“The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do – such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening – are also the best for child development.” – Jerome Singer (professor, Yale University)
Archive for sand tray miniatures
Confession time: I’m an addict.
What kind of addict you ask…
..the best kind: the sandtray miniature kind!!
I’m betting that if you are reading this super nuanced post about the details of doing sandtray therapy you should belong to a miniature meeting somewhere too, am I right??
Okay, so let’s get to it…
Last week I moved into a new, KA office where I have a spacious training room as well as a play therapy space.
I’m not gonna lie, moving sucked a big one, but one bright spot appeared in the whole process….
I got to rearrange and set up my miniatures just as I wanted them on brand new shelves!!
All My Pretties…
Since I’ve been doing sandtray therapy trainings for several years now (sign up here to grab your spot at my next training), many folks have asked the best way to arrange miniatures on shelves.
As an aside, don’t worry for you traveling, crammed-for-space-therapists- my next blog post will be just for you so be on the look out!
Now, back to the fun stuff.
I’m going to show you how I arrange my miniatures and tell you my logic behind my placements. Plus, you’ll get to see most of my miniatures up close and personal, which I can bet will give you some miniature envy (there’s no such thing as ‘enough’ miniatures!)
Okay! Roll up your sleeves and let’s dig in shall we?
1. Animals
To start, you can see my animal shelves below. I place my animals closest to the bottom because they are most used my younger kiddos. Young kids are most likely to use animals rather than people so putting them on the bottom just makes practical sense.
Groupings of domesticated animals- try to put the horses and other types of animals together. Kids will often make families out of these. Horses get used a LOT.
Groupings with zoo/wild animals
Birds/Cats/Dogs My cat and dog miniatures are also used all the time. You can almost never have enough of these.
Scary spiders go at the bottom. These are a MUST for working with little boys.
2. Fantasy Figures
When I moved offices, I knew I had to dedicate more shelves to fantasy miniatures. These are also a must-have for your sandtray collection because they get used with all ages. Adults usually place them as metaphors or hobbies, but kids will tell lots of stories with the fantasy figures.
Don’t worry- by placing an Elsa miniature there you aren’t guaranteed to hear the whole plot of Frozen. (Read this post to find out why).
Bottom to top shelves with fantasy figures. Nab these any time you see them!
Dragon shelf. Used for all ages but again little boys gravitate towards this shelf. Multiple-headed dragons are the best.
3. Transportation
If you work with kids AT ALL, you will likely have a difficult time keeping this shelf neat and tidy. Little boys typically LOVE to smash cars into each other. Remember, even if they can’t tell you what is happening in the tray, it doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. The brain never misses a chance to integrate.
So many cars they are spilling out of the shelves
4. People
When working with school age clients and older, having a variety of people is extremely helpful. Try to collect as many different ages, skin colors, and diverse abilities as possible.
As you can see, I separated mine into gender and then had a shelf for groupings of people. I also made a separate placement just for what I think of as “milestone markers,” such as birth, weddings, graduation. Place these near the bottom so your kids can access people miniatures as needed.
My shelf o’ men. Not sure why I have more men than women? Interesting though..
Children shelf on the bottom (babies are grouped) and then the women shelf above it
Family shelf. Can you spot my favorite??
5. Fences
I have an entire shelf devoted just to fences. You really can never have too many fences. Kids will often line the tray with fences and have fences inside of fences. A variety of size and shapes are helpful. To find out more about fences in the tray, click here.
Fences on the top and treasure box/treasure shelf below
6. Treasure/Rocks
Just as fences get used in trays for all ages, so do treasure chests, treasures, and rocks. I try to place these near the middle on my shelves.
Don’t worry about sorting all of your rocks because the kids will choose what they need anyway (and you will drive your OCD self INSANE if you make this a priority.)
7. Religion/Death shelves
Seems like an odd pairing at first huh? But, if you think about it, religion plays a key role in how we see death, so it makes sense to have these near each other.
Clients of all ages will use these- adults again, perhaps more metaphorically but these two shelves do get a lot of use in my play room.
In case you can’t see, they are in the middle shelves.
Death and religion shelves
8. Miscellaneous
But what about all that stuff that just doesn’t have a category??
