Need to entertain 3 year old and myself for 8 day stay in hospital any ideas

[NicholJO]

Hi all just looking for ideas please my little girl who will be 3 In November is going to have a 6 hour major surgery on her skull just after Christmas she as a condition called saggital craniosynostosis after a couple of days we hope she will be up and about but she gets anxious easy and can be a little handful she's on the autism pathway I need to keep her and myself entertained for 8 days while she is in hospital any ideas would be great.
PS the hospital is 78 miles away from home

Those magic water drawing pads?

does she do duplo?

you might find some useful suggestions for quite portable toys here www.mumsnet.com/talk/Christmas/4629828-similar-ideas-to-polly-pockets-25year-old-boy?reply=120281031

If she does duplo or Lego then buy a plastic storage tub and a baseplate a bit smaller than the lid. Hot clue gun the base plate into the inside of the lid and you have a portable duplo/Lego kit that can be easily used and easily put away.

See if there are any Playmobil carry sets on eBay going cheap, like these ones https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4096955?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=rxtaixltr&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:16634989433%7Cagid:133162502845%7Ctid:pla-973055899144%7Ccrid:588879114441%7Cnw:u%7Crnd:12414283062368469361%7Cdvc:c%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:1006867&utmmsource=Google&utmmedium=cpc&utmmcampaign=16634989433&utmterm=4096955&utmmcontent=shopping&utmcustom1=133162502845&utmmcustom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwhNWZBhBEiwAPzlhNkgp-S3mgHZaUqVSv99tFs8JpUYa7g0KC-mjUyuYL57VXFM3zzzzXRoC40cQAvDBwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Colouring

If she'll be up and about you could set her up with challenges, a list with pictures of things she will see around her in the playroom/ward that she needs to find and tick off.

Oh and load up your phone/tablet with age appropriate games and tv shows, take headphones and let her have as much screen time as you can. You'll need a long charging cable as the plug points are always in stupid places high up or really low down on the wall.

They should have a hospital play team that will provide her with activities, especially if it's a children's hospital.

Play therapists on tne ward are a godsend! Work with them and let them help.

I appreciate this isn't a low budget item, so may not be an option, but if you can afford it then Yoto players are amazing and would be a good source of entertainment. It's basically an audio player, but very child friendly to control. Also really easy to do a 'Make Your Own' card for it which you can upload audio to from an app - family members can do this too, so people could send her messages, or record a story for her to listen to.

Other ideas - playdough, stickers, fidget toys (e.g. pop it). If she has a favourite show, maybe see if you can get a set of small figures from it that could be a new toy to entertain her and could be played with on the bed.

And if you know she is likely to be anxious then try to contact them now and you can discuss with them how to best support.

good luck

Thank you all some good ideas I forgot to mention I don't drive I'm getting the train so limited to what I can take as will be struggling with the pushchair and a suitcase with our clothes

I've spent many long stints in hospital with neurodiverse DD. When she was little the best thing was an iPad, the battery lasts ages, can download movies on to them, or use YouTube, or play games. Hospital provided arts and crafts, EYFS type activities, and toys.
We always went in as an emergency so no time to pack, just grab the emergency bag, but family would bring a couple of favourite home toys the next day.
My thoughts are with you, it's a hard time. Save some money in a side pot, find out the nearest convenience store or supermarket, hospital trips are expensive. Try take annual leave over sick/dependency leave if you can. Ask for a side room if possible. Make friends with other parents, they are a godsend to keep you busy when child is in theatre or sleeping, everyone is in the same boat. Take yourself some puzzle books etc, And keep in touch on here, we will keep you positive 🙂

Thank you Quackpot it is very stressful my 8year old boy had to have the same operation when he was 4 it was so heartbreaking somehow I put it to the back of my mind when he got the all clear but I didn't have my daughter then so there dad was with me but this time I have to go and stay there on my own with my DD as it's very expensive in Birmingham where the hospital is and my little boy as autism and it will break his and my heart when it's time for him and dad to Go home after visiting I will take plenty of puzzle books and reading books iPad is definitely a good idea

Could you wrap a few small things up for her to open, so there's some added excitement involved? Sticker book, fidget spinner, wee Teddy? Maybe ask her dad to bring them when he visits, but keep them hidden for later.

