Play in Healthcare: Using Play to Promote Child Development and Wellbeing

This fully updated new edition introduces the core knowledge and skills that healthcare professionals need to use play for promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people in a variety of professional contexts and healthcare settings. The textbook covers foundational content – such as the role of play in child development, relevant anatomy and physiology, the concept of resilience, health promotion, developing appropriate provision, investigating play provision and working in diverse healthcare settings. It also includes chapters on three new topics: health literacy, health play policy and play at the end-of-life.

Each chapter links to the NICE Guideline NG204 Babies, children and young people’s experience of healthcare and contains a variety of activities such as reflective exercises, case studies and practical tasks. An entirely rewritten case study chapter provides insight into real-life professional practice with vignettes from a range of professions that engage with children and their families.

Designed for all healthcare professionals who work with children and young people, including those studying to become health play specialists, child life specialists and children’s nurses, this text provides practical examples of how all members of the multidisciplinary team can help to support children’s play.

Alison Tonkin is a Lecturer in Childcare, at Stanmore College and St Margaret's School, Bushey, and a Trustee of the Society of Health Play Specialists

Julia Whitaker is a Health Play Specialist (Freelance) and Registration Co-ordinator, Society of Health Play Specialists