Children can experience pain from an illness or injury or from hospital procedures or treatments. Each child copes with pain differently. Some children will not talk about their pain, while others will cry loudly. However, being engaged in a fun activity helps ease pain and anxiety for all children.
A comfort kit contains toys and other items that can help distract your child from their pain. These items will work in the hospital or at home and can be used alongside any pain medication your child may need. As your child gets older, it is a good idea to let them choose a few things that may work best for them to reduce pain.
Talk to your child's nurse or child life specialist for more ideas.
Wand
A wand helps your child pay attention to something other than pain and encourages imagination.
Ideas for use
- Use the wand to make the hurt disappear in the same way you might kiss something to make it better.
- Concentrate on the movement of the sparkles.
- Make the wand magic and pretend to travel to a favourite place.
Bubbles
Bubbles can help teach deep breathing, which can relieve stress and anxiety.
Ideas for use
- Blow with long slow breaths.
- Have the child blow the hurt away.
- Predict where the bubbles will land and pop.
- Have a contest to see who can blow the bubbles the furthest.
- Ask your child how many bubbles they can blow at once.
Story and activity books
Books and stories can help your child pay attention to something other than the pain and encourage imagination.
Ideas for use
- Books for younger children involve touching various textures, rhymes and pop-ups.
- Books for older children involve mazes, searches and puzzles.
- Pick books that are simple and familiar. A more challenging activity may be frustrating.
- Ask questions about the book that your child cannot answer with just a yes, no or maybe. For example, ask, "What do you think will happen next?"
Music
Music can help your child relax. It can be useful when a child is not able to do a more engaging activity.
Ideas for use
- Encourage your child to sing or hum along with the music.
- Use soothing music for younger children.
- Consider playing music in the background while focusing on another activity.
- Older children might benefit from music that encourages them to move. If the music is fast-paced, encourage your child to clap, bang their fists or click their tongue to the beat of the music.
Virtual reality headset
A virtual reality headset provides a highly engaging 3D visual distraction.
Ideas for use
- Have your child choose a slide.
- Let the child tell you what they see.
- Let child create their own story based on what they see.
Stress ball
A stress ball can give your child a "job" to do or a place to transfer nervous energy.
Ideas for use
- Encourage your child to transfer pain or stress out of their body and onto the ball.
- Count how long you can squeeze the ball without stopping.
- Count while opening and closing your fist around the ball.
- Transfer the ball from one hand to the other.
Video games, computer and television
These things are usually familiar and can be relaxing.
Ideas for use
While your child is in the hospital, balance videogames, computer use and TV with more creative and expressive experiences such as dancing or drawing.
SickKids comfort kit
Each unit has a comfort kit created by the Child Life team. The kits include:
- bubbles
- a squeeze ball
- a light globe
- a ‘search and find’ book
- a breathing sphere (Hoberman)
- a Find-it Tube
- shakers
- I Spy Wonder Tube
- Tube Shaker
- board games.
The comfort kit items are available for your child to use before and during their needle poke. Once the procedure is finished, we ask that you clean and return all the items you borrowed so another child can use them.
Further information
For more information about the Comfort Promise bundle of options to reduce the pain of needle pokes, please see the following pages:
Needle pokes: Reducing pain in infants aged up to 18 months
Needle pokes: Reducing pain in children aged 18 months or over
Needle pokes: Reducing pain with numbing cream
Needle pokes: Reducing pain with sucrose or breastfeeding
Needle pokes: Reducing pain with comfort positions and distraction