Hospital stay - ideas of entertainment for young child?

[Caspianberg]

Has anyone else spent time recently at a hospital overnight with small child?

Ds is 3, and we have a week stay next week. He will be able to use the ward play area sometimes, but other times will have several hours he need to be sat on the bed. He usually doesn’t sit still all day so I’m dreading it.

Apart from colouring, iPad, headphones, does anyone have any good toy ideas to take with us? Oh I ordered some craft Christmas decorations with foam Xmas stickers Set, but I know that’s only about 20 mins entertainment.

Anything else that’s handy to bring?

Toys are TOUGH - they get lost easily. Bring a laptop and DVDs - yes you can get iPlayer etc, but the internet is often not good enough on the ward for streaming.

Books books books. Mixture of old favourites and new ones. Where's wally type ones are good.

Activity books - colouring is good, but mix it up. You can get sticker books. Magic painting is a big winner (bring a plastic cup to hold water). Scratch off thingies are good too. dot to fit books. Wipeable ones for practising pen control. For the computing books, bring different colouring things e.g. felt tip pens, chunky pencils, paint pens, chalks, crayons..... you only need a couple of each.

Snacks. Things like raisins take up time.

It's tough when you are waiting on the ward for the doctor. Good luck. You'll get through it.

Thanks.
Our only laptop doesn’t have a cd drive and we don’t own any dvds. So it’s going to have to be iPad. I can download stuff to it though incase of no WiFi.

Books. Yes. We have a few where is xyz type also.

snacks. Yes. I will pop to shops tomorrow. However he will be nil by mouth several times before tests so have to distract from not being able to eat also

off to raid craft supplies for some novelty things

Definitely do downloads.

You’ll probably get one of those hospital tables that wheels across the bed - so it would be possible to bring things like jigsaws and duplo or magnatiles although there is a risk pieces go astray.

Any dressing up accessories- different hats, masks, stick on moustaches, that sort of thing? Worth looking in charity shops perhaps.

I’m trying to think of something physical that can be done in a bed or at least next to the bed as it will be the physical activity he’ll miss.

You might also search for threads on here about entertaining kids on long flights as it’s quite similar!

That sounds tough. Play doh, hex bugs, noughts and crosses. Lots of guessing games, cookie decorating with those icing tubes for the non nil by mouth days.
Orchard toys games like shopping list.

A wipe clean tracing book
Sticker book
Dress up book with stick on clothes
Etch a sketch
iPad goes without saying😂

Fidgets
Sticker books
Play dough
Duplo/Stickle bricks
Toy kitchen stuff… role playing, favourite dress up costume

My daughter was given a bag of craft goodies at the hospital (a charity donates them). It was all Baker Ross stuff so maybe make something similar. It can be a "lucky dip" each time.
Simple card games/board games/jigsaws.
A supply of comics - like the Cbeebies ones that usually come with a toy/craft item.
Don't forget to take a few things for yourself - book to read, puzzle books etc. Do not forget your phone charger !!!
Hope all goes well. Get better soon little guy 💐

How about those sticker books where you dress up the characters? I think Usbourne do some

Thanks again

Yes it’s those baker Ross Christmas craft kit reindeers I have ordered. It’s just peel and stick and no actual glue mess.

is playdough too messy in a bed?

I asked him what we should take, he suggests his bike…

Have dug out digger snap I had bought for stocking, and a Dino usbourne activity book.

Hospital isn’t in uk, so I’m not really sure what to expect to be honest. Rooms are all shared with one other child ( and parent) max, not large wards. So we will either be alone or just one other young child ( 0-5 years). Parents get own bed though next to child and we are fed apparently with child.

Assuming you're on a children's ward, they will probably have TVs that you can use.

• Books to read with him/to him
• children's magazines (the ones from TV shows that often come with little toys/games) - don't forget to take scissors, glue stick so you can do the activities inside
• Activity books
• Little portable games like children's snap or matching pairs
• colouring books
• sticker books
• Blank paper pad - you can spend ages just making up lists (let's try to think of every animal we can, every colour we can, etc.), or just practice skills like folding and cutting out.

If you have visitors, ask them to bring something to do with him and take the opportunity to have some downtime on your own - it will break up the day for both of you

It's about 12 years ago now but I spent a fortnight with my DD in hospital when she was 4 and the time passed surprisingly quickly. Between meals, medical procedures, and visitors, she didn't get half as bored as I thought she might.

