Ideas for Kids Toys While Sib in Hospital

[MaryLang]

Kinda OT- But I'm brainstorming some ideas for my 2 and 3 year old. My youngest is going in for major surgery in a few weeks (about a week stay) and my other two will be spending a lot of time in the hospital hotel with DH and family. I need ideas to keep them busy and make it as nice and traumatic free as possible for them, as well as things to keep my mind busy in the weeks leading up. I'm thinking of wool balls (just the yarn kind don't know how to needle felt), and puppets, play doh. Can't think of much else. Ideas? I sew a little too.

[utopia760]

how old is your son- usually hospitals have a ronald mcdonald house or something like it that has a play room with toys, games, movies. and you can even check things out and take them back to the rooms. do you know if this hospital has this?

[FillingMyQuiver]

Bean bags w/ containers to put them in (buckets, boxes, bags, etc)
Dress up clothes for imaginative play
Some simple tree blocks for building w/

Do they have some favorite toys? I'd bring those, too.

[CurlyMint]

I don't have much advice but since I like lurking in this forum, I just wanted to let you know I will be thinking of your little one.

At the end of this month my DD (3) will being going in for open heart surgery to correct her VSD. Many well heart vibes for your little one.

[MaryLang]

Thanks for all the advice. I like the bean bag/containers idea. We're not staying in the RMH, there wouldn't be room for all of us. I have a 3 yo DD, 2 yo DS and the 1 yo DD is having the surgery. I really want to keep the others busy and feeling "normal".



NorfolkMommy- Thanks, we'll be thinking&praying of you and your little one too. My dd has AVSD, they were going to wait until she was older, but she is in the 1 percentile growth . Healthy Heart Vibes to you too

[ledzepplon]

My dd really likes her doodle pad (it's kind of like this).

Hope your little one has a successful surgery and swift healing!

[LaughingHyena]

I haven't tried this one since I read it in a book but how about some lengths of yarn and a sheet of sandpaper to make pictures. The yarn is supposed to stick well on the sand paper.

Can you take a little CD player or similar and some music/books on tape. I find action songs and dancing are great for getting DD to burn off energy in a small space. If you have time a trip to the library to find new ones might be worthwhile.

I find glue sticks are fairly mess free, keep a few sheets of paper for sticking and a ziplock of paper shapes to stick on.

Can you gather up a few of their current toys and put them out of the way for a couple of weeks before you go. DD always has more interest in toys she hasn't seen for a while.