Healthcare

Play helps children develop their physical, cognitive, creative, emotional and social skills. Kids can also use play to express their thoughts and emotions during a health care facility or physical therapy center visit. Play can even reduce feelings of pain and anxiety while improving a child’s attitude and behavior during a health care facility stay.

Children recovering from illness or injuries in the hospital can benefit from indoor play areas, as play can get kids moving. With doctor approval, indoor health care playground equipment can help children heal through exercise.

Play therapy activities help children comprehend their feelings, thoughts and physical symptoms through play, allowing them to develop coping strategies for a potentially difficult situation during a hospital stay or physical therapy session. While play therapy can help younger children understand a hospital setting and interact with others, it lets school-aged children and teenagers feel more connected to their life at home and build their confidence. Health care professionals can also use play therapy as an opportunity to discover how a child is coping with an illness or injury.

Children simply visiting a health care facility like the dentist’s office or a physical therapy center also benefit from waiting room play area equipment. Features like Elementz soft foam play structures can help comfort kids and distract them from the potential stress associated with visiting a health care facility — even if the visit is short.