Big Bear's Treehouse

13/06/2026

This quote from Karen Young really resonated with me.

Recently, someone shared with me that a child had been asked not to hear the word “no”.

It made me think.

Life is full of “no”.

The goal isn’t to protect children from every disappointment. The goal is to help them learn that disappointment is something they can survive.

Children need both love and limits.

Connection and boundaries.

As Karen says, children need both the limit and the love — at the same time. 💚

Karen Young - Hey Sigmund

12/06/2026

Today the play therapy community has lost one of its greatest pioneers.

It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Dr. Garry Landreth, founder of the Center for Play Therapy and author of Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship.

Garry’s work has influenced generations of play therapists around the world and, through them, countless children and families.

One of his quotes has stayed with me throughout my journey as a play therapist:

“I have discovered that when I am with children, the person I am is much more important than anything I know how to do in my mind.”

To me, those words capture the heart of therapeutic work with children. Long before techniques, interventions, or strategies comes relationship. Children heal when they experience safety, connection, acceptance, and genuine presence.

Thank you, Garry, for the legacy you leave behind and for the countless therapists, children, and families who have been touched by your work.

Your influence will continue to live on in playrooms around the world. 💚

10/06/2026

🌳 International Day of Play

One of the questions I often ask adults is:

“When was the last time you played?”

Not achieved.
Not produced.
Not performed.

Played.

Children learn through play.
Children connect through play.
Children heal through play.

Yet play is often the first thing squeezed out of childhood when life becomes busy, stressful, or difficult.

Today, on International Day of Play, let’s remember that play is not wasted time.

It is some of the most important work a child will ever do.

And perhaps, as adults, we could all benefit from a little more of it too. 💚

10/06/2026

“Just playing.”

It’s a phrase we hear often when talking about children.

Yet play is where children practise relationships, solve problems, test ideas, explore emotions, build confidence, and make sense of the world around them.

When children are building cubbies, creating imaginary worlds, digging in the dirt, dressing up, drawing, climbing, running, negotiating rules, and making up games, they aren’t taking a break from learning.

They are learning.

Play helps children develop social skills, emotional regulation, creativity, resilience, problem-solving abilities, and a sense of belonging.

As adults, it can be easy to focus on what children need to know.

Play reminds us to also pay attention to what children need to experience.

Sometimes the most important work a child does all day looks a lot like “just playing.” 💛🌳

The first time Renae Powell waved her eldest child through the primary school gates she felt something was missing: play time.

02/06/2026

I'm a little excited to finally see this in print 😊

When I first started working with children and families, one of the biggest lessons I learnt was that helping isn't always about stepping in.

Sometimes the most important growth happens when children are given the opportunity to try, struggle, problem-solve and discover that they can do hard things, all while knowing a safe adult is nearby.

Thank you to Locale Kids Magazine for the opportunity to share this reflection with local families.

If you'd like to read the full article, you can find it here:

https://designrr.page/?id=504567&token=3203472098&type=FP&h=6734

30/05/2026

World Foster Day 🌳❤️

Today, I find myself thinking about the many children, foster carers, kinship carers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and families I have had the privilege of working alongside over the years.

I have seen children navigate enormous change, loss, uncertainty, and grief with a courage that often goes unnoticed.

I have seen carers open their homes and hearts, not because it is easy, but because a child needed somewhere safe to land.

I have sat with families during the hard days, the messy days, the exhausting days, and the days where it felt like nothing was changing.

But I have also witnessed incredible moments of connection, trust, healing, and belonging.

The truth is that children don't need perfect carers. They need adults who keep showing up. Adults who stay curious. Adults who keep loving them through the hard moments as well as the easy ones.

To all the children and families I have had the privilege of walking alongside, thank you for allowing me into your world. It is an honour that I never take for granted.

Today, I celebrate you all. 💚

Because every child deserves a safe pair of hands, a place to belong, and someone who stays.

21/05/2026

What a powerful speech from a young man who has lived through the Out of Home Care system and knows it from the inside.

How it feels.
Who listens.
And who truly cares.

Too often, therapeutic support is only introduced once a child is already struggling in visible ways. But we need to take off the rose-coloured glasses and recognise that children enter care because something significant has already happened in their lives.

And then, on top of that trauma, they are removed from everything familiar.

Imagine being a child entering foster care or residential care.
Your home changes.
Your routines change.
The people you know may no longer be around.
You are suddenly living with strangers while trying to make sense of enormous grief, fear, confusion, or loss.

That alone is enough to warrant therapeutic support.

These children should not have to “prove” they are struggling before they are offered help.

We need to do so much better for children in care.

20/05/2026

15/05/2026

15 May has been recognised as International Day of Families by the United Nations since 1993.

So, however your family may look, and wherever the branches may stretch, I hope you feel connected to a strong trunk that holds and embraces your family 🌳❤️