How Can Play Change
A Child’s Life?
Play is essential for the holistic development of children, providing them with foundational skills in physical health, social interactions, emotional intelligence, cognitive abilities, and moral reasoning.
EMPOWER EMPATHY™ board game is designed using play therapy strategies to foster emotional awareness, regulation, and social skills in a therapeutic yet engaging format.
Through structured and interactive play, the game leverages cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help players recognize the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Various game elements, such as City Watch Scenario Cards, Power-Up Discussion Cards, FaceOff Emotion Cards, and the Exploration Guidebook, promote self-reflection, problem-solving, and empathy-building in a playful setting.
These components support players in developing emotional intelligence, practicing communication, and exploring real-life situations, making the game a fun yet impactful tool for personal growth and therapeutic development.
Physical
Development
Play encourages movement and coordination, promoting fine and gross motor skills. Activities like running, climbing, and using playground equipment enhance muscle strength, balance, and spatial awareness. Fine motor skills develop through play involving hand-eye coordination, such as drawing or building with small objects, laying a foundation for later skills like writing.
Social
Development
Through interactive play, children learn critical social skills such as cooperation, sharing, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Group play encourages teamwork and understanding of social norms and roles, helping children to develop empathy and effective communication skills. It also fosters friendships, improving their ability to connect with others and build relationships.
Emotional
Development
Play offers a safe space for children to express and explore their emotions, whether they are joy, frustration, or fear. It also helps them learn emotional regulation as they navigate scenarios where they must wait for their turn, deal with losing, or handle unexpected outcomes. Through role-playing and pretend games, children practice empathy and emotional awareness, key for managing real-life situations.
Cognitive
Development
Play stimulates cognitive development by fostering creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Structured play, like puzzles and strategy games, promotes memory, focus, and reasoning. Unstructured, imaginative play enhances divergent thinking and innovation. Play also supports language development, as children expand their vocabulary and understand complex concepts through storytelling, exploration, and experimentation.
Moral
Development
Play can shape a child's sense of right and wrong. Through role-play and social interaction, children learn about fairness, justice, and the consequences of actions. Play teaches them to follow rules and recognize the impact of their behavior on others. Moral development is also nurtured when children experience and discuss concepts like honesty, sharing, and respect during play, fostering a sense of responsibility and ethical thinking.
Learn More
About
Play Therapy
"Play therapy is a form of prevention and treatment is suitable mainly for preschool and school age children who are in a transition period of their lives (after a divorce, a loss), with difficulties in managing feelings, in socializing or children who have behavioral problems."
"Play Therapy has developed around understanding children and their needs by observing their play and helping solve problems through play."
"Play therapy for adults involves the use of various play activities to help individuals express themselves, work through psychological issues, and achieve optimal mental health. These activities can include art, music, movement, storytelling, sand play, and various other creative expressions."
"Play therapy is a powerful means of joining with the innate, creative, non-verbal capacities of children in order to engage and work therapeutically with them. It is a developmentally appropriate, evidence-based method of counselling younger clients."
Play therapy research has shown effectiveness on improving or supporting children experiencing various concerns/needs such as:
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Internalizing behaviors such as anxiety, depression, and others
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Externalizing behaviors such as aggression, disruptive behaviors, self-control, and others
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Attachment issue
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Academic performance
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Autism
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Attention deficit
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Homelessness
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Loss and bereavement
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Medical conditions
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Parents/caregiver/teacher relationship
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Self-concept/self-esteem
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Social-emotional assets
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Speech/language struggles
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Trauma, natural disaster, and PTSD