The Child Life Team at Sidra Medicine is working to redefine the hospital experience for young patients and their families by focusing on psychosocial well-being. The team aims to ease the emotional and psychological challenges that arise during healthcare encounters by providing tailored support to patients and families. One way they do this is through special events like ‘Funday Monday’, which brings together patients, siblings, and families during hospitalization. These events promote socialization, normalization, and provide child-friendly, fun, and engaging activities for patients.
According to Jennifer Lugg, a Child Life Specialist II at Sidra Medicine, the ‘Fundays’ provide the opportunity for children and families to connect with others going through a similar journey, helping to validate feelings of loneliness. These events also provide a sense of normalcy for patients who may feel left out of day to day activities that their peers are participating in outside the hospital. ‘Funday Monday’ offers activities based on a theme that promote mobilization, play, and fun for children ranging from 2-18 years old, regardless of their mobility.
The Child Life team at Sidra Medicine organizes activities like bean bag toss, ring toss, mini golf, football, salt dough fossils, sensory fishing game, eye spy, matching, puzzles, and photo booths to cater to different developmental skills of the children. Each ‘Funday Monday’ has a different theme, with past themes including Under the Sea, Sports, and Dinosaur Day. This month’s theme is ‘Superheroes’, allowing children to create superhero capes and masks, show their strength like the character Hulk, target practice with a shield, and participate in other fun activities.
In addition to the ‘Funday Monday’ events, the Child Life team at Sidra Medicine continues to offer ‘Super Hero’ activities to isolated patients and siblings throughout the week to maximize participation. These activities aim to support patient coping during healthcare experiences by providing age-appropriate information, supporting patients during stressful experiences, helping families cope with being away from home, and promoting emotional safety and resiliency for children in the healthcare environment.
The Child Life team recognizes the importance of mobilizing patients out of their rooms, as it promotes healing, leads to shorter admissions, and improves motivation and mood. By providing fun and engaging activities like ‘Funday Monday’, the team encourages patients to participate in activities that promote socialization, normalization, and overall well-being. These events not only provide patients with a sense of normalcy during their hospitalization but also create lasting memories and positive experiences for patients, siblings, and families.
