Ideas for doctor's waiting room

[Sillybillymuckypup]

I work in a health centre and we're finally revamping our tired waiting room.

There isn't much space and there are usually a fair number of children waiting to be seen.

Have a small amount of money to buy some toys/activities and would appreciate any advice/suggestions.

Can't be anything noisy or too big and ideally things that are less likely to be stolen, any ideas on how to stop things getting nicked would also be useful.

Any suggestions? Has anyone spent time in a waiting room with things that kept their children entertained recently (other than emptying out health leaflets or rearranging furniture which seems to be the best entertainment in our current toy-less waiting room!)?

Those bead threading table things (if that makes any sense) are always popular.

I've often seen kids quietly flipping through a picture book in waiting rooms. Mine like them too, and we read them together. Board books might fare better in the longer run than paperbacks. The problem is keeping toys and books clean, especially in a health setting.

Also, crayons and pictures to colour are simple and cheap

Great thanks. We already have some books (although they often disappear) but was thinking about one of those bead-thready toys (also no idea what their actual name is!)

And yes I missed off another requirement which is that everything needs to be wipe cleanable (nothing made of material or infectious control will go mad!)

The bead table at our surgery does a good job across an amazing age range.

I think it was sponsored by a drug company - it's been a while since either of our dc have used it so I can't remember which one sorry.

Agree with the bead threading thing ( I think ikea do them)
Stacking rings
Kids dominoes
Train table (budget dependent but can be scooped up secondhand) and trains (which may disappear)

Look at the CQC website requirements before you get excited. Basically all you can have is a bead thready thing screwed down and a bloody protocol / record book for the cleaning of it. Get the biggest you can. They are fab.

Loose toys / books are all rapidly being removed prior to inspections. ?? tie the world gone mad.

Stick a tv in the corner with an endless loop of Peppa Pig.

This might be an unpopular suggestion but my previous dentist and a department in the local hospital have TV screens. The dentist seemed to do subtitled news most of the time but during school holidays child friendly stuff that didn't need to use sound. It could be a powerpoint of images to stimulate children, amuse them and promote conversation with their carers. Difficult to nick, doesn't need disinfecting and could work much the same as picture books.

www.very.co.uk/early-learning-centre-wooden-activity-cube/1458304050.prd?aff=google&affsrc=acquisition&cm_mmc=google--PLA+-+Toys+%26+Games--Toys+%26+Games+-+Toys+-+Preschool-_-_63938695258&k_clickid=25ca37cb-78f7-d4e8-ebc3-00003d926344&kpid=16778769&gclid=CLa8hPHI08QCFYgKwwod07EAcg

Whoah

and another bead table, bit bigger (don't know what your budget is):

www.kidsrooms.co.uk/moving-and-fitting-bead-table.html?gclid=CJmYlsbJ08QCFSXItAodvC8Ahw

Might be challenging you to break the budget here, but might be good for ideas:

slkids.co.uk/health-care-kidscorner.html?gclid=CNnsnqnK08QCFe6WtAod9AYA4A

our doctor has lots of toys which are the reason that my ds loves going there. I am less excited because I worry about germs from sick kids. can you get things that are easy to clean?

we have a mural on one wall with lots of nursery rhyme characters. There are laminated sheets with the rhymes on and the kids spend ages looking for things or trying to guess the rhymes. No infection control issues!

Thanks everyone lots of good suggestions. Off to look at those links now.

Especially like the mural suggestion. Unfortunately you can't play TV/radio in public areas without an expensive licence which is why most places have those boring health messages on a continuous loop screening but will have a look and see if there's anything more child focussed

How about something like this which fasten on the wall, not cheep but the ones in our local library always seem popular and not much chance of the disappearingwww.tts-group.co.uk/shops/tts/Products/PD1727817/

The other things we often have in the library are laminated pictures around for the kids to find. They swap them out regularly, sometimes seasonal ones, sometimes the librarians laminate the pages of old picture books.

Our GP has a fish tank provided by a local aquatic centre (and presumably maintained by them?). DS loves looking at the fish and has been known to ask if we can go to the doctors to look at them .

Our GP Surgery has a few big bead mazes, a big box of Duplo and a few board books.

The dentist has a big fish tank with lots of small colourful fish in their waiting room.