For Patients & Families | Patient Activities

Activity rooms can be found on every inpatient floor. They are shared by children, teens, young adults, and parents, and are open during the day for relaxing or taking a break from the hospital routine. Child Life specialists and unit volunteers provide developmental play, games, computers, art projects, music, and other creative and educational activities at scheduled times.

Your child must be supervised by a parent, staff person, or volunteer while in the activity rooms. Parents and visitors are welcome to participate in activities. Because the activity rooms are places for children to temporarily escape the stress of the hospital, all medical examinations or other actions that may cause upset are prohibited in these areas.

There are televisions and VCRs in every patient room. The television system carries local stations and some satellite stations, 24 hours a day. Movies are shown from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The schedule and listings for patient entertainment are on Channel 22 and are posted on each patient care unit.

Hospital volunteers visit the units and clinics weekdays, evenings, and weekends to provide companionship and entertainment for patients and families. They are a support service, taking on many roles within the hospital including escorting patients, reading stories, and leading activities.

Costumed as doctors and nurses, Laughter League clowns visit children in their rooms or unit activity room and entertain them with humor and play specifically suited to hospitalized children. The clowns visit selected patient care units and the intensive care units during the week; ask your child's nurse or Child Life specialist if your child's unit is on their route.

Pawprints is Boston Children's Hospital's therapy dog visitation program. Through Pawprints, eligible patients and their families may receive a visit from one of the hospital's therapy dogs.