Treat Your Patients to Reverse Trick-or-Treat
Katie Taylor, CCLS, Child Life on Call
When I had my first experience in the hospital as a volunteer over 15 years ago, I felt so bad for the kids who weren’t able to participate in “normal” holiday activities like Trick-or-Treating. While, of course, in a perfect world kids would be at home and not inpatient at a hospital, Child Life Specialists with the help of SmileMakers are certainly the groups to take a difficult situation and make it so much better.
Given the fact that many children and families in the hospital are on isolation and unable to leave their rooms, it’s up to us, the Child Life Specialists, to think outside of the box to make Trick-Or-Treating special. No, the kids can’t walk around and say, “TRICK OR TREAT!” at different doorways. But, YES, they can stand at their door (or have a parent answer for them) and say “TRICK-OR-TREAT!” to those that knock on their doors. Hence… Reverse Trick-Or-Treating.
This is one of my favorite holidays, because it’s easy for multiple hospital employees to get involved. Food Services, Administration, Respiratory Therapists - you name it - can participate in an activity that is not service related and get to watch the patients they care for be KIDS! It fosters a human connection with the people they see each day.
Another consideration to note is that candy and treats aren’t exactly appropriate for every patient. Whether they are NPO, insulin-dependent, or on a restrictive diet, we want to create a fair and equitable environment for all kids and families. I recommend giving out items that are toy-based rather than food-based. (We may or may not admit this to donors who drop off candy… but those big bags typically end up in the break room!)
I love these bags for patients to use (and keep some for siblings, too!) Need some more ideas of what the best picks for Reverse Trick-Or-Treating? Read on:
HOL1221 - Light up Pumpkin Necklaces |
ADJ - Make-Your-Own Jack-O-Lantern Sticker |
HOL886 - Halloween Slap Bracelets
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HOL215 - Halloween Masks |
HOL24 - Halloween Spike Monsters |
SCK148 - Sticky Eyeballs
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What are you going to put in your patients’ Halloween bags this year?
