Katie Taylor, CCLS Child Life On Call for SmileMakers Inc

As a Child Life Specialist, one of my biggest focuses for families is trying to make the hospital as normal as possible. Almost everything can feel abnormal to them: new people, new sensations, new environments. What I love about my job is that we use our skills in child development and the psychosocial effects of illness and hospitalization to normalize anything from a medical procedure to a diagnosis. Anything hospital related can seem overwhelming to parents, and then think about how children feel in these experiences. Although the medical piece of the hospitalization is usually the focus, one of my favorite things to do is to just "pop in" to a patient's room and see how I can make their day feel more comfortable and more normal, which leads to better experiences and outcomes for the families we serve.

SmileMakers has a fantastic nylon carry all bag that I love to fill with different activities, games, and crafts that I then take into a patient room when I do a room visit.

I think it is important to offer a wide variety of activities and I always encourage my patients to pick something we can do together and something they could do when I am not around. An activity that has proven to be a favorite anytime I take it in my tote with me is dinosaur building blocks. Usually a very non-hospital toy is just the thing to help me build rapport with patients.

These individual packaged dinosaur blocks are absolutely perfect for children that love to build/put things together. They are challenging enough for older children but have only 24 pieces so that it is not overwhelming for younger patients. Here are some examples of a five-year-old and a seven-year-old both finding mastery and exploration during the activity.

Another must have activity put in your room visit tote are the Chenille Bug Finger Puppets.
These fun finger crafts are perfect for a bright, fun, and easy spring activity!

What activities will you fill your tote with this month?