Play and Activity Unit, New Children’s Hospital

The Play and Activity Unit employs kindergarten teachers, pediatric practical nurses, and youth instructors who work at wards, day centers and in the Day Hospital. Engaging in favorite pastimes such as play, games, and other recreational activities makes it easier to adjust to life in the hospital. Play promotes recovery and rehabilitation for both children and adolescents. 
 
The Play and Activity Unit offers children and adolescents of different ages a chance to spend time with their families. 

Our personnel is available Mon–Thu 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Fri 8:00 a.m–2:00 p.m. In addition, it is possible to use the facilities every day until 9:00 p.m. for those who have been allowed access. There is plenty of room for activities in the play area for children of all ages. Guided activities are also organized in the play area every week. 

• The Tiuhti and Viuhti playroom offers the space and exciting toys for playing house, playing with dolls, cars and trains, building stuff, and playing games.   
• In the Vilijonkka hospital play room children can play hospital: they can care for and examine a teddy bear, a doll or even their parents.   
• The Tuutikki room offers children a chance to relax with sand and water play.    
• In the Nipsu sensory room children can lounge in beanbag chairs enjoying various sounds and lights.   
• Studio Nyyti gives children all the tools and material for artistic creation: they can paint, draw, build with modeling clay, and do crafts.   
• The Hemuli mock hospital room can be utilized in situations where a child is very nervous about coming to the hospital. A visit to the Hemuli room can be arranged beforehand to prepare the child for coming to the hospital and undergoing procedures. 
• In the Hosuli teaching kitchen, children and adolescents can participate in weekly cooking and baking events. 
• The Nuuskamuikkunen music room is especially intended to serve children over the age of 12 and the friends and family visiting them. Patients and their guests can play pool and table soccer, and try their hand at playing instruments and singing. Younger children are also welcome to spend time in the music room.   

2023 ECE Policy of the New Children's Hospital

The New Children’s Hospital provides early childhood education (ECE) as part of the medical care and rehabilitation of pediatric patients. Our approach to ECE is based on high-quality pedagogy, and we regularly review our policy with a view to improving it.

Children’s right to ECE also extends to any periods they spend in a hospital (Finnish Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018)). Our ECE policy is aligned with the 2022 national core curriculum for early childhood education and care. We provide ECE on the basis of the principles of inclusive education, which dictate that every child, regardless of their special needs, disability, or cultural background, has the right to participate in their own way.

The priority in a hospital setting is to promote each child’s growth, development and learning according to their personal experiences, physical and mental health, interests, abilities, and strengths. Games and other pedagogical activities are designed to give children motivation and joy to lift up their spirits and thereby to also promote their rehabilitation and functional capacity.

Sensitivity in the way we interact with children is especially important in a hospital setting. We need to listen to the children and focus on what appears meaningful to them. We see every child as a unique individual, and we want them to feel like active members of society despite being in a hospital. We begin the process by talking to each child to find out what their interests are and what we can offer them.

A parent or another grown-up who is important to the child is usually also present. We also treat these individuals with respect to build trust and openness that will enable us to work together in the best interests of the child. We also promote early interaction between children and their parents.

The New Children’s Hospital employs a team of five early childhood education teachers, three pediatric practical nurses, a youth instructor, and a care assistant. Jorvi Hospital employs one pediatric practical nurse. An ECE coordinator from the Lutheran Church of Helsinki also works part-time in the New Children’s Hospital.

The play and activity area on the fourth floor of the hospital provides a versatile learning environment that children are free to use with their parents, including in the evenings and at weekends with a special access pass. The learning environment extends to a nearby park, in addition to a playground on the roof terrace. Our play and activities coordinators work in patient rooms on the wards and in the play and activity area.

We work in close cooperation with the hospital’s medical and other staff (including nursing staff, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nutritional therapists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation coordinators, volunteers, and employees of the hospital school and the Lutheran Church of Helsinki). We record each encounter with a child in the patient information system. These pedagogical records help to provide information about the children’s abilities, interests, strengths, special needs, and mood, which can also be useful for other professionals to know.

ECE learning objectives

Hospital-based ECE combines elements from various areas of learning with a view to providing a comprehensive learning experience. The learning objectives are aligned with the national core curriculum for early childhood education and care.

Language skills

We promote language learning and strengthen the children’s linguistic identity. Interaction is key. We provide a wide range of reading material for the children. We engage the children in conversation, and we recite rhymes, sing songs, and play games with them. We factor in each child’s personal needs and progress, and use non-verbal forms of communication (such as visual symbols) as required.

Self-expression

We give the children opportunities to express themselves through music, art, crafts, and drama. The Play and Activity Unit keeps a wide range of musical instruments available for the children, and we also have a special arts and crafts studio for drawing, painting, clay modeling, and other crafts. These supplies can also be taken to patient rooms and explored with the help of a member of staff. We introduce the children to the world of drama by means of, for example, hand puppets and tabletop theater. Our priority is to give the children joy, inspiration, and a sense of creativity and achievement.

Social skills

We want the children to see themselves as unique individuals and strengthen their sense of self and self-esteem. We listen to the children and help them to make sense of the world. We encourage them to ask questions, look for answers, and experience things for themselves. We recognize the children’s loved ones and peers as important members of their social circle and living environment. We teach the children about different cultures, tolerance, respect, friendships, different belief systems and ways of looking at the world, as well as religious festivals.

Interaction and exploration

Children learn about the world around them through play. Play also gives children pleasure and joy, which makes it especially important in a hospital setting. Play promotes recovery and rehabilitation and helps to reduce stress levels.

The New Children’s Hospital has excellent facilities for all kinds of play both in the patient rooms and in the play and activity area. There is also a play hospital to help the children come to terms with their own experience. Some of the playthings are real hospital equipment, and the hospital also provides children’s literature on the subject.

There are also many other learning opportunities and activities on offer, such as baking in the hospital’s teaching kitchen. The play and activity area includes a special water and sand play environment, where the children can explore natural materials using a variety of implements. The hospital also has a special sensory room for relaxing and enjoying different kinds of sensory experiences. A number of tablets are kept on the wards that the children can borrow to play games on and to access apps such as a multilingual digital e-book service with read-aloud picture books.

Growth, development, and physical activity

It is important for us that the children learn to respect themselves and to make the most of their physical and mental capacity. There is plenty of space for physical exercise as well as a wide range of exercise equipment in the play and activity area. The children are also free to play and exercise in their rooms.

We encourage the children to develop a positive attitude toward food, mealtimes, health, and hygiene through age-appropriate techniques, such as games, crafts, rhymes, and songs. These kinds of meaningful activities are also great opportunities for social interaction and can help children to open up about their feelings and thoughts.