Every Child Deserves Play-Based Care, Even in the Hospital

By Adam Garone, CEO, Starlight Children's Foundation

Play is more than just fun. It’s fundamental to childhood development, helping prepare children for the future and enabling them to thrive in an ever-changing world. It’s essential for physical, social and cognitive growth by building motor skills, fostering communication and encouraging problem-solving. Play also gives kids a sense of control over their environment, and most of all, it brings them happiness.

However, when play is disrupted, it can have a significant impact on a child’s well-being.

Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, has dedicated his career to studying human play and its impact on our health. Brown’s research suggests that, as humans, we have a biological drive to play and that it is integral to our health, just as vital as sleep or nutrition. Among other things, the lack of play for children increases the likelihood of depression.

As CEO for the nonprofit Starlight Children’s Foundation, I’ve seen firsthand how play can transform the hospital experience. Our organization is an essential provider of play-based tools that child life teams and healthcare providers rely on to support pediatric patients. Through our programs, we help create opportunities for play in hospitals, offering comfort, normalcy, and joy during uncertain times.

In hospitals, play is more than a distraction. Child life specialists use toys to help demonstrate and educate patients about procedures, such as MRIs, IV insertions, and cast removals, thereby reducing fear and building relationships within the care process.

According to recent research we conducted, nearly half of the healthcare respondents reported that playing with toys can reduce the need for sedation by decreasing patients’ psychological pain and increasing their confidence. The research also suggested that when children play, it helps them feel less anxious and more at ease and they’re better able to build trust with their care teams. That trust enables them to engage more fully with treatments and procedures, which can lead to improved health outcomes.

That’s why I’m especially proud to celebrate the International Day of Play, which was officially established in 2024 by the United Nations with the support of numerous global organizations. The goal of this observance is to bring awareness to the power of play and rally support for integrating play into education and healthcare.

Pediatric patients are kids first and need to play every day, no matter where they are. It may just look a little different in the hospital setting.

Many hospitals need critical support to integrate play-based care due to funding limitations and resource constraints. We recognize this gap and call on corporations, organizations and community members to support the work in bringing play to local hospitals to help kids heal.

In honor of International Day of Play on June 11, please support our work in delivering happiness to kids in hospitals through play.

To learn more, visit Starlight.org.