O Brincar no Hospital - Brinquedoteca Terapêutica

The Therapeutical Playroom, implemented by the Pediatric Oncology Institute, represents a pioneer project as regards the Brazilian health service. Such undertaking has been originated from a partnership between "GRAACC" (Support Group for the Adolescent and the Child with Cancer) and "The Ayrton Senna Institute", for the purpose of developing diversified activities with patients and their chaperons, both inside and outside the Playroom, which occupies an area of 182m². Besides the large amount of toys available for the enjoyment of patients in said space and in the hospital facilities, there are also books and videos that may be borrowed by them. The Playroom relies on a staff that carries out supervised action in different fields, such as psychopedagogy, parents’ psychological assistance, formal education (Mobile School Program), as well as recreational activities developed in the room designed for this particular goal and on the ward floors. Moreover, the Playroom embraces multidisciplinary proposals of special significance for the improvement of our patients’ life conditions, including the preparation for medical procedures, by means of a therapeutic doll, and also the Professionalizing Project, addressed to our adolescents. On the ward floors, there are fixed carts with toys, daily arranged and cleaned by Playroom volunteers. In the chemotherapy rooms, where children are rendered immobile for a long time, there is a so-called Circulating Playroom.