The present study aimed to investigate the influence of play on children hospitalized in pediatric units, in order to establish correlation between the play behavior and the structure of the hospital environment. Fifty children, between 2 and 10 years of age, carriers of different clinical pathologies were studied. Half of the children were observed in an hospital equipped with a well-structured physical environment, that encourages play activities, and the other half was in an institution that did not offer such facilities. The results showed that in the first pediatric unit, the children acted independently when choosing a toy and when introducing themselves in new groups. However, in the institute not equipped with a well-structured environment, the play activities did not present much variation, and it did not call much the attention of the patients. Thus, it was verified, with the comparison of the hospitals, that a well-structured and play-stimulating environment has influence in the ways of interaction and the types of play.
Play; health; hospital environment
