Our Child Life and Therapeutic Arts programs help patients and their families develop ways to cope with being in the hospital. Just as the medical team attends to a child’s physical needs, we attend to their developmental, psychosocial and emotional needs – which can be critical to the healing process.
What is Child Life and Therapeutic Arts?
Child Life and Therapeutic Arts are programs at Phoenix Children’s that use play, music, art and other activities to support patients and families. We find ways to make health and hospital experiences more manageable, and even fun.
For example, we can:
- Help children understand diagnoses, procedures and hospitalizations, as well as specific personal health concerns
- Assist a brother or sister who is having a hard time coping with a sibling’s hospitalization
- Recommend appropriate play and activity ideas
- Provide information about your child’s development or address other concerns
- Suggest ways to talk to your child about their medical treatment based on their age and development
Learn more about Child Life:
Meet the Team
As part of Child Life and Therapeutic Arts, you may work with:
- Art therapists
- Child life specialists
- Child life assistants
- Music therapists
Learn more about our certifications and training, as well as Child Life internships and programming we offer for students.
A Space to Play, Create and Connect
One of our Child Life services is The Zone – a therapeutic space devoted to play. Learn about our 3,800-square-foot area, open to patients ages 6 and older, seven days a week.
Download the Simply Sayin’ App
When it’s hard to find the right words or phrases to talk about an illness, injury or medical procedure, the Simply Sayin’ app can help. Designed by our Child Life team at Phoenix Children’s, the app makes it easier to navigate medical conversations.
Ways to Help Child Life
See how you can help our Child Life program by donating toys, books and other items, including financial donations.