Let’s be honest – The healthcare system is not built for kids.

A lot of hospitals have invested in Child Life Departments to help this, but unfortunately these departments are often understaffed and underfunded.

There are also lots of amazing doctors and nurses that take extra time to partake in some of the methods mentioned in this article. But even if you are lucky enough to have a hospital with a Child Life Department and medical professionals that focus on Child-Centered Care, there frankly aren’t enough medical toys and activities to help kids process and understand their medical experiences in the way they learn best – through PLAY.

When it comes to medical procedures, fear in children is a common and understandable response. Not only is medical care an intimidating unknown, but it often occurs in understaffed healthcare facilities where medical professionals are rushed to get to the next patient.

This creates an endless cycle where a kid has a traumatizing experience due to lack of time or resources, and the anticipatory anxiety makes the next medical intervention all the more scary.

Whether it’s a routine check-up, a vaccination, or a more complex medical intervention, children can experience anxiety and distress. As caregivers AND medical professionals, there are steps we can take to help alleviate this fear.

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Child-Friendly Medical Education

 

Allowing children time to play and demonstrate their understanding with toys can further reinforce the information, making it less abstract and more relatable.

Thankfully you are not on your own in this realm! There are resources available to help educate your child.

• Child Life Services at Hospitals: Many hospitals have child life specialists who are trained to provide support to children and families facing challenging medical experiences. They often have educational materials and resources available.

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): The AAP offers resources and guidelines for children’s health, including information specific to medical procedures and how to prepare children for them.

• Children’s Hospitals: Many children’s hospitals offer online resources, activity books, and guides for children facing medical procedures. Check the websites of local children’s hospitals for downloadable materials.

• Child Life Council: This organization provides resources and information for child life specialists and has a section dedicated to resources for children and families facing medical challenges.

• Sesame Street in Communities: This initiative provides a variety of resources for children facing difficult situations, including medical procedures. They offer videos, storybooks, and activities geared towards helping children understand and cope with medical experiences.

• KidsHealth: Operated by the Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides information for parents, kids, and teens about all aspects of health, including articles on what to expect during medical procedures and how to cope with them.

• Books and Apps: There are numerous books and apps available that are specifically designed to help children understand medical procedures and cope with hospital visits. Some popular examples include “Going to the Hospital” by Anne Civardi and “Little Critter: My Trip to the Hospital” by Mercer Mayer. This is a growing field, so you never know – there may be something out there for exactly what your child is going through! We also made a list of picture books that feature children with medical differences.

• Local Support Groups and Nonprofits: Many local support groups and nonprofits focused on specific medical conditions provide educational resources and materials for children and families. These organizations can often be found through a simple internet search or by contacting relevant medical associations.

• Online Communities and Forums: Websites and forums such as Inspire and PatientsLikeMe can connect families with others who have gone through similar medical experiences. These communities can often provide valuable insights and recommendations for educational resources.

• Public Libraries: Local libraries often have a variety of children’s books and resources related to medical experiences, hospital visits, and coping with illness. Make sure to look at your local library’s online selection – it is much larger because they share with other libraries in their area!

 

To further reinforce the information and allow the child time to process, look for medical toys to aid in play. Play is a safe and non-threatening environment that will help them to cope with what’s going on and demonstrate their understanding.

By watching your child partake in pretend play with medical toys, you may find where they are misunderstanding something or where the majority of their fears lie to help guide what to focus on next!

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Empowering Kids in Healthcare

 

Of course it’s not always possible to involve the child in certain decisions regarding their medical care, but here are some ideas of where they may be able to be involved:

• Location: Allow the child to choose where certain procedures take place, if possible. For example, they might be able to choose to sit on a parent’s lap, sit in a chair, or lay on a bed.
• Distraction options: Offer choices of distractions during procedures such as a favorite toy, book, or video to focus on during the process.
• Comfort Items: Let the child choose a comfort item to hold before, during, or after – like a favorite blanket or stuffed animal.
• Decision Making: When appropriate, involve the child in decision making. They may be able to decide which arm to get a shot in, etc.
• Timing: If feasible, offer choices regarding timing of certain procedures to give the child a sense of control. Of course many children will cleverly say “never!” so you combat that by offering two options “in 2 minutes, or 5 minutes.” Or giving them the option of what number you count to before performing the procedure.
• Communication: Allow the child to choose how they communicate their discomforts or fears, whether through words, drawing, play, or other means.

 

This empowerment can even be enacted through pretend play, allowing children to rehearse and become more familiar with the upcoming medical experience.

Play is an opportunity to turn something potentially intimidating into something familiar and even fun. Encourage your child to play with medical toys, explaining how they work and why they are important. This can help them feel more in control of their medical situation and less anxious about their devices.

By integrating play with their medical reality, you’re showing your child that their experiences are understood and valued, and that they can still find joy and creativity even in challenging circumstances.

And that’s one of the main reasons we started this business! Every child deserves to be represented by their toys, no matter how complex their medical needs may be.

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Set Realistic Expectations

 

I have had medical professionals lie to my own daughter before, saying that a vaccine wasn’t going to hurt. This just sets children up for trauma and major anticipatory anxiety for medical procedures in the future!

 

Using toys to demonstrate what will happen during the procedure can help children process the information in a non-stressful environment, making them better prepared for the experience.

