Creative Play Therapy Resources for Therapists Who Want to Make a Lasting Impact

Practical tools, playful interventions, sandtray inspiration, and therapist-created resources designed to help children heal through connection and creativity.

Hi, I’m Dr. Joni Batts

Therapist. Educator. Supervisor.

I’m Dr. B, a seasoned therapist, play therapy supervisor, educator, and mom of three wild and wonderful kids. I’ve spent my career walking alongside children and families through some of their hardest and most beautiful moments. My work is rooted in the belief that connection is the cornerstone of healing and that play is one of the most powerful tools we have to build it.

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Check Out My Most Recent Blogs:

Blog
The Ultimate Slime Supplies List for Therapists (and Why Slime Belongs in Your Therapy Room)
The Ultimate Slime Supplies List for Therapists (and Why Slime Belongs in Your Therapy Room)

If you have ever watched a child's shoulders drop the moment their hands hit a tray of slime, you already know what I'm talking about. There's something almost magical that happens in those first few seconds, and it's not an accident.

Slime is one of my favorite go-to tools in the therapy room, not because kids love it (though they absolutely do), but because of what it does clinically when we use it with intention.

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How Play Therapy Helps Children with Anxiety
How Play Therapy Helps Children with Anxiety

If you have a child on your caseload who comes in wide-eyed and frozen, or who fills every session with frantic play and can barely slow down long enough to breathe then you already know that anxiety in children looks different than it does in adults.

It shows up in the body. In movement. In play.

That's exactly why play therapy is one of the most powerful clinical approaches for children struggling with anxiety. And if you're a therapist who has ever Googled "what to do with an anxious kid in session" then this post is definitely for you.

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5 Must-Have Items for Your Portable Play Therapy Kit
5 Must-Have Items for Your Portable Play Therapy Kit

If you’re a school-based play therapist, in-home clinician, or anyone who’s ever worked out of a shared office, you know the struggle: limited space, constant transitions, and super quick turnaround time between sessions.

Luckily, you don’t need a full playroom to do meaningful, creative work. Over time, I’ve found items that are quick and easy to clean-up, easy to transport, and make a big difference in fostering the healing work that our kiddos do through play.

Here are five of my go-to favorites for a portable or limited space play kit that actually works in the real world.

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