Promoting Play in the Child Life Community

Typically, when we think of the word “play,” we think of theoretical definitions posed by scholars long before our field was established, broad definitions that have helped child life specialists to carve their niche into the healthcare team and other community settings. In this issue of the Bulletin, we are pleased to feature articles by three winners of conference presentation scholar ships awarded as part of the Advancing the Field of Play for Hospital ized Children Initiative, supported through a grant from Disney. Each presenter’s article introduces a unique way of translating some of these theories into action for patients and families around the world. Whether a recipe for play maps and life lines from Deb Vilas, a description of playroom practices from Victoria White, or a consideration of loose parts play from Deb Vilas, Caitlin Koch, and Loxy Passmore, these articles demonstrate some of the ways that child life specialists continue to break the mold every day in developing new techniques for helping children and families to cope with the challenges of hospitalization and treatment. And they do so using the true language of childhood – play.

Child life specialists use play for many purposes, including establishing rapport, educating, and encouraging the expression of emotions. (Pictured here, Crystal Soberg, CCLS, plays with patients in a LeBonheur Children’s Hospital playroom.)