Bright Side Play Therapy

Bright Side Play Therapy Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Bright Side Play Therapy, Therapist, Saskatoon, SK.

Play therapy helps children develop a safe relationship with a therapist, which allows a child to fully express and explore self, feelings, thought, experiences and behaviors through play.

01/27/2026

💡 Kindergarten readiness isn’t just about academics—it’s also about emotional readiness and self-regulation.

🧠 Skills like managing big feelings, following routines, and calming down when upset are just as important for success in school as academics. Helping kids build these skills early sets the stage for confident, happy learners! 🌟

via Planning Playtime - Learning Through Play

01/25/2026

When we remember that “discipline” means to teach, everything changes, for parents and for the children watching them.

This is the essence of the Jai Method:
✨ Curiosity instead of control
✨ Compassion instead of correction
✨ Coaching instead of commanding

Because when parents learn to lead with understanding, they raise children who trust themselves to learn, too. đź’›

What do you hope your child learns by seeing you do the work of becoming a more conscious, compassionate version of yourself?

01/24/2026

We keep adding more structure to childhood because we think it helps children learn faster and behave better. In reality, it often does the opposite.

When adults control the materials, the steps, and the outcome, the experience stops being play. It becomes an activity. Crafts, classes, organized sports, guided games, and most table work fall into this category. They are adult-directed and predictable by design. That doesn’t make them bad. It just means they serve a different purpose.

The problem is that these experiences have started to replace the kind of play children actually need most.

Child-led play is where children make decisions, test ideas, repeat what interests them, move their bodies freely, and work through challenges without being constantly corrected or redirected.

When children initiate their own play, they activate the networks responsible for executive function, emotional regulation, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. These skills do not develop through passive participation or constant instruction. They develop through active control, trial and error, movement, and self-directed problem solving.

When children spend most of their time following instructions, they get good at following instructions. They do not automatically become more independent, creative, or resilient.

This is why we’re hosting our upcoming live webinar on Invitations, Provocations, and Sensory-rich Experiences. We’ll break down how to create environments that support child-led play without over-structuring, overloading materials, or placing unrealistic expectations on children. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for simplifying setups, choosing better materials, and designing experiences that actually support development instead of getting in the way of it.

Join us live on Wednesday, January 28 at 12:00 PM EST. Replay included for everyone who registers.

đź”— Register for FREE: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MW53E8Q0Tr6c-jIKLJrKVQ #/registration

đź”— Register with CERTIFICATION: https://www.weskoolhouse.com/store-webinars

01/23/2026

Parents often say, “But they know better.”

And they’re right — children can remember the rule long before they can act on it in real time.

That gap is called development.

Impulse control, frustration tolerance, emotional regulation and perspective-taking are all prefrontal cortex skills — and that part of the brain matures into adolescence.

So when a child is overwhelmed, the emotional brain floods, the thinking brain goes offline, and behaviour reflects survival—not intention.

Understanding this doesn’t mean there are no boundaries.

It means we support the skills that make boundaries possible.

If you want to go deeper into how children’s brains and behaviour develop — and how to respond in ways that build skills instead of shame — I wrote about it in Guidance from The Therapist Parent.

You can find it on my website (www.thetherapistparent.com) or on Amazon.

Save + share with someone who needs this reminder today. ✨

01/22/2026

Vestibular input can calm or excite. Vestibular sensory input can be alerting or calming to our nervous systems, allowing us to learn, interact with others, and go through our day. Here, we’re unpacking everything you need to know about vestibular processing and the vestibular system. Let’s move! https://www.theottoolbox.com/vestibular-activities/

This type of movement is a powerful tool in therapy and at home.

01/19/2026

👇 Type GRIT to get a copy of our FREE guide on "Cultivating Grit"

Teaching children boundary phrases isn’t about making them “rude” or defiant.
It’s about helping them feel safe, confident, and empowered in their bodies and relationships.

When children have clear words for their limits, they’re better able to:
đź’› protect their bodies
đź’› communicate discomfort
đź’› recognize unsafe situations
đź’› advocate for themselves without shame

Boundaries don’t need to be loud or aggressive to be effective.
They can be calm.
They can be clear.
And they deserve to be respected.

When we practice these phrases at home, we’re telling children:
Your voice matters. Your feelings matter. Your boundaries matter.

01/16/2026

👇 📅 Want more info from experts on how to be a better parent?! Type SUMMIT to get a link to our FREE 2026 Parenting & Children's Mental Health Summit March 16-19, 2026.

Chores aren’t about raising “helpful kids.”
They’re about building capable, confident, resilient humans.

When children contribute at home, they’re not just learning how to clean or cook—they’re developing:
🧠 Executive functioning (planning, sequencing, follow-through)
đź’Ş Self-efficacy and competence
❤️ A sense of belonging and responsibility
🧩 Problem-solving and emotional regulation

Research shows that children who regularly participate in age-appropriate chores develop greater independence, stronger work ethic, and higher long-term life skills—even predicting better outcomes in adulthood (Rossmann, 2002).

Chores tell a child:
"You matter here. You’re capable. You’re part of this family."

Join Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, Dr. Steve Biddulph, Dr. Ross Greene, Dr. Laura Markham, Dr. Joel Warsh, Dr. Lawrence Cohen, Dr. Michael Gurian and so many more!

đź“• TOPICS INCLUDE:
Emotion regulation, compassionate discipline, childhood anxiety, healing insecure attachment, ADHD, neurodiversity & autism, highly sensitive children, parenting toddlers, managing screen time, online safety, fostering brain development, raising resilient kids, positive body image, power of play, parental anxiety, fatherhood, picky eating, how to talk so kids will listen, and so much more!

âś… FREE Access
âś… 4 LIVE Interactive Workshops
âś… 35 Masterclass Presentations
âś… 45 Hours of Instruction Available
âś… The TOP Experts on the Planet
âś… Certificates of Completion (for those who purchase recordings)

01/11/2026

If your baby wakes at night and you'd love a little support, Rest Assured was written for you.

Read it here: https://geni.us/RestAssured

Mother Nourish Nurture 🫶🏼

01/10/2026

SPD is complicated and can look different in every person who has it. This is a quick list of possible ways it can manifest... but it's important to note that the left/right sides are not mutually exclusive. Many people exhibit a mix of behaviors from both sides.

Learn more about SPD >>> https://www.thechaosandtheclutter.com/product/sensory-processing-explained?ref=89

We love sharing helpful ideas! This affiliate link also helps us continue to provide you with valuable resources and run this page.

01/10/2026

If you're parenting with attachment and connection, Rest Assured was written for you.

Read it here: https://geni.us/RestAssured

Mother Nourish Nurture 🫶🏼

Address

Saskatoon, SK
S7W0Y6

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

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