Take a big rucksack rather than a suitcase if you’ve also got a buggy then your hands will be free to push.

If it's Birmingham Childrens they have a good supply of appropriate toys. I would suggest taking an iPad, chargers, load up podcasts and audiobooks for you with headphones (it's noisy!) pencils/crayons and colouring/puzzle book depending on dexterity (one of mine did mazes from very young, also autistic). An extension lead and power pack are good extras to have as sockets aren't always convenient. A pack of cards might be a good idea, teach them her to play snap and takes up little room. They will have books you can borrow

Yes it is Birmingham children's hospital I know they have lots to entertain children I'm probably over thinking and possibly being selfish as I suffer with anxiety as does my DD we think due to autism or it could be the pressure around her brain I'm probably being selfish as in she's got to go through this traumatic operation but I'm thinking am I going to get 30 minutes to chill out during the 8 days as my DS and partner there dad will not be able to visit

It's not selfish to think about your own mental health, you need to be in a good mindset to give the best care. When she is asleep you will have time, and there will be a parents room you can go too, to get a drink or food, some down time. Pop out 'for a smoke' even if you dont. Getting fresh air gives you a boost. The staff will keep an eye on her, and will call you if you are needed. I haven't been to Birmingham but have been in RVI several times. DD's condition involves pressure to the brain too, causing significant delay. She appears to have autism traits but they are directly linked to her condition. You may find it difficult to get an autism diagnosis with a complex brain condition, but I wish you luck.

My favourite go to gift for a three year old is a metre of fabric and a metre of ribbon. Kids just find a use for it out of their imagination. Brownie points if the fabric is printed with a favourite character or motif.

iPad or tablet is best bet. There's all sorts of simple matching games on there and jigsaws. Download the Kindle app and you can add books onto it. So you don't need to take any with you. You can ask for transport. Especially if there's equipment she needs you have to carry. I got it for my daughter as she really does struggle with her autism and OCD on public transport.

Sticker books are easy to pack to travel and keep little ones occupied for ages. Hope all goes well for you.

A little doll that she can dress, make up stories with & give a cuddle to if she is feeling sad, you could ask the staff to put dressings the same as she will have & it could be waiting for her when she comes back from theatre.

She might be a bit young yet, but there’s a podcast called super great kids stories. When you’ve listened to the stories you can send in a picture & thyell read out her name. Really varied stories from around the world.
also if you don’t already have one, our toy picnic basket has given a surprising amount of play over the years.

Having a think about how you will care for yourself would be a good idea- when I've been in hospital with a child without much adult back-up I found it difficult to keep me fed. They didn't want me taking the little one off the ward, and didn't want me to leave her one her own for 10 mins, so I stuggled to do absolute basics like feeding/washing me- even the small MnS food place in the adjacent adult hospital was hard to get to. There was a strict not hot drinks policy on the ward too.The system just wasn't set up for me to be there on my own- they were geared up for additional adults coming in and providing that support.

Can you check whether they have fridges for you? And bring whatever snacks you can for yourself, fruit, muesli bars, sugary/caffienated drinks etc? And some microwave meals? Check where you could get food delivered from etc.

Hi all yes I was thinking how I'm going to look after myself nearly 5 years ago I was there with my ds but it was easier than as my dp was there too so one of us was always with our ds but dp and ds will have difficulty visiting as we don't drive and extremely expensive in Birmingham they do have a parents kitchen but last time food and drinks was getting stolen by other parents including my stuff but I'm not sure how it works now due to COVID and rule changes unfortunately I'm being very selfish in the fact I want some me time and I'm going to really need a cigarette break