• Start by having an open and honest conversation with your child about their medical situation in an age-appropriate manner.
• Encourage them to ask questions and express their feelings.
• Emphasize that their well-being is the top priority, and that everyone, including the medical team, is working to help them feel better.
• Reassure them that it’s okay to feel scared or unsure, and that you’ll be there to support them every step of the way.

 

I really want to reinforce that last point. In my years as a nurse, and now as a mom, I realized that a lot of kids think that adults don’t have fear. It is SO important to explain to your child that fear is normal, expected, and is a good thing because it’s their brain recognizing that something is unknown.

I like to use the reference that even superheros (or whatever character they’re into lately), have fear – they just make the decision to be brave.

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Promoting Advocacy

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Educate Yourself

Learn about the condition and treatment options. If not provided already, ask for materials that help you learn and process what’s going on. Often times, diagnoses are presented by a doctor talking for a long time. It is SO hard to absorb all of this material, so you have the right to ask for handouts and videos reinforcing this information.

• Don’t forget to ask for child-friendly and age appropriate materials as well!

 

Ask Questions

There is truly no such thing as a dumb question. And it’s okay if you don’t think of the questions right away – write them down as you think of them so you can ask later!

• Ask your child if they have any questions for the team, and this will help them feel involved in their care.

• Remember, you can always ask for a second opinion.

 

Assert Your Needs

Clearly communicate concerns, preferences, and symptoms. Make sure you address your goals for treatment. This is often overlooked, and causes lots of confusion!

• Does your child communicate differently? You have the right to ask for the time to communicate with your child in the way they do best.

 

Children can become better advocates for themselves when they feel empowered and educated about their care. Caregivers can model this behavior by allowing the child to have a say in their care and advocating for them when necessary. Giving children the time they need to process the situation, when safe to do so, can go a long way in reducing their fear and anxiety.

And of course, that’s where play comes in. Not only does play help children process what they’re going through, but it can also help children communicate in different ways and help them feel empowered!

 

One of my favorite stories is how a boy named Elijah used our toy ECHO machine to prepare for his upcoming scan. He needs routine ECHO’s, and prior to having the toy, these scans were intimidating medical procedures. But once he had the toy, he marched right into the room and starting teaching the ECHO Tech about it!

“It changed from something that was happening to him, to something he was a part of.”

-Andrea, mom of Elijah (3)

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Medical Play

 

Play is a safe and familiar environment that can help children process their medical experiences and emotions. Allowing children to express themselves and what they’re going through, through play can reduce trauma and anticipatory anxiety. Caregivers can also observe children as they play, which can help identify their fears and concerns, facilitating important conversations about their medical experiences.

Reducing medical fear in children requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to engage with children in a supportive and empathetic manner. And most of all, it requires TIME. Whether you are a parent, or a medical professional, you have the power to advocate for children in healthcare in giving them the time they need to learn and process in the way they learn best.

 

Our dream is to provide our medical toys to every hospital to help shift healthcare to being more child-friendly. Because taking the fear out of medical care is NOT impossible. And you can help too!

 

By integrating these strategies into pediatric care, caregivers can create an environment that is supportive, understanding, and empathetic, ultimately reducing the fear associated with medical procedures in children. Each of these methods plays a crucial role in building a foundation of trust and confidence that can lead to a more positive and less traumatic experience for children.

And we aren’t the only ones who understand the importance of play in healthcare! The research articles below are fantastic studies showing the need for these types of devices at home, in classrooms, and in treatment centers. We’re here to make that happen.

1. Association for Play Therapy. About play therapy. 2014. [25-11-2018]. Retrieved from https://www.a4pt.org/.
2. Boucher S, Downing J, Shemilt R. The role of play in children’s palliative care. Children (Basel) 2014 Dec;1(3):302–317. doi: 10.3390/children1030302. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
3. Francischinelli AGB, Almeida FA, Fernandes DMSO. Routine use of therapeutic play in the care of hospitalized children: nurses’ perceptions. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem. 2012;25(1):18–23. doi: 10.1590/S0103-21002012000100004. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
4. Ginsburg KR. The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics. 2007 Jan;119(1):182–91. doi: 10.1542/peds.2006-2697. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
5. Hubbuck C. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 2009. Play for sick children. Play specialists in hospitals and beyond; pp. 9–35. [Google Scholar]
6. Jager J. Facilitating children’s views of therapy: an analysis of the use of play-based techniques to evaluate clinical practice. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;18(3):411–428. doi: 10.1177/1359104512455816. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
7. Jones EM, Landreth G. The efficacy of intensive individual play therapy for chronically ill children. International Journal of Play Therapy. 2002;11(1):117–140. doi: 10.1037/h0088860. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
8. Kourkouta L, Papathanassiou IV. Communication in nursing practice. Mater Sociomed. 2014 Feb;26(1):65–67. doi: 10.5455/msm.2014.26.65-67. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
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10. Russ SW. Pretend Play: A resource for children who are coping with stress and managing anxiety. NYS Psychologist. 2007;19(5):13–17. [Google Scholar]

 

Now what?

Head on over to our collection of medical toys that are completely designed and created by us. Every single toy has been made per the request of parents or professionals like you!

Is there a medical device that you want to see in toy form?

Just text the word “IDEA” to (916)232-3727.

Feel free to send us requests for new designs, features, colors, or anything you think will help your child navigate their medical journey.