The Archie Foundation is shining a spotlight on National Play in Healthcare Week (13th–19th October), a week dedicated to highlighting the importance of play in healthcare settings.
Hospitals and medical settings can often feel intimidating for young patients, making the role of play especially vital. Play brings joy to children receiving care and helps them better understand their treatments and procedures in a fun, age-appropriate manner.
National Play in Healthcare Week emphasizes the crucial role of play in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of babies, children, and young people in healthcare. It also aims to highlight and showcase the incredible work of Health Play Specialists and play staff.
The Archie Foundation works closely with Play Teams and healthcare specialists across north Scotland, providing necessary resources and support when needed, including Archie Playworker, Orla. Watch a video here of Orla talking about her day as an Archie Playworker.
We know first hand how important play is – from peek-a-boo with babies to gaming sessions with teenagers, play helps to make a real difference to the emotional and mental wellbeing of young patients. The Archie Foundation provides toys, games, crafts, digital tools and many other play resources to help our amazing NHS play teams and colleagues in their roles.
We would love if you could help to support this, here’s how your donation could make a difference.
£10 would buy enough Play-Doh for a whole ward to enjoy making squishy models
£30 provides a one-to-one session with the Archie Play Worker with an inpatient child – anything from playing a game when a child is alone, to providing distraction during a painful treatment
£100 would top up an Archie Toy Box with clean, safe toys for children to play with during examination and procedure (sometimes they even get to take them home – especially if a little one is getting a lot of comfort from a cuddly toy)
£500 would provide an entire week of themed play activities for a ward – a week which might include anything from craft sessions to a Sing-a-Long day.
If you’d like to support, Click here to make a donation, thank you so much!
To follow Archie’s Play in Healthcare Week, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Or simply search #ArchiePLAY