Bedside Activities

For children who may not be able to move out of their rooms, the Child Life team will spend time with patients playing board games, coloring, and doing arts and crafts at their bedside. Child Life specialists may also do distraction and diversion techniques with a child, including medical play.

Patient rooms have TV’s and most patient rooms are equipped with a DVD/VCR. The Child Life team can check-out movies to patients and their families. Also, Miller Children’s has “Fun Centers,” which are video game carts that can be wheeled into patient rooms. Nintendo Wii®, Xbox360®, GCube® and Playstation3® are all available “Fun Centers.” Talk to a Child Life Specialist to request a Fun Center.

The Ala Carte Program

The Ala Carte program is provided by the Assistance League of Long Beach whose volunteers educate children of all ages with their unique cart on wheels, which has art supplies that the patients use to create their own masterpiece.

Volunteer Grandparents

The Grandparents Program at Miller Children’s is a unique programs where volunteer “grandparents” visit and spend time with children who are in the hospital. These “grandparents” step in to color, play board games or talk with children who may be bored or feel a little isolated while in the hospital.