Adventure Kits
Story-based activity experiences created around specific pediatric healthcare moments.
First kit in development
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 Events
Events that bring students, families, volunteers, and supporters together around the organization's mission.
First event being planned
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
- Kit Planned, Prototype in Development
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.
Meet Your Magical Companion
Wand Workshop
Potion Class
Creature Discovery
Magic Calm Spell
Spell Match
Wizard Graduation
Activity preview
Prototype in development
Currently Being PlannedFirst fundraising event
The Project PLAY Pickleball Tournament
Fundraising purpose: Funding the first Magic Academy Adventure Kit
Event date, venue, and registration details will be announced once finalized.
Our first fundraising event
Playing to bring Magic Academy to life.
The Project PLAY is planning its first community fundraiser: a pickleball tournament created to help fund the development and production of the first complete Magic Academy Adventure Kit.
The event will bring together students, families, players, volunteers, local businesses, and community supporters around one clear goal: turning the planned Magic Academy experience into a physical kit for children ages 5–10 waiting before pediatric appointments.
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 Development
Finalizing the story, activities, materials, visuals, and complete kit structure for children ages 5–10.
First Kit Funding
Planning a community pickleball tournament to fund the first complete Magic Academy Adventure Kit.
Professional Feedback
Seeking feedback about age appropriateness, accessibility, activity flow, safety, and usability.
Prototype Preparation
Turning the current activity plan into printable pages and physical materials.
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.