Play is a Universal Language
We have several playrooms and activity rooms, with services provided seven days a week. The playrooms cover all the major areas within the hospital. They provide structured and unstructured developmental activity, medical play, diversion and entertainment for patients and their siblings.
Visit Our Playrooms
The General Pediatrics Playroom and Outdoor Patio, located on the second floor of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, provide multimedia entertainment. There are a variety of diversional and therapeutic activities for pediatric patients of all ages, such as video games, books, board games, and arts and crafts. The outdoor patio features child-friendly play equipment, outdoor games, and a sitting area that provides patients and families with an opportunity to spend time out of their hospital room. This area was made possible by the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary and the Bickerstaff Family Foundation.
The Hematology/Oncology Playroom, located on the third floor of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, is a multimedia entertainment and therapeutic activity room for pediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders. The room features video game systems, computers, arts, crafts, and entertainment for patients to express themselves through play. The playroom was made through a generous donation from was made possible by the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary.
The Pre-operation Playroom, located in the Surgical Center, provides a calming place with a variety of toys and diversional activities for patients waiting for surgery. Certified Child Life Specialists help create coping plans and provide opportunities for patients to learn about their scheduled procedures and treatments through developmentally appropriate medical play.
The Miller West Playroom, located on the second floor on the west side of the Long Beach Medical Center campus, provides structured activities for pediatric patients. A variety of toys, crafts, an air hockey table, flat-screen TV, and video game consoles are all available for patients to utilize during their hospital admission for normalization, age-appropriate diversion, and enjoyment.
Every family member is affected when a child is hospitalized. Caregivers may struggle to balance their daily lives with medical care. Siblings may have a difficult time with a brother or sister’s hospitalization. As part of our patient and family centered care philosophy, we offer a special program just for siblings of patients. Sibling Time is a complimentary program where caregivers of hospitalized children can bring siblings, ages 13 and under, to the Sibling Time Playroom located in the Miller Children’s & Women’s Pavilion. Supervised by Child Life Assistants, siblings can engage in therapeutic play to understand the hospital environment and learn about their sibling’s diagnosis in an age-appropriate way. Families can rest assured knowing that siblings are safe and taken care of while they focus on their child who is admitted to the hospital.
A second Sibling Time Playroom is available in our Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village where families can bring siblings to relax and have fun while they focus on their child’s healthcare appointment. Please call (562) 661-1401 to confirm availability.
The Child Life department understands that teens need private spaces for themselves to encourage effective coping. Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital has two lounges for our teenage patients. The Claire’s Place Lounge (located in Miller Children’s West) and the Teen Lounge (located in General Pediatrics) are dedicated areas or respite for adolescents where video game consoles and a variety of activities are available. The Claire’s Place Lounge was made possible by Claire’s Place. The General Pediatrics Teen Lounge was made possible by the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation. Teens also have access to Kacie’s Kloset on several units, which honors one of our past teen patients who asked to create a special place for young adults at the hospital. Kacie’s Kloset is a mobile closet filled with everyday necessities and fun activities for teens.