Before we parted company after a meeting, one of the participants smilingly tells us that his foster son and his friends have turned the basement living room into a "wrestling cage". They've pushed sofas together and stacked cushions into an arena. They watch "wrestling" on YouTube and then wrestle with each other.
Scrooge McDuck
That same morning, I had read about how movement and touch affect the deeper parts of the brain. In the book "Boltrelek og leekslåssing...", Eide-Midtsand tells about the boy Joakim. He was 5 years old when he came to therapy. His face was expressionless and his voice monotonous. But after two years of treatment, much of which involved movement and touch, he changed and became noticeably softer, more flexible and more expressive in his face.
Movement as therapy
When we hear the word "therapy" we think it's about talking about the things that are difficult. But why not expand the "repertoire"?
I was touched by Joakim's story. I encouraged my colleague by saying that it will most likely do the foster son good. It can be positive for him to "wrestle" with his friends. I'm also comforted by the fact that a lot of good happens when children get to play and unfold. Sometimes all we need to do is facilitate. We need to let go of the idea that we have to constantly involve ourselves directly in children's challenges. Movement and touch are our "helpers" when working with children and young people.
When play becomes more regulated, as in the case of my colleague's foster son, it is especially the cerebral cortex that develops.
More play, less violence
Eide-Midtsand refers to Stuart Brown, who researched play for a lifetime. He found that a common feature of violent criminals and murderers was that they had not played as children. This prevented the frontal lobe from developing normally (p. 102).
Source:
Indoor play and play fighting-Greater space in kindergarten and primary school(n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2025, from https://www.ark.no/produkt/boker/fagboker/boltrelek-og-lekeslassing-9788244622219
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