Playing for Progress: Healing Narratives Using Games in CANS Practice

This past October, I (Cristal Alvarado, EBAC/ Alameda TCOM Collaborative Member), had the privilege of presenting at the 2025 TCOM Conference held in Chicago. This year’s theme was grounded in “Standing on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before.”
 
As someone who lives at the intersection of Play Therapy and CANS practice, the theme resonated deeply. Our work is always built on foundations laid long before us, by early play therapy pioneers, by youth and families who’ve trusted us with their stories, and by the evolving framework of TCOM and the CANS itself.

​Lotería, El Mundo, and Cultural Legacy
In my first session, I explored how culturally rooted games like Lotería can open doors to identity, strengths, and storytelling. We played with cards such as El Mundo (The World) and La Luna (The Moon), and reflected on how each image can spark conversation, meaning-making, and connection.
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For many participants, it was a reminder that culturally responsive practice isn’t just about translation, it’s about honoring cultural symbols, communal histories, and the ways families have always used play to teach, heal, and thrive. 

One participant even shared that they played this game for many years as a child, and didn’t realize just “how deep” families could get with the game. It was a moment of inspiration and motivation.

Jenga + CANS: Building From the Ground Up
My second session focused on using modified Jenga to support CANS conversations. And truly…could there be a more perfect metaphor?
 
Each Jenga block represents a building piece of knowledge about the youth, their world, their needs, and their strengths. With every question asked, every block pulled, we see:

• the foundations that hold someone up
• the vulnerabilities we must navigate with care
• and the possibilities for growth, balance, and resilience

Participants loved the hands-on approach of the session. Many noted how deeply these questions reach, how much we ask young people to reflect on, and how easy it is to forget the emotional lift required. Playing through the experience allowed everyone to feel the depth, not just think about it.
 
Why Play Matters in CANS Work
One of the biggest takeaways (for the participants) was this: if we ask clients to do something, we should try it ourselves.
 
Play-based methods make the experience more accessible, relational, authentic, AND more ethical (meeting the developmental needs of children and youth when assessing and gathering information). When we feel what it’s like to answer difficult questions in a “game,” we become more attuned to how we ask, pace ourselves, and support youth through the process.
 
Standing on the Shoulders…and Reimagining Moving Forward
Both sessions felt like a natural blending of my two worlds: Play Therapy and CANS. I left the conference feeling energized by the feedback. People felt motivated to integrate games into their work. They appreciated the blend of clinical depth and cultural responsiveness. And many said it helped them reconnect with the humanity at the heart of assessment.
 
That’s the legacy we stand on: innovation rooted in relationship, safety, culture, and care.
 
Want This Training At Your Agency?
If you’re interested in bringing CANS + Games (Jenga, Uno, Lotería, or other playful tools) to your staff or program, we’d love to come teach. Contact us here. Let’s bring play, culture, and connection into your CANS practice.
 
Thank you for growing in this work with us. Here’s to standing strong on shoulders….and building new ones!

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