Toys, Gifts, and Activities for Patients

Patients may receive gifts while hospitalized. We suggest inexpensive and safe gifts appropriate for your child’s age. Before bringing your child a gift of food, please consult with your child's nurses .

The hospital does not have a gift shop.

No Rubber Balloons

Rubber balloons cause a safety and allergy hazard to many of our patients. Only mylar (foil) balloons are permitted in the hospital.

Toys

For children, play is a very important part of hospitalization. Toys can help children conquer the isolation of a hospital stay. They serve an important therapeutic function by bringing fun into the life of a child in the hospital. Therapists at Shriners Hospital carefully select and distribute games and toys to our patients year-round.

Toys distributed to Shriners' patients are donated by generous members of the public, the Shriners fraternity and other Masonic-related organizations. All toys distributed to patients are new; no used toys are accepted due to health regulations.

To inquire about making a toy donation, please contact Lois Hesse at (314) 432-3600, ext. 1188.

Activities

Therapeutic Passes

Day, overnight or weekend passes are available if approved by your child’s physician. If you wish to take your child on a pass, check with your therapist, nurse and doctor. Passes are available for up to 72 hours.

The St. Louis area offers plenty to do. To learn more, go to our page on St. Louis Attractions.

Recreational Therapy

A variety of therapeutic recreational activities will be available to your child while he or she is at Shriners. Our large activity room is the site of many fun activities for patients of all ages and abilities, including:

• Preschool activities for patients ages 2 ½ or younger
• Adapted sports
• Leisure education
• Medical play sessions
• Arts and crafts
• Cooking
• Activities for teens and long-term patients
• Pet therapy visits
• Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts
• Special guests, entertainment and other programs visiting from the community

Specific activities are outlined in a weekly newsletter for patients and posted each day outside the recreational therapy department (RT). Parents are invited and encouraged to accompany their children to activities in RT. Brothers and sisters are also welcome, but must be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian.

DVDs/videos

The department also has a DVD/video library. Patients may borrow a movie to watch in their room after RT is closed for the day.

Sunday School

Your child is invited to attend our interdenominational Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday. Parents are welcome to join their children for these services.