Prescription for Play: Resources for Supporting Kids and Families

By
Parker Barry
Categories
  • Child Life Council — parenting resources from the main CL organization (scroll down for downloadable tip sheets on supporting each age group from infants to teens)
  • Kids Health — medical information individually curated for parents, kids and teens
  • One Voice 4 Kids — how to create a less-threatening environment for children undergoing medical procedures
  • Art with Heart — nonprofit helping children overcome trauma through creative expression

 

  • Child’s Play —a game industry charity providing kids with toys and games in over 100 hospitals worldwide
  • Hole in the Wall Gang Camp free summer and winter camps for kids facing serious illnesses with a special week for siblings; they also bring the magic of camp to hospitals

 

  • Project Sunshine — NYC-based nonprofit providing free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and families living with medical challenges

Marj Kleinman is a Brooklyn based photographer and children’s media producer with a master’s in educational psychology. Header photo by Marj Kleinman.

Related stories

Prescription for Play: Beautiful Photos Show a Surprising Side of Kids’ Hospital Lives

Maimonides Infants & Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, like many children’s hospitals, has an active playroom, where child life specialists provide expressive arts and open-ended play opportunities, as well as board and digital games. Kids play here or take toys, crayons, books, Wii consoles and other activities back to their rooms. The playroom at Maimonides.     […]
Prescription for Play: 10 Tips for Taking Kids to the Hospital

Whether your child is hospitalized with an acute or chronic condition, or you’re bringing a healthy child to visit an ill parent or sibling, the hospital can be intimidating and stressful for you as a parent. Here are some coping strategies to support the entire family: 1. Call ahead. In preparing for a hospital visit, call and […]
Prescription for Play: How Pediatric Play Promotes Health and Healing

When I tell someone that I volunteer in pediatric hospitals, I usually spot a sad face across from me. That response is understandable, given that hospitals can be scary and sometimes painful and upsetting. But in fact, there’s no greater place to see joy and resilience on display, all through kids’ natural passion for play. […]
Welcome to Toca Life: Hospital

Toca Life: Hospital has arrived! Kids can experience the excitement of a busy medical center, from welcoming newborn babies, to operating on patients and more. Explore five floors: basement, main entrance, lab and treatment, family care and general care. In the basement, sound the siren on the ambulance in the garage or crack the code […]
Go Behind the Scenes with Toca Life: Hospital — and a Real-Life Hospital

As the play designer for Toca Life: Hospital, I wanted to have an understanding of children’s experiences in hospitals, the many emotions they face and the people who help guide them through what may be a scary process. In order to bring authentic details about hospital life to the app, I visited a children’s hospital […]
When Screen Time Becomes a Lifeline: How Technology Impacts Children with Special Health Care Needs

On a sunny afternoon in Houston, the hallway fills with parents, grandparents and babysitters glancing at their watches and waiting patiently. Suddenly the big glass door opens and one by one, young children emerge with lunch boxes, backpacks and plastic bags. Some are chattering away, a few reach for their parent’s hand, and others begin […]

Comments

[fbcomments]