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Counseling Games for Kids

When adult patients visit a therapist, they will usually start out with some diagnostic testing and basic conversations to find out where the patients are emotionally and what their expectations for the therapy entail.

When children visit a therapist, they often do not know why they are going, and they are frequently unable to verbalize their emotions without some creative methods of engagement. One of these methods is the use of board games to build a sense of trust between therapist and patient, and to gain authentic response from the young patient through play to figure out the child's emotional state and to begin the healing process.

Sorry!
- According to researchers Heidi Kaduson and Charles Schaefer, Sorry! is a game that can help young patients learn anger management and problem-solving skills. The sudden shifts of luck that can come with each turn, and the anger that can result when someone uses a "Sorry!" card to send a competitor back to "Start," can give the therapist points of entry to a child's trust.
The Ungame
- Unlike most boad games, The Ungame does not have a "Finish" line that determines who wins or loses. Instead, the game asks players reflective questions. Typical spaces ask players to talk about how they have dealt with emotions like anger and frustration in the past, and to predict how the earth will change over the next century. This game is available as a board game, and also as a set of cards. There is a Christian version available.
No More Teasing!
- Aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 12, No More Teasing! gives patients 10 different ways to handle teasing. Some of the solutions include finding strategies to stop provoking teasing, to stay away from bullies who tease and to use nonverbal cues to exude confidence.
The Berenstain Bears: What Would a Friend Do?
- This game is also geared toward children between the ages of 6 and 12, and players advance along the board as they successfully answer questions about how friends should treat each other in a variety of settings. Some questions have a multiple-choice response, while others are open-ended, and still others require players to role-play an answer.

Board Games