Play is often used to engage children in therapy, with board games being particularly appealing to primary school aged children. Often at this age children seek out more structured activities and enjoy the challenge games present. Games provide a context for interaction and can support the therapist to better understand the child, which can be especially useful during the assessment phase. Furthermore, games can be utilised to address a broad range of therapy goals. For example, emotions are often elicited during game play, enabling therapists to help the child build their emotional awareness and develop regulation skills. In addition, games can help children develop social awareness and support them to develop key skills, such as pausing and thinking before responding. Therapists can also incorporate games to help children understand ideas, such as resiliency, and develop skills, like flexibility.

During this presentation, participants will learn how they can use board games purposefully in therapy. Fiona will share some therapeutic activities that utilise board games, outlining how these can be used in therapy. Online alternatives will be discussed briefly and participants will be directed to where they can find further research and resources.