As virtual counseling becomes an increasingly common part of modern practice, many counselors are seeking engaging, free tools and games to enhance their online sessions. Whether you’re a school counselor connecting with students remotely or a clinical counselor providing telehealth services, there are countless creative resources available to support client engagement and therapeutic goals in a virtual setting.
Why Use Games and Tools in Virtual Counseling?
Providing virtual counseling services can be as simple as empathic listening and helping children build upon their skills. However, research shows that children learn best through hands-on activities and play. You can create extra engagement by incorporating virtual games and tools into your counseling sessions. In addition, counseling sessions that involve play also help build a trusting relationship between the child and the counselor.
Free Interactive Games
The following interactive games can be played live during virtual counseling or telehealth sessions. Although the steps for each website vary, you can follow these general directions to get started:
- Click the link below to open the game website.
- Follow the directions to start a new game.
- Click “Invite a friend” or “Play with a friend” to create a shared game link.
- Share the direct link to your game through the chat function in your Google Meet, Zoom, or another virtual counseling platform.
- Play the game live with your student or client as you chat.
Game Options
Virtual Battleship Example
Free Interactive Art Tools
Interactive art tools can be used in virtual counseling sessions in various ways. Explore the sites below to use art as a tool for expression, coping skills, and more.
Witeboard: Witeboard is a simple digital drawing tool that enhances virtual counseling sessions. Click “share” to share the direct link to your whiteboard, which allows your client to access the same whiteboard as you. Ideas to get you started:
- Draw three things that make you feel (insert feeling here).
- Create a picture of your family.
- Play a game of hangman to highlight a counseling-related word (pro tip: build a snowman versus drawing a picture of a traditional hangman).
- Play Pictionary using coping skills or feelings.
- Draw your favorite place to be.
Quick Draw: Use this drawing tool from Google as a fun way to interact with your client during virtual counseling. Share your screen to introduce the tool. You get 20 seconds to draw the prompt that is on the screen. Best for ages eight and up.
Color Your Own Mandala: Share your screen to teach your client how to color a virtual mandala. Click “color” and then choose a mandala to color with virtual ink. Introduce this site as a relaxation tool for your client.
Inspirograph: Inspirograph is a digital version of the traditional Spirograph tool. Share your screen to teach your client how to use this relaxing tool.
Free Virtual Sandtray
A virtual sand tray is a powerful tool that allows clients to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through symbolic play in an online format. Just like a traditional sand tray, individuals select and place digital objects in a virtual “sandbox” to create scenes that reflect their inner world. Your client can share their screen with you as you provide sand tray building prompts. Ideas to get you started:
- Build a relaxing place
- Create the best school day ever
- Create a world that shows your thoughts about distance learning
- Build a scene of your family doing something together
- Design a scene about the emotion (insert emotion here)
- Create a memory from your past
- Build a world that shows your future
Virtual Sandtray Example: My Relaxing Place
Free Virtual Manipulatives
Many counselors may use their web camera or a document camera to utilize their favorite games from their office during their sessions. For instance, you may use counseling game cards, a Thumball, or a favorite board game like Don’t Break the Ice. Use your favorite games remotely by using virtual manipulatives to help you out. Ideas to get you started:
- Marble Jar: Share your screen and use the virtual marble jar to represent the number of coping skills, random acts of kindness, or feelings a client can name. If you run a virtual small group, use the marble jar to represent participation visually. At the beginning of the session, set a goal as a group. For example, if the group can reach 10 marbles by the end of the session, you can end the session with a game.
- Timer or Stopwatch: Share your screen and use the virtual timer or stopwatch to help you track the time left for an activity.
- Dice or Spinner: Use the virtual dice or spinner as an interactive tool to help engage your client as you play a game virtually.
Virtual Marble Jar
Free Virtual Spinner
Use the Wheel of Names virtual spinner to create your custom spinner. Ideas to get you started:
- Add student names as a student selector during classroom lessons or small groups.
- List names of feelings. Have your client act out the selected feeling or describe a time they felt that way.
- Here is an example of a custom spinner set up for a virtual scavenger hunt. Share your screen, spin the spinner, and your client can search for the selected item from the wheel. Virtual scavenger hunts are a great way to engage students during virtual small groups and virtual classroom lessons.
Virtual Spinner: Counseling Scavenger Hunt
Virtual Counseling Platform for Children
Another tool that is wonderful for both virtual and in-person sessions is Hopscotch Play, which was created by child mental health experts as an all-in-one computer tool that transforms therapy sessions into engaging, educational, and interactive experiences for children. The platform has a range of therapeutic activities from games, social stories, psychoeducation, interactive printables, mindfulness activities, and much more! They are constantly adding new resources so you can keep your therapy sessions fresh and exciting for your clients. You can sign up here for a free 14-day trial AND receive 20% off your first month!
More Resources for Virtual Counseling
Are you looking for more distance learning and virtual counseling tips? Check out this post about 7 Tips to Make Distance Learning Easier for Counselors.
Are you looking to create a Virtual Counseling Office for your students to use at home? Click here to find great tools to use in your virtual office!
The following paid resources are also available to enhance your virtual counseling sessions. Each resource was created by a Confident Counselor who has navigated this virtual counseling world.
- Color Your Feelings: Feelings Exploration for Distance Learning by EduKate and Inspire
- Coping Skills Game for Self-Regulation Printable or For Google Slides™ by The Responsive Counselor
- Growth Mindset YETi Boom Cards by The Counseling Teacher
- Social Emotional Learning Google Slides Games Bundle by Counselor Chelsey
- Social Emotional Learning Cover and Connect Games Bundle by Carol Miller, Counseling Essentials
- Digital Calm Down Corner Google Slides™ Activity by Mrs. Bell The Crafty Counselor
- “Lucy’s Mask” Book Companion and No Prep Mini Lesson by Pawsitive School Counselor
- Lunch Bunch Activities: Games for Distance Learning for School Counseling by Counselor Keri
Whatever tools you choose to use for virtual counseling sessions, use them confidently!
What resources do you use for virtual counseling?
Share your favorites with us in the comments!
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This article is so spot on! Engaging kids with virtual games sounds like a fantastic way to make counseling fun and effective. It reminds me how important it is to have resources for all ages. Speaking of understanding mental health, sometimes adults wonder about things like a Borderline Personality Disorder Test too.
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Fantastic resource! Have you found any new virtual tools lately that you’d add to this list? I’m always looking for fresh ways to connect with students online https://deskablog.com/
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