Camp Child Life
Internship Project
During my internship at Children’s Hospital Colorado, I collaborated with fellow Child Life interns and the Child Life Month Committee to plan and execute a special event in celebration of the conclusion of Child Life Month. Together, we developed the event theme, established educational goals, and coordinated logistics to ensure a meaningful and engaging experience.
We hosted a Camp Child Life event, where we facilitated a variety of interactive play-based activities designed to educate patients, families, and hospital staff about the importance of play in Child Life practice. The event highlighted the therapeutic value of play and reinforced its role in supporting coping, emotional expression, and development in pediatric care. To ensure accessibility, activities were set up in a flexible, open format, allowing participants to move freely between stations at their own pace. Additionally, we prepared and distributed take-home activity kits for patients unable to leave their units, ensuring inclusive participation.
The event was well-received, with over 50 participants attending and 25 activity kits distributed. These outcomes reflect the event’s success in promoting awareness of Child Life services and fostering meaningful engagement across the hospital community.
Coping Actvity
The goal of this activity was to support children and adolescents in identifying their current coping strategies while also encouraging the development of new, adaptive coping skills. Participants were invited to select various materials to fill their personalized “pill cup,” with each item representing a specific coping technique. The activity was thoughtfully adapted to align with a range of developmental levels, ensuring meaningful engagement from preschool-aged children through adolescents.
Normalization Activity
The goal of this activity was to promote normalization of the hospital environment while encouraging exploration and ambulation among pediatric patients. I designed a photo-based scavenger hunt featuring the medical therapy dogs at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), making the experience both engaging and comforting for patients.
Unexpected Result
Through this activity and collaboration with hospital staff, I identified a programming gap related to consistent, engaging opportunities for normalization and recreational play within public hospital spaces. Staff expressed a strong interest in implementing a standing scavenger hunt to support these goals for both patients and visitors. In response, I am currently developing a permanent scavenger hunt that incorporates existing elements of the hospital’s waiting areas, with the intent to foster exploration, reduce anxiety, and enhance the overall patient and family experience.
Emotional Expression Activity
This group art activity was designed to promote emotional expression by encouraging participants to explore and communicate their personal strengths, hopes, and successes through creative means. The collaborative nature of the activity fostered a supportive environment where children and adolescents could reflect on their individual experiences while building a sense of community with peers. By using art as a therapeutic medium, the activity aimed to empower participants, enhance self-awareness, and support positive coping through self-expression.
Medical Play Activity
Our final play session featured a Teddy Bear Clinic, designed to encourage child-directed medical play through role-reversal and role-rehearsal experiences. This type of therapeutic play promoted familiarity with medical equipment, supported the development of mastery, and fostered a sense of autonomy in participants. The clinic included both real and toy medical tools, allowing children to explore and engage at their own comfort level. Each child received a teddy bear to care for during the session, along with a personalized health certificate upon completion, reinforcing their participation and enhancing the sense of accomplishment.
