realized, as something that has already happened, has actually happened; There remains less unsaid, unclear, and uncertain. Together, all this removes the affectively traumatic sound of fear in the child’s psyche and promotes his emotional well-being.

Training on the development of the emotional sphere of children

Goal: Development of the emotional sphere in preschool children aged 3-7 years. Promote awareness of your emotions and understanding the emotions of other people. Develop the ability to express emotions verbally and non-verbally, teaching children the elements of expressive movement techniques: facial expressions, gestures, posture. Gait. Create opportunities for learning techniques of regulation, self-regulation and self-expression.

Training structure

Introductory part

Goal: Establishing emotional contact with all training participants, relieving tension and creating a positive background.1. Game "Greetings". Children stand in a common circle. “Guys, let’s greet each other, looking into the eyes of the comrade standing next to us and say: “I’m glad to see you, Seryozha, in the group today.” - How can you greet each other? (Smile, handshake, etc.) Greet each other in different ways. 2. Game “Sunny Bunny”. Children stand in a circle. I “direct the ray” (I say which part of the body the ray touched), and the children stroke themselves on the cheeks, nose, forehead, etc. They then turn to face each other and stroke each other.

Main part

Goal: Development and correction of the emotional, personal and cognitive sphere of children. 1. Game “Magic Mirror”. Children take a mirror and stand in a circle. To the words: “My light is a mirror, tell me and report the whole truth, am I in the world of everyone... (and here the children depict the indicated emotion in the mirror)... kinder, meaner, more fun.” If children find it difficult to depict the necessary facial expressions, then I suggest: raise their eyebrows up, move them, close their eyes, open their eyes wide, etc. 2. Game “Enchanted Children”. I name the word or action of the sketches, and the children, using non-verbal means (gestures, facial expressions), try to convey the meaning of these words and actions. It is necessary to show: a) the meaning of the words “tall”, “small”; b) we feel sorry for the homeless kitten; c) a mother puts a child who is crying to bed; d) good, evil uncle. 3. Game “Elephants and Butterflies”. Children move around the room without colliding with each other, heavy, heavy, like elephants, and lightly, fluttering like butterflies; when they meet, “elephants” communicate with “trunks”, butterflies with “wings.” 4. Game “The Sea is Troubled.” Children say the words: “The sea worries once, the sea worries twice, the sea worries three times: a figure of joy, fear, fright, pain, etc. freeze in place." We determine who has a more vividly depicted figure. 5. Game “Who is it?” I give the children simple pencils and pieces of paper with dots marking the outlines of animals. Children must draw an outline of the animal, and then show with their movement and gait what kind of animal they have in the drawing. The rest guess who the comrade portrayed.

Final part

Goal: Relaxation: calm, relaxation. 1. Game “What kind of person am I?” Children put their hand to their heart and listen to how it beats, then take a heart cut out of paper and attach it to a vertical line on a piece of paper at the top, in the middle, at the bottom, depending on what they think they are.

2.Garbage Bin Game. I put a trash can in the center of the room and suggest that they draw on a piece of paper their feelings that the children would like to get rid of, and then tear up this piece of paper and throw it in the trash. 3. Game “Farewell”. I clarify how you can say goodbye, I suggest saying goodbye to each other with a smile, a gesture, words, a movement.

Training on the development of the emotional sphere, repressing fears in children

Goal: Correction, development of the emotional sphere of the psyche. Teach children to understand their feelings, convey a given emotional state, using various expressive means (verbal and non-verbal). Teach self-regulation techniques in overcoming fear, self-relaxation to relieve tension.

Training structure

Introductory part

Goal: Establishing emotional contact; developing the ability to concentrate attention on your feelings and switch it.

Game “What do you hear?”

Children stand in a circle, listen, and then use sounds, facial expressions, and gestures to try to depict what they hear outside the window, door, or on the street. We end the game with joyful greetings to each other.

Game "Who's at the door?"

Children, standing in a circle, listen to the sounds made outside the door, knocking, rumbling, and try to portray their feelings from these sounds, guessing who is making them. Having guessed that it is a dog, children depict the emotion of joy.

Main part

Game "The dog is afraid."

Children should depict how the dog is afraid that it has lost its mother, large strange dogs; strangers; cross a puddle, etc., practicing characteristic expressive movements for a given state.

Game "The dog barks and grabs the heel."

One by one, we choose each of the children as a dog, the rest depict children walking in the park, and the dog barks at the children and tries to touch someone’s leg. The person caught must freeze in place, cowering in fear.

Game "Shaggy Dog".

We choose a dog, the rest of the children say in rhyme: “Here sits a shaggy dog, with his nose buried in his paws...”. Then they must approach the dog, pet it and run away from it only after the words “... what will happen?”

Final part

Goal: Relaxation: calm, relaxation.

Game "Rain".

All the children/dogs/ are jumping and playing merrily, but then a cloud came and it began to rain. The dogs are wet and cold. Then the sun came out. We play 3-4 times.

So, play therapy is the leading means of ensuring the socio-psychological well-being of children due to the fact that play, in contrast to non-game activities, more actively influences the processes of personality development of a preschool child and more strongly affects his deep emotional experiences. First in the game, and then in real life, it becomes possible for the child to: determine the specific goals of his actions; choosing from a variety of options for adequate means of achieving goals; foreseeing the final result of one’s actions and actions; taking responsibility for your behavior and actions; response with adequate emotions to the feelings and emotional states of other people, to events and phenomena of the surrounding reality. These are the main signs of arbitrary behavior.

Conclusion: thus, through specially organized play activities, children satisfy various needs: communication, active actions, the opportunity to learn new things, express their attitude to what is the content of the game.