Ensuring the right to play and participate in artistic activities for hospitalized children

Children in hospitals face not only medical challenges but also emotional and psychological stress. Play and artistic activities have the power to transform their experiences, offering comfort, distraction, and healing. The policy brief “Ensuring the Right to Play and Participate in Artistic Activities for Hospitalized Children”, developed by the International Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) Network,RED NOSES International and Culture Action Europe, explores how integrating arts and play into pediatric healthcare can significantly improve the well-being of young patients.

This policy brief highlights the crucial role of creativity in hospital environments, reinforcing the principles of Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It provides evidence-backed insights into how play reduces anxiety, enhances recovery, and even supports medical staff by making procedures easier and less stressful for children.

RED NOSES International, the HPH Network, and Culture Action Europe believe that every hospitalized child deserves access to joy, laughter, and creative expression. This brief serves as a call to action for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and caregivers to prioritize the integration of arts and play into medical settings.

The policy brief also provides key recommendations to ensure that the right to play and artistic expression is upheld in pediatric healthcare settings:

• Policy Advocacy: Recognizing and upholding children's rights to play and participate in artistic activities as part of healthcare protocols.
• Funding and Resources: Allocating specific budgets, materials, and training to sustain high-quality artistic and play programs in hospitals.
• Cross-Sector Partnerships: Fostering collaboration between health and arts sectors to co-create and evaluate impactful practices.
• Accessibility: Ensuring all pediatric patients have equitable access to tailored arts and play interventions, regardless of their condition or location within the hospital.

This policy brief is only the latest step in our collaboration with the HPH network and our ongoing effort to promote children's right to play in hospital settings. As part of this initiative, in 2024 RED NOSES International and the HPH Network organized a Webinar focusing on Children's right to play and participate in artistic activities in healthcare settings.

The event featured distinguished speakers, including experts in health promotion, representatives from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Austrian National Public Health Institute, and members of the arts for health sector. Together, they shared best practices, inspiring case studies, and evidence on the impact of play and arts in hospitals. The discussions emphasized the importance of embedding creative interventions into standard pediatric care, ensuring that all children—regardless of their condition—can experience moments of joy and relief.

The insights from this webinar played a key role in shaping the policy brief, reinforcing the need for systemic change to ensure that play and artistic activities are embedded in hospital routines. To learn more about the discussions and key takeaways from this event, visit: Webinar on Children's Rights to Play in Healthcare.

We invite you to read the full policy brief to understand why play is not just a luxury, but a necessity in pediatric healthcare. Together, we can ensure that every child—regardless of their medical condition—has the opportunity to experience joy, creativity, and human connection during their hospital stay.

Read the full policy brief here.