The benefits of having an indoor playground in a hospital go beyond entertainment. Whether they are patients themselves or they’re spending a lot of time in the hospital visiting loved ones, children benefit greatly from the distraction, laughter, and exercise that comes with an indoor playground in the hospital. Let’s explore those benefits.
A Welcome Distraction
Hospitals do have happy moments, such as children being born, but sometimes for a child, they’re a place of sadness, fear, and confusion. The least we can do is offer as many helpful distractions as possible. An indoor playground does just that. Children don’t care if the play center is small or large. Having a place to go or be rewarded with helps kids cope and gives them a little fun time to forget about what’s going on in the hospital.
Gets Kids Moving
As we mentioned, when children are in hospitals, it’s for any number of reasons, but it’s often because they are sick or injured themselves. In some cases, movement may help a child in progressing and healing, if their doctor agrees with it.
One of the benefits of having an indoor playground in a hospital is that muscle groups are being used while kids think they’re just having fun as they make their way through ball pits. Having features such as ball pits helps improve children’s hand-eye coordination as they are throwing around balls and playing with friends. Exercise is vital to health and a great stress reducer. No matter what the indoor playground offers, you can bet it will get your children moving.
Safe Play
Kids love to play—it’s simply a fact of life. Even when they aren’t feeling well, they often long for something fun to do. Unfortunately, when a child is a patient in a hospital, playing isn’t always a safe option. The danger of becoming injured is possibly greater.
The great thing about indoor playgrounds is the hospital’s ability to design it as they see fit. An entire playground designed with “soft” play in mind is easily designed. Soft play means everything is padded for extra cushion and safety.
Besides soft play, all indoor playgrounds are designed with comfort and safety in mind. Age restrictions, weight limits, and child-friendly designs make indoor playgrounds the perfect fit for a hospital.
Hospitals are designed to take care of people. It’s important to remember that children are people too, and they have unique needs that differ from those of adults. Work together with parents to gain an understanding of what they’d like to see in your hospital to make it a safe and joyful experience for their children.
