When it’s snowy and cold outside, it’s easy to assume hospital activities would scale back.
However, at Ranken Jordan, we don’t scale back… we keep playing. Play is central to our Care Beyond the Bedside®model because it’s a powerful tool for healing.
Cold temperatures may change how we play, but it doesn’t stop us. Here are four ways we keep our patients busy during cold months.
1. We get outside in the snow.
You might think Ranken Jordan patients have to stay inside when it’s snowing but it’s just the opposite–our patients love a snow day! While there are some children who are not medically able to go out in cold temperatures, the children who can go outside love to play on our outdoor playground when it snows, just like they do when it’s warm.
They also love to sled. We pride ourselves on our ability to make “normal” activities possible for children with complex medical conditions–you will often see kids with trachs on sleds here at Ranken Jordan.
2. We bring the great outdoors inside.
Sometimes we bring winter inside. You will often see our nurses or Patient Play Associates hauling snow inside so our patients can play with it where it’s warm. Especially for our youngest patients, playing with snow gives them a sensory activity and allows them to explore textures and different temperatures. It’s also just fun! Who doesn’t love playing with snow?
Our patients can also take full advantage of our building’s interactive village-like setting. From the full-scale indoor playground to the rock-climbing wall and beyond, Ranken Jordan was designed to provide our patients with natural elements and playscapes when they need to remain indoors.
3. We get on the road to find new places to play.
We also see cold weather as an opportunity to take our patients out of the hospital on field trips. We are lucky to be based in St. Louis, Missouri, where there are so many things to do with kids, especially around the holidays. This year, we took some of our patients on The Polar Express at Union Station as well as trips to see Christmas lights. Our kids also love visiting the Missouri Botanical Garden and the St. Louis Aquarium.
Siblings are often invited on our days out, giving our patients a fun way to spend time with their families. Having quality time together can be tough for siblings when a child is in the hospital for a prolonged period.
4. We reimagine popular warm weather activities.
When it’s really cold, we also look for ways to bring popular warm-weather activities inside.
For instance, PGA pro Kevin Corn, who runs our Kevin Corn Golf Academy, visits throughout the winter to teach kids golf. We use nerf golf balls inside so no one gets hit!
We also have a large fleet of adaptive bikes our patients love to ride inside around the hospital.
Other indoor activities remain popular throughout the winter like our therapeutic art program. Our art teacher, Julie Villhard, loves to incorporate winter into art projects, like a North Pole-themed competition she did around Christmas.
Why This Work Matters
Our approach to winter illustrates our commitment to Care Beyond the Bedside. Our vision is a world where every child with complex medical needs lives their best life. So, we do not change our strategy simply because it’s cold or inconvenient. We instead adapt to make sure kids at Ranken Jordan have the chance to play and be kids, regardless of the weather.
So much of our Care Beyond the Bedside elements are not covered by insurance. Most of the equipment we use all year round is made possible by our donors. To support our work, we encourage you to donate at RankenJordanFoundation.org.
