How Trauma Impacts Play
What Is Trauma?
Simply put*, trauma is an actual or perceived danger that undermines a child's sense of physical or emotional safety and overwhelms their coping ability, and affects their functioning and development (Nicholson, 2020).
*Trauma is very complex and cannot be fully understood by a single definition
To Understand How Trauma Impacts Play, We Must First Understand How Trauma Impacts Development.
Trauma is associated with the reduced size of the brain cortex, which affects memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thinking, language, and consciousness. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can influence the way genetic code is read, which can have negative effects on the ways cells function. This demonstrates a connection between ACEs and health and social problems. Because of ACEs, children who have experienced trauma operate in "survival mode", where they are hyperaware of danger and process stimuli in a fight/flight/freeze response system. Stress hormones released into the body at a higher rate than those who have not experienced trauma have a large impact on development. These stress hormones can wire the brain for certain characteristics such as a 'hot' temper, impulsivity, hypervigilance, or withdrawal. Because of this higher baseline of stress hormones, these children may have a short fuse, be self-focused, and have difficulty problem-solving (Tester, 2019).
The hippocampus and amygdala are areas of the brain that are important centers for regulating panic, fear, and other emotional responses, as well as interpreting social cues, language, and remembering information. When children experience maltreatment in the first few years of life or sexual abuse during the first five years, these regions are at risk (Tester, 2019).
Neglect in infancy and sexual abuse between the ages of nine and ten have an impact on the way the Corpus Callosum, the connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, works. This results in less cross-brain communication, which can lead to the inability to integrate rational ideas during a highly emotional state (Tester, 2019).
Why Does Understanding How Trauma Impacts Development Matter to Understand How Trauma Impacts Play?
Children who have adverse childhood experiences have an altered way of interpreting the world around them, and that includes how they play. Play is a natural experience for children, but when children experience traumatic events, their brain development becomes altered, which can alter the way they use play materials, interact with others, and the ways they engage in independent play (Lehner, 2023).
How Does Trauma Affect Play?
When children have experienced trauma, they often feel unsafe and too frightened to play. When they do play, they often experience little sense of joy, adventure, discovery, or imagination. Many young children find it helpful to reenact their worries in play because it makes them feel in control of the traumatic experience (Nicholson, 2020).
When children reenact the stress they feel in their play experiences, they may become "stuck" in that traumatic experience in play. Adults can support children when this happens and help them change the ending to the traumatic play stories. Adults can also guide children away from this stressful imaginary play and help them transition to a structured play or play experience that engages their senses, such as outside play (Nicholson, 2020).
How Parents, Families, and Caregivers Can Use Play to Support Healing (Nicholson, 2020)
Create space for children to communicate big feelings and fears- use imaginary play, expressive arts, outdoor play, and reading storybooks that incorporate what they are experiencing.
Provide times for structured and sensory play- puzzles, playdough, sand, or shaving cream. These activities do not require others or communication, which can create a less intimidating place to start playing again.
Engage in repetitive, rhythmic movements- singing, dancing, swinging, jumping rope, musical activities, stretching, motivation, or deep breathing.
Support children in releasing the extra energy accumulated after a stressful or traumatic experience- high stress calls for large motor activities. Children can run, climb, jump, stretch, swing, and use other big body movements to help release the energy resulting from the activation of stress chemicals, which could otherwise have a negative long-term impact on their brains and bodies.
Facilitate daily self-directed and adult-child collaborative play- self-directed play provides children with a choice, which helps regain their sense of control. During adult-child play, adults can introduce props that can help children feel powerful (i.e. a scarf for a set of wings), or comfort them through pretend play (i.e. loving cat taking care of baby kittens).
Teach infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children social-emotional skills- help develop an awareness of body sensations, practice naming strong emotions, expressing what they want and need, making choices, and solving problems. These skills can help children manage the stress they feel on a daily basis.
FAQs
How does play help heal trauma?
Since trauma forces children into survival mode, children are removed from the enjoyment of imaginative play. Helping a child heal their relationship with play is important for them to regain their childhood experiences. Play is a treatment that helps children learn social skills, promotes brain development and helps children regain a positive sense of self. (Ziegler, 2021)
Are there specific types of play that help more than others? ( Play Therapy, 2022)
The goal of play for children who have experienced trauma is to allow the child to put their defenses down and become open to sharing what is on their minds. There are many ways to do this, some that are child-directed (free play) and others that are adult-directed, where the materials and games are predetermined and the child is guided through the play. Some specific techniques for adults to better understand a child's trauma include:
Dolls and action figures- helps gauge family dynamics, the child may recreate specific dialogue. The ways children play with dolls and action figures may indicate how that child feels about their experiences.
Arts and crafts- may indicate specific patterns in what the child chooses to draw.
Storytelling- children may be able to better express their feelings if they are using an imaginary character to represent themself. Storytelling can use masks, finger puppets, and toy phones to help children feel less vulnerable and more open to sharing about their experiences.
Make-believe- children can be prompted to make three wishes with a magic wand, which can help an adult gain insight into what a child is facing. Make-believe play can also be used to observe if a child is always choosing to escape reality.
How can I connect with my child and help them relearn how to play?
Often, children lose their ability to engage in childlike play naturally following traumatic experiences. As a parent, you can help reteach that child how to play by integrating play into daily life, modeling childlike play, and creating an environment that promotes childlike play, silliness, and laughter. (Ziegler, 2021)
What behaviors should I expect in play from children with past traumatic experiences?
Post-traumatic play is characterized by repetition, revisiting scenes from the traumatic event, hyperarousal, and danger. Children who have experienced trauma may repeat their 'game' until they are invited to stop or they understand the connection between their 'game' and the original trauma. There will often be a lack of a happy ending in play of children who have experienced traumatic experiences (D'Elia, 2022).
How do I redirect when traumatic experiences influence children's play?
Adults can redirect children's play when traumatic experiences influence their play. Adults can do this by entering play with them and providing props for them to become the hero of the story or redirect to a happy ending. Adults can be a powerful tool that leads children to have control over their play and helps them find the power they need to have a happy ending to their play (Nicholson, 2020).
Additional Resources
References
D'Elia, D., Carpinelli, L., & Savarese, G. (2022, December 18). Post-traumatic play in child victims of adverse childhood experiences: A pilot study with the MCAST-manchester child attachment story task and the coding of PTCP markers. Children (Basel, Switzerland). Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9776711/
Lehner, T. (2023, August 19). How is Trauma Play Different than Regular Child Play? Heart to Heart Child and Family Counseling.
Nicholson, J. (2020). The Power of Play for Addressing Trauma in the Early Years. Childhood Education International.
Play therapy activities for a child with trauma. Foster Care Associates: The Heart of Foster Care in the UK. (2022, November 1). Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.thefca.co.uk/what-is-trauma/play-therapy-for-trauma/
Tester, J. (2019). Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Ziegler, D.L. (2021). Childlike Play is Affected by Traumatic Experience. Jasper Mountain: Hope for Children and Families. Phoenix: Acacia Publishing.
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