Connect with Purpose
Our curated activities are made for Certified Child Life Specialists to engage with patients. Therapeutic play kits inspire young builders, artists, storytellers, and scientists, while supporting coping, expression, and play.
Review our offerings and contact our team to design a project that fits your group’s needs. We'll provide step-by-step instructions for your event. After your project, share your photos and tag us to show your passion in action!
Our curated collection of age-appropriate activities is designed for Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) to engage with patients. They contain all the necessary items to inspire young builders, artists, storytellers, and scientists while facilitating coping, emotional expression, and playfulness.
Below is a listing of our offerings along with additional information to help you select the activities right for your group. Our team will work with you to design a project that will best fit your needs and those of our hospital partners. We will provide detailed instructions on how to set up your event, put the kits together, and mail the completed projects. Don't forget to share photos and tag us! We'd love to see your passion and compassion in action.
Achieving Growth
Connect with Purpose
Smiles from Sarah delivers therapeutic play kits to children in hospitals.
Each kit—designed for Certified Child Life Specialists—helps young patients cope, express themselves, and heal through play. From art projects to building activities to science experiments, our kits inspire creativity and connection during challenging times.
We have worked with groups of all sizes using a variety of funding methods. We provide detailed instructions on how to set up your event, put the kits together and mail completed kits. If you're interested in hosting a play kit party and helping us supply the play kits we donate to our hospital partners, please fill out the form below.
Be a Part of This Mission
Host a Play Kit Party with your community, assemble kits together (we provide all the instructions!), and send them to us. We'll make sure they reach the children who need them most.
Ready to bring smiles to kids in hospitals?
These projects are great for smaller groups with limited time, or as one of multiple projects to ensure all volunteers are included.
Assembly Focused Projects
These projects are great for smaller groups with limited time, or as one of multiple projects to ensure all volunteers are included.
Assembly Focused Projects
Bedside Volcanos (Sarah's Favorite!)
Volcanos present the opportunity for not only sensory play but for conversation and emotional outlet. They can be used to describe feelings of anger or frustration and things that make us feel like we want to "erupt." Kits include: Play Doh, vinegar, baking soda, mini dinosaurs and more, allowing them to have everything at their fingertips for this fun activity.
Safe Space Pillow Cases
Using fabric markers, the child may customize a comforting pillowcase to have close by when feeling stressed, sad, or anxious, especially while going to sleep at night. Safe spaces are important in establishing security. When in the hospital, children may feel like that security has been taken away as they’re thrown into an unfamiliar environment.
Assembly Focused Projects
These projects are great for smaller groups with limited time, or as one of multiple projects to ensure all volunteers are included.
Assembly & Teamwork Projects
Bravery Beads
Creating bracelets and/or keychains together helps with emotional expression and cognitive development, enhancing fine motor skills, and providing sensory stimulation. Emotions can be associated with different beads, or they can spell out words. They’ll also have a little extra to make items for others. When putting together this kit, most of the time will be spent counting beads into bags, so it is a great networking opportunity.
Calming Sensory Jars
Sensory Jars are a great calming tool when emotions become overwhelming. The different materials in the sensory jars fall at different speeds, creating a period of relaxation and refocus when shaken. You will assemble kits containing different beads, glitter, and other materials for the children to use to create these jars. Working in groups, you will bag beads and assemble with the remaining materials for the children to create these jars.
Magic Slime
Slime is a great multi-purpose outlet for all ages. It allows for self-expression and storytelling but can also be a tool for guided conversations with others about a range of topics. During this activity, children and teens are encouraged to dive into sensory play while being creative and learning about science. Baking soda and contact solution are measured into small containers. When patients mix with glue and other items, magic happens!
Worry Monsters
These adorable stuffed toys facilitate meaningful conversation and help children work through their worries. Patients can write anything that is causing them worry on the provided "monster food" and continue to watch their monster grow and manage their worries.
Sand (Salt/Chalk) Art
Using salt and chalk, children can make “sand art.” Salt will be divided into the bowls and swirled with chalk to color. Each color can be assigned a different emotion, and its quantity can vary depending on how the child is feeling. This therapeutic play activity promotes fine motor development and emotional expression. To assemble, one team will fill bags of salt, while the other assembles the kits.
Teamwork makes the dream work! These kits require splitting into two or more teams to prepare items that go into the assembled kits.
Creative / Art Projects
Vision Boards
Vision boards are great outlets for all ages. They allow for private reflection but also enable guided conversations with others about a range of topics. Children and teens can create meaningful art while gaining valuable insights into themselves and their aspirations, empowering them to pursue their dreams with confidence and clarity.
Creative Journals
Help pre-populate journals with prompting words and phrases. This fun, hands-on activity lets you think outside the box and create something unique. Children and teens use the journals to celebrate achievements or moments of joy and gratitude, but also to process tough feelings like sadness, anger, or frustration.
