Process – Novel Hospital Toys

During my visits to Astrid Lindgren Children‘s Hospital in Sweden and to Beatrix Kinderziekenhuis in Groningen, I observed that children use pretend play as a method to reduce their psychological fears of medical procedures. For example, hospital play specialists get children to pretend to perform a surgery on their doll, and in the process, develop a positive mind-set to receive treatment themselves. This gave me a hint to design a toy set for children in a hospital setting.
In the research that followed, I interviewed pediatricians, nurses, clinical psychologists, hospital-play specialists, miniature garden therapists, and mothers of children who had undergone computed tomography (CT) and other examinations.

スウェーデンのカロリンスカ大学 Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital 子供病院 とオランダ Groningen 大学 Beatrix Kinderziekenhuis 子供病院への訪問を通し、医療の現場では、遊びを通して子供達の心をケアしていることを知った。特に、こども自身が人形を使って実際自分に行われる手術の真似をやってみるようなことが、自分の治療に対して前向きな気持ちを起こすきっかけになるということを知り、デザインのヒントとして取り入れた。
リサーチではさらに、小児科医師や、保育士、臨床心理士、ホスピタルプレイスペシャリスト、CTなどの検査経験のある子供をもつ母親から話を聞いた。

> Novel Hospital Toys

1. Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital is fully equipped with various enjoyable devices to ease the tension of children who come to the hospital.
1. Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital is fully equipped with various enjoyable devices to ease the tension of children who come to the hospital.
2. Astrid Lindgren is the author of a children’s book ‘Pippi Longstocking’.
2. Astrid Lindgren is the author of a children’s book ‘Pippi Longstocking’.
3. Being transported suddenly to hospitals brings a great shock to many children and it might effect in long-lasting mental trauma. This ambulance helps such children to understand their experience over again.
3. Being transported suddenly to hospitals brings a great shock to many children and it might effect in long-lasting mental trauma. This ambulance helps such children to understand their experience over again.
4. This is a therapy by making simple movies together with children. ‘Make and try yourself’ is an important factor of therapy.
4. This is a therapy by making simple movies together with children. ‘Make and try yourself’ is an important factor of therapy.
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6. ‘Communication dolls’. They are used by Hospital play specialists and hospital staffs to tell about the medical treatments to the children. Their faces are rather ugly; in order not to get children suffer from inferiority about their own look compared with the dolls’ which are normally handsome.
6. ‘Communication dolls’. They are used by Hospital play specialists and hospital staffs to tell about the medical treatments to the children. Their faces are rather ugly; in order not to get children suffer from inferiority about their own look compared with the dolls’ which are normally handsome.
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8. A spot on the passage to the inpatients' ward. You can listen to various birds singing, and they make you feel as if standing on the seashore.
8. A spot on the passage to the inpatients' ward. You can listen to various birds singing, and they make you feel as if standing on the seashore.
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1. Beatrix Kinderziekenhuis
1. Beatrix Kinderziekenhuis
2. A computerized tomography scanner. In order to have examinations by the precision instruments, children have to move to the department of radiology mainly for adults.
2. A computerized tomography scanner. In order to have examinations by the precision instruments, children have to move to the department of radiology mainly for adults.
3. The ECHO room. Many dolls and pictures are displayed for the distraction of children’s anxiety.
3. The ECHO room. Many dolls and pictures are displayed for the distraction of children’s anxiety.
4. She is explaining medical examinations with the actual instruments such as intravenous drip and patches of electrocardiogram. This is not done so seriously but rather joyfully, as like children do normally in their play.
4. She is explaining medical examinations with the actual instruments such as intravenous drip and patches of electrocardiogram. This is not done so seriously but rather joyfully, as like children do normally in their play.
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7. This hospital is making a good use of special DVD for the preparation of the examination by MRI. Through watching it, children can gain the comprehension that the tunnel on the machine is very small and they will have to keep listening to big buzzer sounds during the examination. How far details of the procedure are told differs according to their ages and conditions.
7. This hospital is making a good use of special DVD for the preparation of the examination by MRI. Through watching it, children can gain the comprehension that the tunnel on the machine is very small and they will have to keep listening to big buzzer sounds during the examination. How far details of the procedure are told differs according to their ages and conditions.
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