Round those up and put them on shelves you classify as “miscellaneous.” Adults LOVE these shelves. So many abstract thoughts and stories come from random miniatures.
Always keep an eye out at yard sales and flea markets for one-of-a-kind miniatures to fill these shelves. Often those miniatures where I have NO CLUE how they could be used end up being the most popular ones!
Some of my favorite shelves. Also near the middle
More miniature eye candy..
9. Houses/Bridges
I place my houses at the top because these rarely get used by little ones, but adults love to populate their trays with houses. A variety of houses is helpful for the client to find one that is “just right.”
Bridges are often used by adults to symbolize hope and connection. Any time you see a bridge come into a tray, know you are on the right track.
Bridges, bridges and more bridges in my sandtray room
Some houses
More houses
10. Breakable/abstract ideas
I keep my breakable stuff on the top shelves. However, this doesn’t mean that stuff never gets broken. If you are super worried about it getting broken, it doesn’t belong in your collection. Put that on a bookshelf somewhere where you can admire it.
Adults will be the ones who use these. Even then, it’s not super common for adults to use them. I think I have these for myself, if I’m honest.
Breakable pretties
Hope this was helpful to you! Stay tuned for the next post about space-friendly set-ups for miniatures.
Now that you’ve seen mine- I want to see your miniatures! Put a picture of your collection or your most favorite miniatures in the comments and then we can all have miniature envy!
***
Thanks to Amy Flaherty and The Southern Sandtray for this great post!
Visit Childtherapytoys.com to for all of your sandplay and child therapy needs!
Confession time: I’m an addict.
What kind of addict you ask…
..the best kind: the sandtray miniature kind!!
I’m betting that if you are reading this super nuanced post about the details of doing sandtray therapy you should belong to a miniature meeting somewhere too, am I right??
Okay, so let’s get to it…
Last week I moved into a new, KA office where I have a spacious training room as well as a play therapy space.
I’m not gonna lie, moving sucked a big one, but one bright spot appeared in the whole process….
I got to rearrange and set up my miniatures just as I wanted them on brand new shelves!!
All My Pretties…
Since I’ve been doing sandtray therapy trainings for several years now (sign up here to grab your spot at my next training), many folks have asked the best way to arrange miniatures on shelves.
As an aside, don’t worry for you traveling, crammed-for-space-therapists- my next blog post will be just for you so be on the look out!
Now, back to the fun stuff.
I’m going to show you how I arrange my miniatures and tell you my logic behind my placements. Plus, you’ll get to see most of my miniatures up close and personal, which I can bet will give you some miniature envy (there’s no such thing as ‘enough’ miniatures!)
Okay! Roll up your sleeves and let’s dig in shall we?
1. Animals
To start, you can see my animal shelves below. I place my animals closest to the bottom because they are most used my younger kiddos. Young kids are most likely to use animals rather than people so putting them on the bottom just makes practical sense.
Groupings of domesticated animals- try to put the horses and other types of animals together. Kids will often make families out of these. Horses get used a LOT.
Groupings with zoo/wild animals
Birds/Cats/Dogs My cat and dog miniatures are also used all the time. You can almost never have enough of these.
Scary spiders go at the bottom. These are a MUST for working with little boys.
2. Fantasy Figures
When I moved offices, I knew I had to dedicate more shelves to fantasy miniatures. These are also a must-have for your sandtray collection because they get used with all ages. Adults usually place them as metaphors or hobbies, but kids will tell lots of stories with the fantasy figures.
Don’t worry- by placing an Elsa miniature there you aren’t guaranteed to hear the whole plot of Frozen. (Read this post to find out why).
Bottom to top shelves with fantasy figures. Nab these any time you see them!
Dragon shelf. Used for all ages but again little boys gravitate towards this shelf. Multiple-headed dragons are the best.
3. Transportation
If you work with kids AT ALL, you will likely have a difficult time keeping this shelf neat and tidy. Little boys typically LOVE to smash cars into each other. Remember, even if they can’t tell you what is happening in the tray, it doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. The brain never misses a chance to integrate.
So many cars they are spilling out of the shelves
4. People
When working with school age clients and older, having a variety of people is extremely helpful. Try to collect as many different ages, skin colors, and diverse abilities as possible.
