As our wonderful colleague Alex prepares to run the London Marathon for Starlight Children’s Foundation, it felt like a good moment to reflect on why this cause matters so much. Starlight’s work shines a light on something that can too often be overlooked in healthcare settings, that play is not an optional extra or a nice add on, but something deeply important to children’s wellbeing, sense of safety and ability to cope.
Supporting Children’s Wellbeing Through the Power of Play: Why Play Matters in Healthcare
If you’ve ever watched a child completely absorbed in play, stacking blocks, drawing dinosaurs, or immersed in a make-believe world, you’ll know that it’s far more than “just” play. For children, play is not only a fundamental human right, protected under the UNCRC, it is also the foundation for healthy development. The benefits of play for all children are well researched and widely documented, but for those experiencing the trauma of chronic illness, surgery, or other medical interventions, play can be truly transformative. In hospitals and health services, play becomes something even more powerful, a way to feel safe, to cope, and to stay connected to being a child.
Scotland has long championed children’s rights, including Article 31 of the UNCRC, which recognises every child’s right to play. At Play Scotland, our mission is to ensure every child has access to high‑quality play opportunities every day. It’s something we genuinely believe in, that all children should have the space, time and freedom to take part in play experiences, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. It’s at the heart of everything we do.
This becomes even more critical in healthcare settings, where normal routines are disrupted, anxiety naturally increases, and children can quickly lose their sense of control.
Why Play Is Essential in Healthcare
Hospitals can be intimidating places, full of unfamiliar adults, strange equipment, bright lights, and a loss of control. When children find themselves in hospital, it is natural for them and their families to feel scared and overwhelmed. The uncertainty of what is happening to them, the thought of procedures, and that loss of control can feel deeply stressful and frightening, and these experiences can have a lasting effect on children’s wellbeing.
Research repeatedly shows that play changes all of this.
Children don’t always have the words to say, “I’m scared” or “I don’t understand.” Play gives them a safe way to express big emotions, build confidence, and make sense of what’s happening. It can also reduce fear, pain, and trauma during treatment, helping children stay emotionally regulated and resilient during some of their most vulnerable moments. Specialists often describe play as something that humanises healthcare, helping children stay children even during difficult treatments. Research from the University of Cambridge’s PEDAL Centre supports this, showing that play reduces stress and helps children feel more comfortable in healthcare settings.
Play specialists also help children understand upcoming procedures, practise coping strategies, and express worries they can’t yet verbalise. Therapeutic play doesn’t change a diagnosis, but it can absolutely transform the experience of care. At Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), play specialists use a variety of playful methods including toys, games, art and storytelling to help children understand what is going to happen. This might involve using dolls to explain a procedure or offering distraction during something unpleasant like a blood test. These simple activities help children feel more in control and less frightened.
Statistics from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital show that therapeutic play‑based preparation using a miniature MRI scanner, which allows children to pretend to scan toys, can reduce the need for general anaesthetic for children’s MRI scans by up to 90%. This way of exploring an unfamiliar procedure has undoubtedly reduced further trauma for the children involved. A recent report found that 1 in 9 children felt upset or worried after being held down for treatment, and that 80% of healthcare staff reported seeing this happen. An estimated 1.4 million children in the UK may be at risk of trauma from restraint, trauma that play can help prevent.
Many families say these moments of play transform their experience, turning stressful appointments into calmer, smoother ones. Hospitals that invest in play report seeing calmer, more cooperative children, smoother procedures, fewer delays caused by fear or distress, and most importantly, happier children and families.
The NHS and charities such as Starlight Children’s Foundation are now working together to ensure every child gets access to high‑quality play services, because the evidence is clear, play helps children heal. Yet despite the amazing work being done by charities such as Starlight Children’s Foundation and The Archie Foundation, play in healthcare remains underfunded. The UN identifies several groups of children who face barriers to play, and among these groups are children in hospitals or healthcare facilities. When we know the therapeutic benefits of play, why are the very places where those benefits could be most meaningful still not being properly supported to uphold children’s right to play?
Across Scotland, many hospitals are integrating play more intentionally, from sensory rooms to dedicated Healthcare Play Specialists, to simple distractions at the bedside. However, national mapping shows that tens of thousands of children still miss out because some hospitals lack adequate play resources or trained staff.
This is where Scotland’s commitment to child‑friendly, trauma‑informed care can continue to grow.
Cathy Gilman, Starlight’s Chief Executive, captures it perfectly when she says, “Play isn’t a luxury, it’s a proven way to reduce fear, pain and distress.”
When children are frightened, overwhelmed, or facing the unknown, play can offer comfort, connection and a sense of control. In healthcare, that is not an optional extra, it is an essential part of compassionate child-centred care.
Help Alex on her way & donate to Starlight here
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