The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is bringing a touch of Cook Children’s imagination and magic to the newly renovated TCU Children’s Gallery, set to reopen on March 7.

Since 2009, the Children’s Gallery has been a favorite stop for children exploring the Museum, inviting them to learn through playful, hands-on activities and exhibits. The reimagined TCU Children’s Gallery features the same immersive experience but with a new touch of whimsy. 

“After more than a decade of play, we wanted to reimagine the Children’s Gallery for a new generation of learners by updating the physical environment, incorporating modern experiences, and creating a space that feels fresh, inclusive, and connected to our community,” said Karla Hernandez, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Marketing Manager. “The goal wasn’t to replace, only to refresh and elevate the experience for the children of today.”

Where the Future Begins

The Children’s Gallery is a space full of possibilities for curious minds. Anchored by an otherworldly spaceship and launch pad play area, it welcomes visitors to explore Fort Worth’s Cowtown culture and imagine the city’s promising future. The space is drenched in bright colors and features a fantastical facade of Fort Worth’s most notable landmarks, like Texas Christian University’s iconic Frog Fountain, Amon G. Carter Stadium and Cook Children’s Medical Center.

As children and their caregivers move through the gallery, they will explore and experience displays such as a theater, train station, homestead, marketplace, hospital and more. Children can don costumes and play with props in each display as they learn about the community and all of the possibilities that exist for them.

“Our goal was to design a space that feels immersive, optimistic, and open-ended,” Hernandez said. “We wanted children to move naturally from one experience to another, creating their own story and way of playing. The layout encourages curiosity, independence, and collaborative play, allowing children ages 0 to 8 to engage with the exhibit pieces and other children at their own pace.”

Magical Moments at the Museum

In a nod to its 108-year history of improving the health of Fort Worth’s children, the interactive hospital display is marked by the signature blue peaks of Cook Children’s Medical Center. In this space, curiosity powers imaginative play as children experience the world of wellness.

“This gallery is inspired by the people, places, and culture of Fort Worth and Cook Children’s has been a trusted partner in our community for many years,” Hernandez said. “Having them represented in this space invites children to explore the world of medicine and imagine themselves as the future caregivers of our community. Experiencing a playful version of Cook Children’s will help make hospitals feel less intimidating and create a sense of comfort for families”

Cook Children’s Child Life department helped imagine and design the Cook Children’s exhibit, with the goal of bringing the medical center to Museum visitors and the community.

“This project was an opportunity to be creative and collaborative, and to dream up something special for the Museum and, more importantly, the kids who will play in and explore the space,” said Katie Campbell, Cook Children’s director of Family Support Services. “Personally, I love the Museum, and my boys spent tons of time in the space as little guys, so I know the importance of the gallery and the imagination it created.”

Peaks the Dragon on Display

A colorful mural depicting Cook Children’s Teddy Bear Transport and beloved mascot, Peaks the Dragon, serves as a backdrop for the exhibit and its play zones.

In the exam room zone, children can dress up in a lab coat and pretend to be a doctor, and get a whimsical look at themselves in the floor-length giggle mirror. This area also features a countertop and faux sink, just like in a real exam room. Toy medical tools, such as a stethoscope and thermometer, allow make-believing children to check vital signs.

In another zone, children can pull up a magical medical chart on a 55-inch touchscreen, similar to a shopping mall directory. By opening the chart, children are empowered to discover six of the body’s major systems, like the circulatory and respiratory systems, for example. Funny and engaging animations illustrate the function of each system as museumgoers tap through a browsable diagram of the human form.

In the center of the Cook Children’s exhibit, a wooden MRI scanner play set invites children to explore the world of medical imaging. Visitors can recline into the play set or place a doll or stuffed animal. With the push of a button, the scanner simulates the looping lights and sounds of a typical MRI machine, plus a few silly and musical audio effects. From there, kids can step over to the digital imaging viewer to get an up-close view of stock x-rays and scans.

