MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital has announced it has received a $25,000 grant from the Toy Foundation’s Children’s Hospital Play Grants program.
This grant will create play opportunities in playrooms and waiting spaces across Le Bonheur’s regional campuses to promote sensory and interactive play.
“Creating child-friendly, play-centered environments help support positive coping for children, adolescents and their families,” said Jessica Liles, Director of Volunteer and Family Support at Le Bonheur. “Efforts to engage children in play helps to reduce the anxiety and stress they may experience while waiting for clinic appointments or medical treatments. Offering play experiences in a healthcare environment is not without challenges, due to guidelines and policies in place to keep patients safe. Providing interactive installations in playrooms and waiting rooms helps to increase access to play for children and adolescents awaiting care. Increasing access to play further supports our belief that children need more than medicine for healing.”
The Toy Foundation is a nonprofit children’s charitable organization that works with the toy industry to provide support through play opportunities to children across the country. The Play Grants Program was created to bring the healing power of play to children’s hospitals. By making play more accessible, these grants help strengthen children’s emotional, physical and educational development and have a positive impact on families and caregivers.
The 2024 Children’s Hospital Play Grants program awarded $380,000 to 20 children’s hospitals for play projects and has distributed $1.2 million to children’s hospitals delivering play to 500,000 children and families.
