Play is a natural and important part of childhood and childhood development. Kids learn vital skills organically through play, but most importantly, play allows them to simply be a kid and have fun. Though playing is beneficial in any environment, it is possibly most impactful in health care settings.

Whether a kid and their parents require a prolonged hospital stay, regular appointments or a once-off visit, having a playground to facilitate the families is essential for their well-being and for your hospital’s name as a facility that prioritizes patient care.

How Playgrounds Impact Patient Experience

Playgrounds encourage movement, expression, independence, social interaction, determination and fun — all in a safe environment. Providing that environment in your hospital — a setting that can be intimidating, challenging and overwhelming for kids and families —  is vital. The benefits of adding a playground to your hospital include the following:

Reduces Anxiety and Stress

Being in a health care setting can be extremely stressful and anxiety-inducing for a kid. The doctors may seem intimidating, and any tests can be frightening. Additionally, feeling unwell and separated from family and friends is especially challenging, so stress reduction in hospitals is crucial to a better patient experience.

By having a playground on your premises, you offer a space of safety and retreat for young patients. Playing alone or with other children is a welcome diversion, and it is also shown to be an effective stress-coping method.

Boosting Emotional, Mental and Physical Well-Being

Play can boost a kid’s emotional and mental health. It helps develop skills that are vital to kids’ well-being. Pediatric hospital playgrounds provide opportunities for therapeutic play that allow children to process difficult emotions and experiences in a safe environment. Play areas allow them to express themselves and explore positive experiences and feelings.

Exercise and movement are also essential for child development and health. Creating a space that encourages a comfortable level of physical activity is key to creating a healthier and more positive experience.

Fostering Social Interactions

Playgrounds are naturally social places, which is so important for kids in a health care setting. A hospital may feel like an isolating, foreign environment for young children. One of the greatest hospital playground benefits is that it brings kids and parents together in an environment that is a natural part of childhood. It makes space for kids and parents to spark friendships with peers who are going through a similar experience.

Building Family Bonds

Going to the hospital can place strain on a family with a young kid. Your establishment can create a retreat for families by adding a playground to the hospital. Your hospital’s playground can be a space for families to bond and create positive memories during a potentially challenging time.

Creating a Warm Atmosphere

While playgrounds offer incredible benefits for patients and families, adding one is also incredibly beneficial for your establishment. Prioritizing a play area helps build a name for your hospital. It shows that you are a health care facility that focuses on promoting healing and that values what families need most during challenging times.

Design Considerations

Designing hospital outdoor play zones or indoor play areas is all about highlighting how healing playgrounds can be. Consider these design tips for the best playground for your health care facility:

• Prioritize safety standards and regulations: In any setting — and especially a health care facility where kids have different requirements or well-being — safety is of utmost importance. Consulting with a professional playground design and manufacturing team can help you understand how to make your hospital’s playground as safe as possible.
• Choose soft equipment to consider patients: Soft toys and playground equipment are ideal for a health care setting where children have various activity levels and abilities. At Soft Play^®, we prioritize designing and producing playground equipment that is suitable for various indoor and outdoor environments.
• Create an accessible and inclusive play area: Your facility can create an accessible and inclusive space by ensuring that equipment is ADA-compliant. Another way to be inclusive is by adding a quiet area with some comforting books or art supplies. This creates an enjoyable space for kids whose abilities require less physical play and for children who are feeling overstimulated.

Choosing the Right Equipment for Your Hospital Play Area

At Soft Play, we design and manufacture playground equipment that is engaging for kids of all ages and abilities. We have a range of equipment and products that you can add to your medical facility play areas:

Classic Play Structures

Our classic play structures provide the perfect way to add childlike wonder and joy to your hospital’s facilities. These tried-and-tested design elements and vivid components help spark imagination and encourage physical activity and fun interactions. We have an extensive range of classic playgrounds.

Each playground is unique and vibrant and features classic elements like slides and climbing structures. Our classic playgrounds can be purchased from our catalog, or you can use the designs as a guide for your facility’s custom play area.

Themed Playgrounds

You can bring imagination and escape into your play area by choosing from our range of themed playgrounds. Best of all, we can design and manufacture custom-made themed playgrounds for your hospital.

Soft Sculpted Foam Structures

These handcrafted soft foam play structures can be semi-realistic, abstract, whimsical and licensed. You can also custom-design these foam structures and add elements that would tailor the play area to your facility and patients. We offer the following collections of soft sculpted foam structures:

• Elementz line: Our Elementz line features soft-sculpted play components that you can easily integrate into your facility. Our range includes tunnels, domes, pods, arches and seating and storage options. Each Elementz component also features the DuraSoft Safety Flooring System.
• Pick & Play^™ featuring Toonies: We proudly offer Pick & Play^™ featuring Toonies. These soft, contained play areas come in five themes, three sizes and Freestanding and Corner styles. Each  Pick & Play^™ features low-profile climbers, ramps and tunnels. The fun themes include Jungle, aquatic, Woodland, Garden and Monster.

Discover Play Solutions for All Abilities With Soft Play

Adding a playground to your health care facility will significantly impact your patients. Recreation in medical settings is healing, and kids and parents will undoubtedly appreciate the warm environment your playground creates.

Having a playground at your hospital shows that your health care facility values your patients’ needs and prioritizes healing recreation for kids of all ages and abilities. At Soft Play, our team of experts designs and manufactures quality, ADA-compliant play equipment for various establishments, including health care facilities.

Working together, we can create customized play areas that showcase your exact values and provide a haven for your patients and their families.