As you can see, I separated mine into gender and then had a shelf for groupings of people. I also made a separate placement just for what I think of as “milestone markers,” such as birth, weddings, graduation. Place these near the bottom so your kids can access people miniatures as needed.
My shelf o’ men. Not sure why I have more men than women? Interesting though..
Children shelf on the bottom (babies are grouped) and then the women shelf above it
Family shelf. Can you spot my favorite??
5. Fences
I have an entire shelf devoted just to fences. You really can never have too many fences. Kids will often line the tray with fences and have fences inside of fences. A variety of size and shapes are helpful. To find out more about fences in the tray, click here.
Fences on the top and treasure box/treasure shelf below
6. Treasure/Rocks
Just as fences get used in trays for all ages, so do treasure chests, treasures, and rocks. I try to place these near the middle on my shelves.
Don’t worry about sorting all of your rocks because the kids will choose what they need anyway (and you will drive your OCD self INSANE if you make this a priority.)
7. Religion/Death shelves
Seems like an odd pairing at first huh? But, if you think about it, religion plays a key role in how we see death, so it makes sense to have these near each other.
Clients of all ages will use these- adults again, perhaps more metaphorically but these two shelves do get a lot of use in my play room.
In case you can’t see, they are in the middle shelves.
Death and religion shelves
8. Miscellaneous
But what about all that stuff that just doesn’t have a category??
Round those up and put them on shelves you classify as “miscellaneous.” Adults LOVE these shelves. So many abstract thoughts and stories come from random miniatures.
Always keep an eye out at yard sales and flea markets for one-of-a-kind miniatures to fill these shelves. Often those miniatures where I have NO CLUE how they could be used end up being the most popular ones!
Some of my favorite shelves. Also near the middle
More miniature eye candy..
9. Houses/Bridges
I place my houses at the top because these rarely get used by little ones, but adults love to populate their trays with houses. A variety of houses is helpful for the client to find one that is “just right.”
Bridges are often used by adults to symbolize hope and connection. Any time you see a bridge come into a tray, know you are on the right track.
Bridges, bridges and more bridges in my sandtray room
Some houses
More houses
10. Breakable/abstract ideas
I keep my breakable stuff on the top shelves. However, this doesn’t mean that stuff never gets broken. If you are super worried about it getting broken, it doesn’t belong in your collection. Put that on a bookshelf somewhere where you can admire it.
Adults will be the ones who use these. Even then, it’s not super common for adults to use them. I think I have these for myself, if I’m honest.
Breakable pretties
Hope this was helpful to you! Stay tuned for the next post about space-friendly set-ups for miniatures.
Now that you’ve seen mine- I want to see your miniatures! Put a picture of your collection or your most favorite miniatures in the comments and then we can all have miniature envy!
***
Thanks to Amy Flaherty and The Southern Sandtray for this great post!
Visit Childtherapytoys.com to for all of your sandplay and child therapy needs!
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
– Kay Redfield Jamison, professor of psychiatry
Blog
Thanks to Leah Davies for the insights and tips into aggression in girls. Aggression, or bullying, with girls is often different than aggression in boys, as boys tend to cause physical harm, where aggression in girls manifests itself as covert or relational aggression. Relational aggression is when a person uses manipulation to withhold friendship as a form of punishment, or creates problems within the relationships of others in an attempt to control or punish others. Because girls typically value their personal relationships with other girls, this type of bullying can be very damaging. Davies explains how schools and parents can increase awareness of the issue as well as prevent further bullying in the classroom.
Articles
Sandplay Therapy is a unique and effective tool for children in therapy. It’s a great resource for younger children who dont have the vocabulary to put into words how they are feelings. During sandplay therapy, chidlren and adults use various toys and objects to create a scene in their sandbox. The scene is then interpreted by the child’s therapist and talked about with the Child. “Through play, children work through many types of life lessons, conflicts and mysteries,” said S. Sugatt, a licensed clinical social worker.
Arunima Basu’s article highlighting the symptoms and concerns for children who have been or are being abused. Some tale-tale signs of abuse in a child are isolation, lack of interest in usual activities, sleep disturbance, and chronic stress. Basu tells us that it is the responsibility of the family of the child to watch for the signs of abuse and communicate with the child so that they understand what inappropriate behavior is and can identify when it is happening to them.
