Why every Child should have a Bop-Bag

Meet Bobo. A play therapist's & parent's best friend.. well, one of them :) 

Brandy's BOA 

The play therapy room is a magical place.  It is filled with a variety of hand-picked toys to allow the child to safely express whatever is needed. There are three categories: real-life toys, creative expressive toys, and aggressive-release toys.  The bop-bag aka "Bobo" is categorized as an aggressive-release toy.  Aggressive-release toys allow the child to express emotions that are typically not accepted in other settings (Landreth, 2012).  Children play with the bop-bag by hitting, kicking, or tackling it.  Children pretend it's a person (real or not real in their life) and act out sequences.  Children hit the bop-bag with objects or tie Bobo up. 

Bobo is not just for the play therapy room. 

I believe every child should have a bop-bag at home.  Bobo is a great redirection tool.  Depending on your child's temperament and developmental age, there are a variety of reasons why having a bop-bag at home would be desirable.  Children who experience big emotions or have difficulty expressing their emotions appropriately or are learning how to express their emotions can benefit from having a Bobo.  It's hard to be a little person with big emotions, especially if that child doesn't have many words.  Some children go through hitting or head-banging stages.  When a child is about to (or has) head bang or hit or kick, redirect the child to the bop bag...

Hitting Example: "You're angry (or another descriptive feeling word).  But, I am not for hitting. You can choose to hit the bop bag (point to Bobo)." 

The bop-bag provides a safe place for a child to express those big emotions; emotions the child may not fully understand.  Sometimes anger or anxiety can be overwhelming.  A child might need to actually hit something to get the frustration out or open the door to understanding the emotion/behavior.  

Children learn by doing, experiencing, and (symbolically) playing.  

Redirection is the first step to dealing with aggressive or inappropriate behavior.  It's important the parent provides an outlet for the behavior, but gets to the root of the issue.  So, use the bop-bag for an acceptable outlet, but observe what leads up to the inappropriate behavior.  After the child has expressed his or her emotions by acting out on Bobo, let there be a teaching moment.  Get on your child's communication level and communicate.  Let him know it's ok to be angry.  Every one experiences anger, but it how we deal with the anger that matters.  Always remember: Consistency is key.  Consistency is comfort to a child.  

If your child has severe behavioral issues contact a professional: pediatrician, play therapist, or speech pathologist.  Often, your pediatrician will be able to refer you to a play therapist or help you decide if your child's behavior is stemming from a speech issue.  You can always google RPT (registered play therapist) in your area.  

If your child is going through normal moments of acting out or learning how to deal with big emotions, try using a bop-bag as a redirection tool.  Find what works for your family. And if ever you are worried about your child, contact a professional for help.  Good counselors want to be a team with your family.  They will recognize your worth as a parent, which is a whole other post :)

Here is an inexpensive bop-bag example:

You can find these inflatable bop-bags at Walmart, Target, or Toy R Us. But, my favorite places to find them are Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, or TJMaxx-- I find them there for $2.99! They are cheap for a reason.  They can leak.  I found this out with my grad practicum.. water every where.  It lasted a semester for me.  My advice is to put sand in the bottom for weight.  Then hot glue the opening shut.  Also, for good measure you can use duck tape on the bottom.  I bought black duck tape, and it makes it look like a part of the bag/ keeps everything in. My almost two-year-old has one :)

Last thing, sometimes kids hitting bop-bags are just plain FUN!!  So don't read too much into something.  Let fun be fun, but use a bop-bag to redirect the not so fun behaviors.

Reference

Landreth, G. (2012). Play therapy the art of the relationship. (3rd ed.). New York City: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.