Center for the spirituality of children

The Center for the spirituality of children, at Children's Health℠, cares for and nurtures the spirituality of our patients throughout their hospital experience. This care and nurture is provided primarily, but not exclusively, through the use of Godly Play®, a form of sacred story that guides children into becoming more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives, by connecting each child’s own experience with a relationship with the Divine.

Godly Play® opportunities are offered to patients individually in their rooms, in patient groups and family groups, at scheduled story times in inpatient units and in the Godly Play® rooms attached to the chapels at each campus.

Interactive storytelling (Godly Play®)

Children love to hear and tell stories, but do not always have the appropriate language to help them identify and express themselves. Godly Play® adopts a Montessori approach to engage children through their unique spiritual and emotional wondering; weaving together images of faith, hope and love with a child’s current experience. This program is based upon the recognition that children have an innate sense of the presence of God.

The Godly Play® interactive form of storytelling invites children to encounter the sacred in a way that enhances the child’s authentic experience of God. This experience adds to the creative life of the child through the use of curiosity, imagination, creativity and art.

The faith images in the interactive stories invite children to find meaning, and to express their connection to the sacred so it can be explored and strengthened.