Research has shown that childhood trauma can reshape the brain and behaviors of children. “Previously, what were labeled as behavioral and learning-related issues, such as non-compliance, learning disabilities, depression, oppositional disorder and even Attention Deficit Disorder, are undergoing a reexamination as the understanding of the effects of traumatic stress on a child’s brain grows,” said Theresa O’Neil of Second Wave Michigan. Rather than ask what is wrong with the child, we should be asking what happened, and how can we help.
Veronica Mackey also shared tips on how to stop bullying on campuses. Mackey introduced James Gavsie, an author, martial arts and bullying expert. According to Gavsie, without continuous support and instruction on the topic of bullying, schools will never see the changes needed. Gavsie provides insights and tips on how teachers and parents can stop bullying and implement programs at schools to keep bullying under control.
It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men. That is the motto of ToyBank, a company that has set up 277 toy libraries and game centers in Maharashtra. ToyBank understands the strong mental and social benefit children can have from playtime with peers. Board games and toys are used as tools to help children learn about academic subjects, such as math and reading, as well as learn about themselves and their own bodies and feelings. The games are determined based on the needs of the children. ToyBank does not use games that promote violence or lifestyle toys.
“The sandplay collection is a part of my life. When a child uses the miniatures it is like they are playing my violin.” -Kaspar Kiepenheuer
This poignant quote is included (among several others) in this excellent article by Gretchen Hegeman posted on the Sandplay Therapists of America website. In the article, Ms. Hegeman discusses the importance of creating an individualized sandplay collection in establishing the necessary connection between therapist and client. Sandplay of course relies heavily on symbolism, but it is easy to forget that it is not only about what the objects symbolize to the sandplayer, but what the objects suggest about the therapist who is asking him or her to participate in an activity that might seem strange and, certainly, unfamiliar. Therefore, the components and arrangement of the collection must disclose something about the therapist’s world and personality in order for the client to feel comfortable disclosing their own. “The final element is spontanaeity,” Hegeman writes. It’s a very interesting article and I hope you’ll give it a read.
While the article suggests that there is no strict recipe for a sandplay collection, it does provide a list of objects and figurines should be considered for a comprehensive personalized display.
Sandplay Miniature Collection:
Nature
Earth: rocks, stones, volcanoes, mountains, semi-precious stones and crystals.
Ocean: coral, shells, seaglass, kelp, driftwood.
Plants: Trees of various types, including some of natural materials as well as plastic. Shrubs, sticks and branches, moss, lichen. Flowers and vegetables.
Animals: With both wild and domestic animals, it is helpful to have families (mother, father and babies) and to have animals in different poses.
Wild: African, Asian, Australian, American, world-wide birds, snakes, water mammals, fish and insects.
Domestic: Horses, cows, bulls, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats.
Prehistoric: Meat eaters and vegetarians.
Fantasy: Dragons, unicorns, monsters.
Human Beings:
Ordinary People: Workings, walking, sitting, playing.
* Families of similar proportions and children of different ages.
* Occupations: Farmers, doctors, nurses, firemen, clergy, athletes, policemen– both men and women.
People through the ages and of different races and levels of society: Entertainers, royalty, soldiers, religious (one’s own as well as others with which one is familiar).
Fantasy:
Wizards and witches, smurfs and dwarfs.
Different cultures with which the therapist is familiar including a sufficient number of figures to make a total scene.
Archetypes:
Figures, objects representing
Shadow:
Scary and ugly objects. Everything has a shadow. We can see shadow in how objects are placed and used.
Transportation:
Land, sea and air. Vehicles, military and work equipment. Historical forms of transportation.
Buildings:
Churches, schools, stores, institutions, different kinds of houses. Lighthouse, waterwheel, windmill. Old and new buildings. Castles. Structures and dwellings for foreign cultures in your collection.
Other Structures:
Bridges, fences, wells, towers.
Equipment:
Work, farm, household, musical instruments.
Furniture
Miscellaneous:
Mirrors, flags, umbrellas, feathers, candles with matches, bonfires. String, sculptey, pipecleaners and other building and construction materials.
Most of these items can be found on the ChildTherapyToys.com sandplay miniatures page. And for those interested in doing a little virtual browsing, check out this video on YouTube.