Welcome to the Play Department
The Play Room is an integral part of The National Children’s Hospital Play Department. Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm it is managed by the Play Therapy Manager, Hospital Play Specialists and supported by volunteers and students. Parents are welcome to ask a member of the Play Department team for more information on the play services on offer to infants, children and young people. Due to infection control precautions, siblings of hospitalised children cannot access the Playroom. However, toys can be provided to the child at the bedside while visiting a brother or sister.
Children and young people who are patients in the hospital are warmly greeted to the Play Room along with their parents or guardians. The Play Room is a bright airy environment where children, young people, parents and guardians can have a break from a possible stressful hospital experience. Within the Play Room there are a variety of play activities to meet each child’s individual needs during their stay, whether it is arts and crafts, story telling, music, game consoles i.e. Play Station/Wii, construction toys, ball pool, imaginary play and hospital play. Children and young people can choose to make friends, participate in individual or group art activities, pool table competitions and have fun expressing themselves in a spontaneous way.
