The playroom is considered the heart of the 9th floor at NYU-Langone. Centrally located, the playroom is filled with art, games and music, flat screen TV’s to enjoy movies or TV shows, and is the place where most children prefer to be when they are feeling well enough to begin coming out of their hospital rooms. The playroom can often serve as a goal for a child within their healing process – helping to build motivation and strength to be able to come to the playroom, a safe, interesting and exciting place free from scary or painful experiences.
The playroom can be a haven for children eager to explore toys/games, create works of art, make music, socialize with peers, engage in therapeutic play, watch a magic show, and just have the chance to be kids, as opposed to feeling like patients It is imperative that children have opportunities for organized as well as free-play in order to learn to adjust and cope with a hospitalization, to normalize the hospital environment, an to continue towards age appropriate milestones. These opportunities can be remarkably healing and supportive both to the patient and to the parents/caretakers who take great comfort to see a child as just a child, rather than someone who is sick.
