Aggressive Toys in the Play Therapy

The importance of offering children a healthy outlet for anger and aggression.

Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It is innate to our human nature and serves as an instinctual response. Aggression, on the other hand, is a behavioral response to a real or perceived threat. From an early age, children begin to explore their feelings of anger by testing boundaries and observing the reactions of those around them.

Adults struggle to comprehend that children experience emotions, including anger. As Henri Parens, M.D, a leading psychoanalyst on childhood aggression, points out: “It is amazing how many parents do not realize that their children have feelings.” Based on his seven year long psychotherapeutic work and research with mothers and infants, he noted that “the amount of hostile aggression that children display is largely influenced by how their parents treat them.” Many parents worry that being firm with their children may be seen as hostile. However, it's important to understand that being firm does not equate to being hostile. On the other hand, if there is excessive limit-setting, it can result in a child developing feelings of hostility. The key is for parents to provide limits and choices within these limits.

Outside of the family, the expression of anger and aggression is often perceived as unacceptable and is restricted in many areas of a child's life. For example, aggressive toys may be banned in schools and other institutional settings due to concerns that violent play might promote the idea that violence is an appropriate way to express anger (Giordano et al., 2010). However, children need a healthy outlet for their feelings of anger and aggression. Research indicates that children who engage in aggressive play during play therapy frequently show a decrease in aggressive behavior outside of the playroom. Using aggressive toys helps children act out and process their emotions, ultimately encouraging them to develop non-violent and healthy ways to express their anger.

Aggressive Release/ Acting Out Toys

Toys such as toy guns or noise hand guns, dart guns, and rubber knives are important elements in a playroom. Other aggressive toys include swords, handcuffs, spiders/insects, aggressive animals (tiger, lion, alligator, snake), bop bag, & toy soldiers.

These toys allow children to express their anger, relieve physical tension, explore boundaries, and work through complex feelings.

Limits in the Play Room

Effectively managing childhood aggression is a challenging task for parents, mental health professionals, and caregivers. The playroom serves as a therapeutic space where children can safely express their anger and aggression under the guidelines set by the play therapist. Throughout the play therapy process, children are encouraged to express their feelings of anger and aggression while adhering to established limits.

Play therapists make it clear that no one should be hit, hurt, or shot at, allowing children to channel their aggression in a safe environment without causing harm to themselves, the therapist, the toys, or the playroom itself.

During therapy, children learn to recognize and understand their feelings of anger and aggression with the therapist’s guidance. Furthermore, play therapists work with parents to develop strategies for effective limit setting, which can create a lasting positive impact on the child’s emotional development, personality formation, the parent-child relationship, and society as a whole.

If you are looking to enhance your play therapy skills, consider The Inner Canvas Collective's Play Therapy Training Program.

To discover more about the Basics of Play Therapy, visit our YouTube channel.

Recommendations for Play Therapy Toys & Materials

Play is flow. Play is love. Play is soul work. Play is how children heal. Play is for everyone.