Adventure Kits
Story-based activity experiences created around specific pediatric healthcare moments.
First kit completed
Youth-led nonprofit initiative
Making more room for educational play in pediatric healthcare.
The Project PLAY creates imaginative activities, stories, community initiatives, and purposeful-play experiences designed to help children feel more engaged, expressive, and involved during pediatric healthcare moments.
Children are still children while they wait.
What we are building
Play can take many forms.
The Project PLAY began with the idea of creating immersive activities for children in pediatric healthcare settings. That idea has grown into a wider initiative involving adventure kits, stories, research, free resources, community events, and future collaborations.
Stories and Books
Original characters, worlds, and narratives that may grow into children's books or story-based resources.
In Development
Research and Writing
Articles, papers, reflections, and educational resources exploring purposeful play and pediatric healthcare experiences.
In development
Community Partnerships & Events
Partnerships and events that bring local businesses, students, families, volunteers, and supporters together around the organization's mission.
First partnership confirmed
Free Resources
Future printable activities and ideas for children, families, volunteers, and healthcare spaces.
In Development
Why play matters
Waiting for care should not erase childhood.
Children waiting for pediatric appointments may feel bored, uncertain, nervous, or disconnected from what is happening around them. Purposeful play can create opportunities for choice, imagination, creativity, focus, and positive distraction during that time.
Choice
Children can make decisions about colors, characters, materials, names, and activities.
Imagination
A waiting room can temporarily become the setting for a story, challenge, or mission.
Engagement
Activities can give children something meaningful to focus on while they wait.
Expression
Creative play can give children different ways to communicate ideas, preferences, and feelings.
Our first adventure kit
Welcome to Magic Academy.
Magic Academy transforms waiting before a pediatric appointment into wizard training. Children enter the story as young wizards, complete creative lessons, meet a magical companion, build a wand, explore potions, practice a calming spell, and work toward graduation.
- Age range
- 5–10 years old
- Healthcare moment
- Waiting before pediatric appointments
- Status
- Completed
Goal. The Magic Academy Adventure Kit is designed with the goal of helping children ages 5–10 feel calmer, more engaged, and more in control while waiting for pediatric healthcare appointments through purposeful play.
Confirmed — Starting in SeptemberCards With Purpose
Victoria's Cake Card-Making Station
Hosted by Victoria's Cake in Westfield.
Visitors who make cards at the station may enter a raffle for a prize. Additional details will be shared once confirmed.
Community partnerships
A local place to make cards for kids.
Victoria's Cake in Westfield will host a Cards With Purpose card-making station starting in September, giving the community a warm, welcoming place to make cards for children in pediatric healthcare settings.
A big thank-you to Victoria's Cake for providing space for the community to participate.
How projects develop
Five stages, one careful process.
- 01
Identify the Moment
Choose a specific pediatric healthcare experience, such as waiting before an appointment.
- 02
Research the Need
Explore the child's experience and relevant ideas from Child Life, pediatric occupational therapy, child development, play, accessibility, and design.
- 03
Build the Story
Create a theme and role that helps the child experience the healthcare moment differently.
- 04
Design the Activities
Develop creative activities with intentional goals connected to engagement, choice, participation, skills, and coping.
- 05
Review and Refine
Seek feedback, create prototypes, test usability, and improve the experience before future distribution.
Current work
What we are working on now.
Magic Academy Kit
The first Adventure Kit is complete, with story, activities, materials, and visuals for children ages 5–10.
Community Partnerships
Launching a Cards With Purpose card-making station hosted by Victoria's Cake in Westfield starting in September.
Professional Feedback
Seeking feedback about age appropriateness, accessibility, activity flow, safety, and usability.
Kit Materials
Preparing the completed activity pages and physical materials for future distribution.
Research and Writing
Developing future papers, articles, books, and educational resources connected to purposeful play.
Impact numbers will be shared once real programs and events begin.
Help move the first projects forward.
The Project PLAY is looking for thoughtful feedback, creative collaborators, community supporters, event participants, volunteers, and future partners.