2nd Edition

Play in Healthcare Using Play to Promote Child Development and Wellbeing

Edited By Alison Tonkin, Julia Whitaker Copyright 2026
274 Pages 38 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

274 Pages 38 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This fully updated new edition introduces the core knowledge and skills that healthcare professionals need to use play for promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people in a variety of professional contexts and healthcare settings. The textbook covers foundational content – such as the role of play in child development, relevant anatomy and physiology, the concept of resilience, health promotion, developing appropriate provision, investigating play provision and working in diverse healthcare settings. It also includes chapters on three new topics: health literacy, health play policy and play at the end-of-life.

Each chapter links to the NICE Guideline NG204 Babies, children and young people’s experience of healthcare and contains a variety of activities such as reflective exercises, case studies and practical tasks. An entirely rewritten case study chapter provides insight into real-life professional practice with vignettes from a range of professions that engage with children and their families.

Designed for all healthcare professionals who work with children and young people, including those studying to become health play specialists, child life specialists and children’s nurses, this text provides practical examples of how all members of the multidisciplinary team can help to support children’s play.

Introduction

1. The development of play and recreation in healthcare settings

Julia Whitaker, Frances Barbour and Claire Weldon

 

2. Anatomy and physiology: Applied knowledge in practice

Alison Tonkin

 

3. The child, family and society

Vanessa Lovett

 

4. Child development in practice

Vanessa Lovett, Claire Weldon and Alison Tonkin

 

5. Play and recreation

Claire Weldon and Helen Peck

 

6. Playing until the end and beyond

Vikki Kempster and Alison Tonkin

 

7. Enhancing resilience in children and young people

Norma Jun-Tai and Frances Barbour

 

8. Promoting health and wellbeing

Jenni Etchells and Alison Tonkin

 

9. Playful communication: Children’s literature as a route to health literacy

Julia Whitaker

 

10. Health play policy

Adrian Voce and Alison Tonkin

 

11. Investigating ways of promoting play and recreation provision within healthcare settings

Alison Tonkin and Norma Jun-Tai

 

12.  Play safe

Alison Tonkin

 

13. Leading the promotion of play and recreation

Irene O’Donnell and Alison Tonkin

 

14. Playing with the multidisciplinary team

Julia Whitaker

Biography

Alison Tonkin is a Lecturer in Childcare, at Stanmore College and St Margaret's School, Bushey, and a Trustee of the Society of Health Play Specialists

Julia Whitaker is a Health Play Specialist (Freelance) and Registration Co-ordinator, Society of Health Play Specialists