Pediatrics Activity Center

The Blake Shumway Child Life Activity Center, the Pediatrics Activity Center, is located on the 3rd floor of UMC near the Pediatrics units.

Built in 1996, it includes an infant and toddler playroom, an area for computer use and schoolwork, and a teen lounge equipped with foosball and air hockey.

Open seven days a week, the center is staffed by child life specialists and volunteers.

Activities are available for patients and family members while staying on the pediatric units of 3 East, 3 West and PICU.

All children, whether they are on bed rest, in wheelchairs or ambulatory, are included in activities unless their medical condition limits contact with others. In this case, child life specialists and volunteers provide bedside activities.

A hospital can be a very intimidating place. To help children cope, UMC child life specialists offer activities to normalize their experiences and educate them about hospital surroundings.

These activities help children develop a sense of mastery of the world around them and offer relief from unpleasant aspects of hospitalization.

The Pediatrics Activity Center's goal is to help children restore their loss of control, and develop physically and socially, an important part of the healing process for many of our young patients.

Each age group within pediatrics is special. UMC child life specialists focus on children's age-level strengths in the Center.