Imagine a child lost in the world of their imagination—painting colorful pictures, pretending to be a superhero, or even dancing. For children, creative expression is a powerful tool for mental health. It’s through play that they begin to understand themselves, navigate their emotions, and make sense of the world around them.
As children engage in creative play, they explore their feelings in a safe space where there are no wrong answers and no judgment. This sense of freedom is key to their emotional growth. Meredeth Mattis, the art teacher for Des Moines Public Schools at the Orchard Place Residential Campus, understands this well. “As a child, I always wanted to be either an artist, a teacher, or an art teacher,” she recalls. Combining these passions, she’s been shaping creative minds at Orchard Place since 2010. Mattis believes that art helps her students become better problem solvers by tackling visual challenges in imaginative ways. “Art encourages thinking in black, white, gray, and every color imaginable,” she says. “There is no one right answer, and rarely any wrong ones. I believe this is why art is so beneficial to all students, but especially to our student population at Orchard Place.” In her classroom, Mattis has witnessed students with “intimidating histories” show significant improvement in behavior. She recalls two teenage male students who, through experimenting with colors in a watercolor project, began supporting each other. “In any other environment, these two students would have been unlikely companions, and they probably wouldn’t have considered solving the color theory problem together. I think art activities help students understand different perspectives about the world around them and provide a safe space to attempt, fail, and succeed.”
This therapeutic power of creative expression is also central to play therapy. “Play allows a child to feel more comfortable and less ashamed when addressing challenges or stressors in their life,” explains Jordan Reader, a Residential Campus Therapist at Orchard Place. “Play is the natural language of children, and it gives them the opportunity to develop insight and problem-solving skills while distancing themselves from the pressures of their problems.” Reader, who has been at Orchard Place for over four years, shares a similar passion for helping children. “I found my passion in providing skills and healing to youth so that they may thrive in the lives ahead of them,” she says. Like Mattis, Reader uses play to teach emotional regulation, a vital skill for navigating life’s challenges. “Play therapists often model and teach regulation skills through play, making children more receptive to processing and building those skills within the play narrative. This allows them to transfer these lessons to their day-to-day lives.”
Both art and play therapy provide a way to address a child’s mental health by offering a safe space to explore, express, and heal emotionally. They also offer a nonjudgmental way for therapists or caregivers to understand the child’s inner world, giving them insight into the child’s experiences and struggles.
Learn more about the impact of play and creative expression, along with other programs at Orchard Place that are geared towards Developing Strong Futures here.