“Play is a child’s work. It is how they explore and learn,” Campbell said. “The opportunity to ‘play’ with hospital equipment, learn about parts of the hospital, and lay the foundation for emotionally safe experiences around health care and wellness are crucial to helping kids grow into a positive relationship with wellness and health care as grown-ups. It’s important to talk to kids about what happens at the hospital before they need to visit one, and this exhibit allows kids to become comfortable and familiar with the hospital in a stress-free environment.”

Museum members got a first look at the TCU Children’s Gallery during the member preview on Friday, March 6. A grand opening will be held on Saturday, March 7, at 10 a.m. Click here for more information.

Whew! We have almost made it through another holiday season. School has wrapped up and now it’s time for the mad dash to finish all the gifts and stocking stuffers. 

I recently wrote a guide to fostering gratitude and I mentioned the importance of teaching our children how to be good givers. This year, my husband and I decided to give our kids a small budget and asked them to think about what they wanted to get for each other and a few extended family members. 

Our girls truly love to create, and it is through their creations that we see their unique style and natural talents shine. They pour their heart and genuine thoughts into every gift they make. 

Just looking around my mother's house, I see she has treasured and kept so many of the things my girls have made for her over the years. In fact, many of the homemade gifts they've given me are my absolute favorites of all! Homemade gifts are the most thoughtful because they come straight from the heart and represent time lovingly spent on the creation.

Thinking of homemade gifts doesn't have to be daunting! I tapped into the expertise of our resident artists at Cook Children's, Sydney Peel and Suzanne Minatra, to share simple, fun ideas that your kids can create this year. Imagine transforming dollar store finds into beautiful, one-of-a-kind treasures. 

The artists shared several fantastic projects that are easy to complete on a very small budget and require minimal time.

Do-It-Yourself Swirly Shaped Crayons

These are a great gift for kids to give to other kids. They can be molded into different shapes and are fun to color with. 

• Peel used crayons
• Break the crayons into small chunks
• Place the crayon pieces in shaped silicone mold of choice
• Melt in oven until swirly (with the help of an adult)
• Let cool completely

Do-It-Yourself Keychains and Bag Charms

Keychains and bag charms are a great option for school-aged kids and teens to give to the adults in their life. They can be created with:

• Clips
• Strings or ribbons
• Assorted beads
• Letter beads 

Many bead kits should have everything you would need for this, but items can be purchased separately. These are fun because they can be used on purses, bags, keychains, and so much more! 

Air-Dry Clay

Air-dry clay is fun and forgiving! It’s a wonderful medium for kids to work with, offering endless possibilities for creative projects. Once dry, the finished pieces can be enhanced with acrylic paint, paint markers, regular markers, or a clear glaze coating.

Textured clay ornaments make a wonderful gift for family members or teachers. Here's what you'll need to create them:

• Air-dry clay
• Ribbon or string (for hanging)
• Texturing tools (texture rollers, mats, or DIY items like lace or stamps)
• Cookie cutters
• Acrylic paint and paintbrushes

You can also create adorable hand or foot mold ornaments with air-dry clay. These are some of my most cherished ornaments on my tree—we even have our dog’s paw print!

Gift-giving doesn't need to be hard, complicated, or expensive. These simple, last-minute ideas help us teach our children how to give gifts that express their personality and offer the true value of time and thoughtfulness.

“Handmade gifts are a perfect way to add a special memory into the holiday season," Peel shared. "Having children make handmade gifts not only allows them to learn about the gift of giving but also gives family and friends special keepsakes to enjoy for years to come.” 

Don’t underestimate what your kids are capable of. I have found that when my kids make a gift for someone, they don’t want to stop. They want everyone to have a piece of their he(art)!

As we approach the season of gratitude followed immediately by the season of gift-giving and receiving, it’s easy to feel the whiplash of these two periods. These seasons can make for a tough ending to the year for parents and caregivers. There is an influx of desire and wants for all of us. Social media and other media are filled with things we hope we can have. We are consumed with wish lists right after we have given thanks for the blessings of the year. 

