Why Hospital Staff Keep Asking for More Toys
When you think of children with toys, you probably imagine them having fun, laughing or doing playtime at home.
But inside a hospital? A toy can be so much more.
Toys can calm kids’ fears, build trust and bring comfort.
A Pathway to Trust
Play opens doors that conversation alone sometimes can’t.
When kids play with toys, it gives the hospital staff a chance to connect with them. While playing, kids can voice their fears and build trust with the staff caring for them.
A Certified Child Life Specialist from Illinois shared her experience:
“Ninety-five percent of our kids are on medicaid or uninsured. ... Some of them don’t have toys at home. So, being able to give them Starlight toys to help calm them down – make them more willing and ready to participate in procedures-it really helps with cooperation, coping, and reducing trauma.”
For a child who’s scared of doctors or nurses, a toy can be a bridge to trust. A familiar toy can be just the thing a child needs to feel a sense of safety and open up.
We recently did a study among Starlight’s hospital partners and many shared that when kids played with toys, it helped them feel better both physically and mentally during their hospital stay.
When kids feel less anxious and afraid, they are more ready and willing to do their medical tests and procedures.
Increasing Kids’ Independence
When kids get toys to play with, for a moment, they aren’t thinking about their pain. The energy in the room changes, and their distress lifts. Oftentimes, these calm and comforting moments help hospital staff do their jobs with more ease.
“Kids are less likely to be constantly pulling on their nurse because they’re just antsy and in pain when they have something else to be doing,” shared a Certified Child Life Specialist from Illinois.
Kids are calm and engaged when they play with toys, which helps the hospital staff focus on giving care.
The Child Life Specialist from Illinois shared a story of another patient who had been complaining for days about her pain and refused to get out of bed.
What could the staff do to help? It turns out a Barbie toy from the Starlight program was just the comfort the patient needed.
As soon as she got her Barbie, she got out of her bed and spent hours sitting on the floor playing with it.
Turning Scary Moments into Learning Moments
Medical procedures and treatments can be overwhelming, even for the bravest kids. Toys turn those scary moments into mindful ones.
With toys like stuffed animals, hospital staff explain to kids what is about to happen in a safe and familiar way. Kids often walk away calmer, confident and more in control of their care.
“If we can assist them in doing it [an IV] to a Starlight doll – it usually helps them be able to cope better. It gives them choices. We even catch them talking to their stuffies through what has happened to them ... They tell them 'it’s okay. You’re being so brave.'”
- Certified Child Life Specialist, Arizona
Learn more about how playing in the hospital supports kids’ development and healing.
Help Hospitals Support Kids During the Holidays
This holiday season, thousands of kids will spend their days and nights in the hospital.
Hospitals are depending on donors like you to ensure they have the Starlight Toys they need to comfort and support the children they care for.
Starlight delivers toys to over 800 hospitals and medical facilities nationwide. With your help, we can get toys into kids’ hands by December 25th.
Let's make sure hospital staff have what they need to bring cheer, joy and hope to kids during their toughest moments.
