Spring Issue 2021

PLAY
LIFE
for
One old saying, drilled into the minds of many teachers and
parents, is that “children learn through play”. And despite the
prevalence of computers, smartphones, and other “devices”,
children still need to play: at home, at school, and at day care.
However, for children who have physical, sensory, cognitive,
or motor difficulties, playing itself provides significant, if not
insurmountable challenges. A child may not know how to play
with other children. He or she may have physical difficulties
preventing him or her from reaching or accessing toys or
play equipment.
There are well-known types of therapy (occupational and
physical, for example) that address some of these issues for
children. Less well-known, perhaps, are therapies such as play.
And one type I wasn’t aware of is called Recreational Therapy.
I am pleased to introduce Jeanne Hastings, who is in private
practice as a Recreational Therapist, and has developed a free
tool on her website to help people find certified and licensed
recreational therapists. Jeanne will let us know what recreational
therapy is, and how it can develop and enhance play and social
skills in children with and without disabilities.
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