Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Video Therapy/ Videographer in residence

Child Life Specialists work closely with children who are confined to bed. These specialists asses each child’s needs for appropriate activities and experiences, and design programs to meet those needs.

Through hands-on experiences with real medical equipment, Child Life Specialists educate children about different aspects of their hospitalization, particularly upcoming treatments and procedures. Preparation for surgery and special tests is done by offering focused educational play activities and relaxation techniques.

Child Life Specialists are available to support children during difficult procedures by using relaxation and distraction techniques.

Daily weekday activity groups held in the activity rooms help youngsters socialize with peers and serve to normalize the hospital experience. Attention to the needs of different age groups from the youngest child through teenagers encourage creativity and give patients additional avenues for expression and coping.

Located on the first floor by the elevators, The Zone is a therapeutic and educational play environment for patients and families to play, learn, laugh and relax. The Zone is a state-of the-art environment that offers a range of activities and opportunities that meet the special needs of children coping with illness and hospitalization.  Children must be medically cleared to enter the space.  Please check the monthly schedule of activities posted on the units for specific group activity times. Find out more about The Zone.

KidZone TV is the first live, interactive Broadcast Studio in a Children's Hospital in the world and offers live pre-recorded programming.  Children in the Zone can participate in program production in front of and behind the cameras.  Those who are confined to their room can participate in a range of activities broadcast on KidZone TV; including games like Bingo or Text Twist with children watching the telecast and taking part by phone.  All children have access to live entertainment, and broadcasts of visits with musicians, actors, magicians, and sport stars, and are afforded an opportunity to ask questions and interact with these special guests either in person or over the phone.

The Family Resource Center is a comfortable place created especially for the families of pediatric inpatients. It contains information, in print and online, about health and parenting. Families may check e-mail, get help with internet searching, or simply have a cup of coffee or tea and relax.

Staffed by a medical librarian, the Family Resource Center, which is conveniently located on the first floor near the elevators of 1184 Fifth Avenue, offers information on such health topics as asthma and cancer to well-child care and safety. The lending library contains books for children and adults. Two computers with internet access allow family members of all ages to learn about their health and keep in touch with family and friends.

For those families unable to leave their child, health information can be collected and delivered to parents.

Suggested Hospital Books for Children

Books can sometimes be helpful to children in advance of a hospital stay. For further suggestions, visit Mount Sinai’s Family Resource Center or your local library.

Bridwell, Norman. Clifford Visits the Hospital (Clifford the Big Red Dog). Cartwheel Books, 2000. Ages 4-8. Also available in Spanish, published by Scholastic.

Gordon, Melanie Apel. Let’s Talk About When You Have to Have Your Tonsils Out (The Let’s Talk Library). Powerkids Press, 2000. Ages 4-8.

Hatkoff, Juliana Lee, Hatkoff, Craig, Mets, Marilyn. Goodbye Tonsils! Viking Children’s Books, 2001. Baby-6.

Hautzig, Deborah, Elliott, Dan, and Mathieu, Joseph. A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital: Featuring Jim Henson’s Sesame Street Muppets. Random House, 1985. Ages 3-7.

Jennings, Sharon et al. Franklin Goes to the Hospital. Scholastic, 2000. Ages 4-8.

Pace, Betty and Hutton, Kathryn. Chris Gets Ear Tubes. University of Chicago Press, 1987. Ages 4-8.

Rey, Margret and H.A. Curious George Goes to the Hospital. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1966. Ages 4-8.

Rogers, Fred and Judkis, Jim. Mr. Rogers Hospital. Putnam Publishing, 1988. Ages 4-8.

Books for Siblings

Duncan, Debbie. When Molly Was in the Hospital: A Book for Brothers and Sisters of Hospitalized Children (Minimed Series: Volume 1). Rayve Productions, 1994. Ages preschool-7.

Jawarski, Anna Marie and Ball, Linda. My Brother Needs and Operation. Babyhearts Press, 1998. Ages 4-10.

Our pediatric chaplain is available to meet with any patient or family member, regardless of faith or religious backgrounds.  The chaplain is here to offer spiritual care through prayer conversation and emotional support.

After clearance from the physician, children may have the opportunity to cuddle with a specially-trained pet therapy dog.

Special activities include parties for holidays and birthdays. We also have parties just for fun!

A special service enables Child Life to present dozens of films edited for family viewing on Channel 100 (English) and Channel 101 (Spanish) all day long. Schedules are posted in all patient rooms and pediatric activity areas.

Laptops, isolation machines, starbright world, starbright funcenters

• Book Cart/Lending Library
• Holiday Celebrations/Entertainment
• School Teachers
• Knitting Program
• Meditation/ Yoga/ Infant Massage instructors

"Meet Me at Mount Sinai" is a pre-operative program designed to prepare pediatric patients and their families for ambulatory and inpatient surgery. Children become familiar with the hospital by touring the facilities, meeting the nurses and social workers, and learning about medical equipment. They also receive a play medical kit and participate in educational play activities to demystify the hospital experience. Adolescents may view a pre-op video created especially for their age group.

Parents are encouraged to contact the Child Life office before their child is admitted to Mount Sinai to meet with Child Life personnel and staff nurses. Children and their families can visit The Mount Sinai Hospital, and have their questions answered. Information concerning a preadmission tour, as well as volunteer/internship services, is also available through the Child Life office.

Sponsored by Mount Sinai's Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department, "Through Our Eyes Productions" is an innovative video production group in which young patients document their own experiences dealing with chronic illness and various medical interventions, including hospitalization. In their dual roles as video producers and performers, youngsters have an opportunity to educate follow patients, their families, and healthcare professionals about their feelings, questions, and coping strategies in the face of illness. "Through Our Eyes Productions" is the only program of its kind in the country.

Families of pediatric hematology/oncology clinic patients now have access to a networked computer conveniently located near their waiting area. While their children are receiving treatment, families can acquire basic or more advanced computer skills, learn to find reliable medical information in English or Spanish from selected sites on the satellite’s home page, check e-mail, or simply surf the web. Health links will take users to sites on general consumer health, children and cancer, specific hematology and oncology diagnoses, as well as summer camps for children with special needs, palliative care and bereavement.