Child-Led Play: Embracing Children’s Interests

During the Toddler Play Conference 2024 I had the opportunity to speak with Kelsie Olds, OTR/L, about her approach to child-led play in therapy. Kelsie shared impactful success stories and valuable insights into the importance of play in children’s development. Her work with children, including those with autism, illustrates the significance of acknowledging and embracing their interests and innate learning processes. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation.

Empowering Children Through Play

Kelsie emphasizes the transformative power of respecting and nurturing children’s natural inclinations and interests, believing that child-led play is the key to unlocking their potential. She states, “I believe in respecting their ideas and their efforts, and sometimes that means doing things for them first for a little bit and then gradually encouraging them to do it themselves.”

Incorporating Movement and Play for Creativity

Kelsie shared a compelling success story of a child with handwriting challenges who found joy in comic book writing. By integrating movement and play into therapy, she sparked the child’s creativity and bolstered his confidence. “I emphasized the importance of reinforcing the student’s belief that his brain works better when moving,” Kelsie explained. Her approach highlights the significance of combining play and movement to enhance children’s learning experiences.

Supporting Unique Interests in Autism

Kelsie challenges the misconception of hyperfixation and special interests in autistic children, emphasizing that these interests often signify significant stress rather than behavior to be corrected. She rejects the notion of imposing neurotypical play behaviors on autistic children, advocating for the integration of their interests into therapy. Kelsie explains, “Therapists should support and incorporate the child’s interests without trying to change their focus.”

Championing Child-Led Play

Child-led play stands as a radical leap of faith and trust in the child’s ability to gravitate toward the activities they need for learning. Kelsie underlines the importance of meeting children in the middle, especially those with significant disabilities or older children, by adapting to their interests and incorporating them into therapeutic strategies. She stresses, “If we can follow the child, join their play, and integrate their goals into the play, we allow them to drive the direction of our session.”

Embracing Child-Led Play: A Therapeutic Tool

Kelsie Olds’ approach to child-led play serves as a beacon of guidance for therapists and educators. Her passion for nurturing children’s autonomy and interests through incremental steps and scaffolding reflects the transformative impact of child-led play. Her inspiring stories and insights underscore the profound value of unstructured, stress-free time for children’s holistic development.

Incorporating Movement and Play: A Powerful Combination

Kelsie’s emphasis on integrating movement and play into therapy serves as a reminder of the power of creativity and movement in opening new pathways for learning. Her approach encourages therapists to embrace innovative ways of supporting children and amplifying their strengths through tailored, playful interventions.

Advocacy for Sensory Motor Supports

Kelsie’s innovative strategies incorporating sensory motor activities and surprising approaches, like mimicking sounds with her voice, underscore the importance of sensory motor supports in fostering children’s development. She emphasizes the inclusion of support from trusted adults and sensory motor supports in all goals to ensure the child’s individual needs are met.

“Child-led play is a radical leap of faith and trust in the child’s ability to gravitate toward the activities they need for learning. By joining their play, we can integrate their goals and allow them to drive the direction of our session – it’s truly transformative.” 

Kelsie presents a compelling argument for the transformative impact of child-led play in therapy. Her dedication to empowering children through their interests, embracing movement and play, and advocating for sensory motor support lays the foundation for a more inclusive, responsive approach to supporting children’s development.