Play in Hospital Week celebrations at LGT
LGT's play teams celebrated 'Play in Hospital Week' on 14 to 18 October. The annual event celebrates the importance of allowing time and space for children and young people to play in all healthcare settings. Additionally, the week highlighted the importance of play for our children’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
At LGT, our play teams have four ways to help and prepare our young patients for the hospital environment:
- First is to prepare our children and young people for procedures in a child friendly and playful way.
- Second is using play as distraction from pain, anxieties, fears, or just being bored. Using distraction can make a child’s experience of a procedure less scary and more positive, and can also help the nurses/doctors do a procedure quickly and safely.
- Third is using play to give post-procedural support and help children to process their feelings and thoughts about what they have experienced. Encouraging play after a procedure can also benefit the recovery process.
- Fourth we have opportunities and resources for general play all day. Our playroom has various toys, games, and activities and is a bright and colourful environment that can be the children’s safe space for the day. We also have lots of games and colouring by the bedsides and offer various activities to keep the children entertained and occupied.
Miriam Statter, Health Play Specialist on the Children's Day Care Unit at University Hospital Lewisham, said: “Play has the power to create happiness for our children and young people at LGT and is also used to enable them to understand their treatment and procedures in a fun and age-appropriate way.
“Often children may feel anxious, worried, scared, or bored in hospital, but by introducing play it can make it a positive place where they can play, learn, regulate their emotions. It can minimise fear and anxiety, it promotes emotional regulation, it brings a sense of normality to the child’s day, and it can bring happiness and lots of smiles.
"We had a fantastic Play in Hospital week at LGT; it was a fun, exciting and rewarding week. It is always play week for our children and Play Specialists, but this week we had the opportunity to share the importance and benefits of play with our patients, their families, and colleagues. It was wonderful to see the children get excited about the treasure hunt, the princesses, the dog visits, and all of the other fun and messy activities we had.
“A few patients did not want to leave the hospital; I think our play days were successful in making the hospital a fun and playful environment for them."
The fun activities on the children’s wards at University Hospital Lewisham included:
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Visits from Therapy Dog Nationwide.
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A fairy visited the ward and made animal balloons.
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Princess Elsa visited and also made animal balloons and gave glitter tattoos.
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A treasure hunt around the ward, with a prize for all the winners.
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A very messy but very fun syringe painting activity.
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Making of magic wands to make people feel better, decorated bags for toys to go in.
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A party with balloons and cupcakes.
