Children's Services: Play & Support
Our support services are designed to help patients and families cope with the unique stress associated with being in the hospital. We understand that the best possible hospital experience integrates compassionate, family-centered care.
We encourage families to connect with experts in all of our special programs, including Child Life specialists and creative arts therapists.
Activity coordinators provide unique programs and services for patients, siblings and families in inpatient and outpatient settings. And specially trained volunteers enhance the hospital experience by supporting play experiences in our groups, both at the bedside and in outpatient settings.
Inside The Janice and Kimberly Brown Family Life Center
This respite area is devoted to inpatients and their families, offering amenities, including:
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A business center
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A family room and a quiet room
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Play groups, when caregivers can take a break and leave patients and siblings with staff and volunteers
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Hora de Café, which supports Spanish-speaking caregivers
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Massage relaxation * as scheduled
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Haircuts * as scheduled
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Knitting group * as scheduled
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Family free time, set aside for patients and their families to relax, read or play together outside of the healthcare setting.
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Developmental Play Groups
Children learn, grow and develop through play. Play also helps children explore their environment, express their feelings and cope with hospitalization. We have age-appropriate play groups for inpatients and their siblings:
Infant and toddler group. Our infant and toddler developmental play group is available for inpatients and siblings, birth to three years of age. The group is supervised by a Child Life specialist and specially trained volunteers. Toys and activities are provided to encourage developmental milestones and promote play within the medical setting. This play group is held on the 6th floor of the hospital in the Starlight Family Lounge.
School-age play group. Our developmental play group for school-age children gives inpatients and their siblings a chance for play, relaxation and interacting with peers, and also allows children to acquire new skills while hospitalized. Board games, arts and crafts, dramatic and medical play, and computer and video games are always available. Special events, such as Skylight TV and garden play, also are held during this group.
Teen group and the Morton Teen Lounge. The Morton Teen Lounge, located inside the Brown Family Life Center, is a unique space for inpatient teens and their families. During groups, teens have the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts projects, as well as play video, arcade and board games. They can borrow movies, music and books from the lounge’s library during their stay. It is also home to specialized groups in art and music therapy.
Lekotek
Our Lekotek services are unique, family-centered, developmental play programs for children with disabilities, special healthcare needs or challenges that place them at risk. Using developmentally appropriate toys and equipment, it brings families of children with disabilities into an environment of failure-free learning, and offers a toy library and a developmental education program.
Special Events & Guests
There are continuous special events, guest artists and celebrity visitors at the hospital. Regular guests include Project White Hat, Garden Play and Rainbow Dogs.
Lobby Events
The Siragusa Lobby and Lincoln Park outpatient center waiting areas are home to unique and entertaining events, which include face painters, jugglers, musicians, concerts and more. These lobby events are not only fun, but educational. They are developed to enhance creative and critical thinking skills in children.
Community Partnerships
We collaborate with many community museums, theaters, organizations and schools that share their talents or products for these special events and programs scheduled throughout the year.
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