We won’t have any visitors. The hospital is over an hour away (so 2+ he round trip. Dh already booked two days off to take us, settle in and collect, so he will be working the days in between. There’s no one else who would visit tbh

Jigsaw book or small jigsaws that will fit on the little table

A fastenings toy, something like this: https://jackies-kids.uk/products/magictouch?currency=GBP&variant=44509441556787&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=4e17088206f7&gc_id=20399826120&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgqGrBhDtARIsAM5s0_mHo7mBGbjrKqwlJYn1ZW-DbH4u_qgsUMFJ5a6hp1Lhycv4u2pA_EAaAptlEALw_wcB

Orchard toy games

Do you think it’s worth taking pushchair in? He’s a rubbish sleeper at best of times so I’m thinking I could put him in pushchair late in evening and walk him to sleep if not snoozing with various noises going on?

I have a babyzen yoyo I could take so it can fold small out of the way.

@Caspianberg that's a good idea. If he's allowed off the ward then an explore around the hospital might be fun.
I don't know what facilities you will have there but UK hospitals always have a coffee shop like Costa, M+S foodhall and a little charity shop for the "Friends of Hospital" group. Always exciting to go to those (when you're 3).

Yes pushchair is a good idea especially if helpful for sleep.

If he likes any CBeebies/cBbc programmes make sure you download before you go as BBC tv isn’t available abroad.

He might like audiobooks? There are some for children available for free through the Libby app if your library is a member

Not sure the nurses will thank you for playdoh or icing unless he’s a very neat child!

Fidget toys could be good this sort of thing where you can make shapes.

When my DS was in hospital at that age, we had a really good book about being in hospital. Don't have it now and can't remember the exact title but Google suggests there are quite a few for younger chidren.

What about making paper chains so he can decorate his bed area?

Hi OP. I’m often in with my Dd. Things we love: magnetic tiles for building towers and small favorite Tv characters to play make believe games. Toy cars work well for zooming through tunnels! We’re always a bit restricted in terms of being able to move and usually she’s also on wires - but jigsaws? (If he’s any pre-existing interest). Depending on DD’s health sometimes she needs simpler toys than when well - but another thing that’s worked for us is “making” so threading necklaces, things we could cut or glue or stickers. It’s a nightmare to clean off the bed though so I usually bring an old large towel and use that to “contain” mess (also means it can be bundled up very easily if clinical intervention is needed).

White noise machine? Tonie box (if you already have one?) or anything that can play them music (wards can be loud and scary). Mine have soft headphones they can sometimes wear. At home we sleep with nothing in the background but in hospital I’ll often play soft lullaby’s (admittedly my DD’s ward is usually bright at night so helps us distinguish sleeping and day time).

Don’t forget a pillow and/or snacks for you and a water bottle.

Do you know if they have any facilities for parents? I often bring a padded picnic blanket as it’s more comfort for me to lie on at night with my own pillow - than the plastic chair! usually I can “pad” it out with some towels to make a make shift rest area in the floor.

@minipie - we already live abroad so Jo CBeebies unfortunately. But I can download from Netflix and Amazon.

Local language isn’t English but Ds will happily watch something in local language if they have on a tv there.

@Callmemummynotmaaa - I don’t know fully. But I do know every room has 4 beds, And two are allocated per child ie one for child and one for parent pushed together. And parent staying gets all meals same time as child.
I will pack some snacks though, and look this evening for some more books for kindle

Ah ok sorry I had thought you were uk based but travelling for treatment

Dont forget a really long charging cable for the ipad as outlets arent often right by the bed

Anytime you can be out of bed and out of the room, go and explore and try and exhaust him. The stroller sounds like a great idea

A fuzzy blanket and nice pillow.

Some kind of system of bags to keep toys organized it so things dont get lost, mixed up or broken

Would he ‘help’ you wrap christmas presents? Then he could do the tape or hold the paper or cut the paper etc. Or even just wrap things for himself so then he can unwrap them!

cut out snowflakes, he can tell you where to make the cuts, or those chains of people holding hands, then he can colour in the faces and you can decorate his bed /room with them

The little washimals/fuzzikins type animals that they can colour in might be good as you can wash and redo them. Maybe threading cards too.

@SeaToSki - oh he would love wrapping paper, scissors and tape. Whether the bed sheets and scissors are a good idea with him I don’t know. Might take some for sitting at table with though.