Key items in the playroom that are representative of Black children and their culture can provide free places for Black children to explore and process their experiences. This includes multicultural art materials that represent different skin tones such as colored pencils, markers, crayons, construction paper, modeling dough, and paint. Other items to consider are diverse sand tray miniatures and dolls with different skin tones and hair textures. Recognizing the need for play-based interventions and materials for Black youth, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Mylemarks to create resources that address racial stressors in Black youth on issues such as hair discrimination and racism (2023). These resources are meant to help play therapists broach subjects around race while also using words and activities from the Black community to honor their cultural values and beliefs.
Play therapy provides an important exception for Black
children to safely explore feelings and behaviors while also instilling pride in their culture. In doing so, Black children exposed to frequent racial stressors can use the
therapeutic powers of play to help them reclaim their childhood.
Promoting Cultural Language Differences Outside the playroom, Black children may be reprimanded for using language expression in the playroom can be viewed as a sign of rapport and emotional safety in the playroom. In the playroom, play therapists honor the cultural expressions of all children by utilizing to correcting their grammar, as Landreth highlights in CCPT (2002). However, play therapists should be careful of using slang themselves if it is not their natural communication, as authenticity is key to working with Black children. Another important consideration is the community make jokes about each other in a fun and pleasurable way (DeGruy, 2017). However, a lack of awareness of this cultural tradition in schools may lead to a Black child receiving unwarranted Using the tenets of EPT, play therapists can empower Black youth to advocate for their interactions as friendly opposed to adversarial.
Encouraging Cultural Expressions of Hair Black children, especially Black girls, are experiencing hair discrimination at an early age. A study conducted by Dove found that
6 | PLAYTHERAPY
86% of Black teens who experienced hair discrimination encountered this before the age of 10, with Black mothers reporting discrimination this in codes of conduct that ban certain hairstyles that are often associated with Black culture. Those who resist conformity and wear natural or protective styles are punished in schools for not abiding by have been suspended, expelled, and prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities due to wearing their natural hair. Another expressive arts for older children (Dove Self-Esteem Project, n.d.). different hair textures, colors, and hair styling tools like a toothbrush and hair gel. This can help Black children express their experiences their hair. Brands like Fresh Dolls (2023) and Naturalistas (2023) are a great way to show the diversity in the hair and clothing worn in the Black community.
Supporting Cultural Expressions in Dress Like hair, Black children are often discouraged from creative expression in their dress, especially in schools. It is important to note that Black children are more likely to be punished in schools This term allows room for subjective interpretations of what is appropriate, which often falls outside the Eurocentric mainstream pants as a form of cultural expression, yet they are punished or stereotyped when they do so. Black girls and their bodies are often oversexualized and blamed for their clothes being too tight or revealing when they are wearing simple clothes like leggings and tank tops. This new generation also may wear satin bonnets and slippers outside the house, leading to further judgment and stereotyping. Play therapists can provide a safe, non-judgmental space to help Black children process any current or potential negative experiences in relation to their dress by adding things to their playroom such as hoodies, bonnets and slippers. This allows Black children to process their experiences of self-expression through dress and the potential dangers of doing so, such as the murder of Trayvon Martin.
Respecting Musical Preferences There are often debates on the use of music in the playroom, especially the playing of hip-hop and other songs that may have violence or profanity. Music is a helpful coping skill for Black youth and is often used to communicate their thoughts and feeling (Owens et al., 2023). However, play therapists may block the use of this expressive art or put limitations on its use because of our own biases. Many play therapists may feel uncomfortable with the lyrics, and in doing so, are missing a key opportunity to bond and build rapport with the child. Studies of different music genres have found that country music
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