Play as a Therapeutic Tool for Child Development in Public Primary Schools in Rivers State
Keywords:
Play, Children, Therapy, Development, Public SchoolsAbstract
Adults and teachers often deprive children of opportunities to play and enjoy themselves, not realising that play is a way of learning and acquiring new ideas. Play, the natural language of children, is not just recreation; it is the main way cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development is enhanced. In child development centres, play serves a more specific purpose: it is a structured therapeutic tool that addresses a wide range of developmental, behavioural, and psychological challenges. This study examines play as a therapeutic tool for child development in public primary schools in Rivers State. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Vygotsky’s theory of socio-cultural development were adopted as the theoretical framework. This research covers major modalities, evidence-based outcomes, implementation frameworks and ethical considerations that guide current play therapy practice. It concludes that play builds the confidence of children, as well as their emotional, social and cognitive development. It is suggested that Rivers State government should establish and equip a therapeutic playroom that meets Association for Play Therapy (APT) standards for materials, space, and organisation. Also, parents should make themselves available and be willing to be trained by a play therapist; this will enable them to supervise their children and wards at home during play activities.
References
Ahmed, A. A. (2024). Lev Vygotsky’s revolutionary socio-cultural theory of psychological development. Minna Journal of Educational Studies, 9(1), 50–56.
Ajayi, J. (2024). Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net
Association for Play Therapy. (2019). Evidence-based practice statement: Play therapy. https://www.a4pt.org
Axline, V. M. (1947). Play therapy. Houghton Mifflin.
Baktashian, A., Shahriari, M., & Ghasemi, M. (2025). Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of various play therapy types on behavioral symptoms of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Assessment and Research in Applied Counseling, 7(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jarac.3372
Bratton, S. C., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & Jones, L. (2005). The efficacy of play therapy with children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(4), 376–390.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Data and statistics on children’s mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html
Chase, S. (2022). The effectiveness of play therapy for children with behavioural and emotional problems: A meta analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Public Health & Environment, 5(2), Article 164.
Chung, R. K., Ray, D. C., Aguilar, E. V., & Turner, K. K. (2023). The multicultural play therapy room: Intentional decision making in selecting play therapy toys and materials. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(4), 197–207.
Knell, S. M., & Dasari, M. (2011). Cognitive-behavioural play therapy. In S. W. Russ & L. N. Niec (Eds.), Play in clinical practice (pp. 236–263).
Landreth, G. L. (2023). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (4th ed.). Routledge. Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York: Norton.
Parker, M. M., Hergenrather, K., Smelser, Q., & Kelly, C. T. (2021). Exploring child-centered play therapy and trauma: A systematic review of literature. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(1), 2–13. Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-centred therapy: Its current practice, implications, and theory. Houghton Mifflin.
VanFleet, R., Ryan, S. D., & Smith, S. K. (2005). Filial therapy: A critical review.
Xie, Y., Zhu, X., Wang, L., Wan, Z., Yang, J., Su, C., Duan, S., Xu, C., & Kan, B. (2024). A network meta-analysis of psychological interventions for PTSD and depression in children and adolescents exposed to trauma. BMC Psychiatry, 24, Article 46.