While the Thanksgiving holiday is set aside to reflect on all the good gifts of the year, research repeatedly shows that gratitude as a practice is beneficial for physical, mental and spiritual health. However, focusing on our blessings for one month a year isn’t sufficient. The practice of gratitude must extend beyond November to truly benefit everyone. Depression, sadness, and hopelessness are continually rising, especially among young people, yet research tells us that the practice of gratitude is a simple and effective way to combat the crisis we are facing. 

So how do we teach gratitude to our kids? I have a mix of personalities in my house. For one kiddo, “thank you” comes quickly and easily, while another sees the empty half of every glass and often misses the good. It can feel near impossible to convince my more negative kiddo that good things surround her. To be honest, if I focus on the things that are hard or that I dislike in life, I also feel quite overwhelmed, and it can be difficult to convince me to be thankful for any of the good things. This is why gratitude is a practice. And that is we need to do first… practice. 

Practice Gratitude

First, we cannot ask our kids to do things that we are unwilling to do ourselves. Start by practicing gratitude and then work with your kids to do the same. 

There are many ways to do this, but a simple gratitude journal is a great start. There are specific gratitude journals for kids and teens, or you can simply use a notebook. I spend time writing down three things I’m grateful for each day. If you do this every day, after a year, you will have a record of 1,000 things for which you are grateful. 

I have also heard of gratitude jars that families look through at the end of the year. It’s so encouraging to look back through a gratitude journal and see all the good gifts of life. 

You can also practice gratitude by asking about the highs and lows of the day. This is great to do in the car or at the dinner table. When we encourage each other to look for the good in the day or situation, it helps to retrain our brains to focus on the positive. This establishes healthy neural pathways. 

It’s also good to take a mindful moment and name things you are grateful for in a moment – cool air, a comfortable chair, the ability to take deep breaths. 

The practice of gratitude can be difficult to start, but once you begin, it can be a helpful practice in a world that often feels sad and burdensome. You quickly begin to realize that there are huge gifts and good even in the midst of the hardest of experiences. Gratitude leads to more joy and more hope as you acknowledge even the small gifts in the moments and days. 

Practice Generosity

When we take time to give things away, either to others or for others, we witness the practice of gratitude. 

Gratitude is contagious. Watching others offer thanks for our generosity helps us, as humans, to remember the good gifts we have been given and, in turn, to be thankful for them. 

We can help our kids practice generosity in lots of practical ways. We can help them pick out one of their toys to give to a child who may not have one or pass on clothes they no longer wear. We can encourage them to share with their peers and classmates. 

During this season, my family often chooses an organization to donate to so that our girls have the opportunity to practice generosity in a hands-on way. This year, they each filled a Samaritan’s Purse shoebox for a child. Continued generosity reminds us all to think of others. This often leads us to be grateful for the many ways that others have been generous to us. 

Serve Others

It is also true that when we serve others, gratitude often follows. The beauty of serving others, like generosity, is that the focus is taken off yourself and off material things. The focus is on other human beings. 

Serving combats the constant thought of wanting or needing more. Serving others often puts us in a place to see others’ vulnerability and struggles face-to-face. This leads to desiring to be more generous with our time and resources while simultaneously recognizing the good and important parts of our lives. 

Teaching our children to serve others also allows them to experience other’s gratitude and joy. This could look like visiting a shelter or nursing home, making dinner for a neighbor, offering to clean a house or mowing a person’s yard. Any time we prioritize serving others, we open space in our hearts to see the good in our own lives and the lives of others. 

Cultivating gratitude in our own hearts and in our children’s hearts does not happen overnight. However, with time and intentionality, we can help our children to grow in gratitude. What are some things that you are grateful for this year? Go share those answers with your kids and ask them the same question. 

The event was modeled after “Grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee's annual Walk for Freedom, a 2.5-mile walk that serves as a reminder that it took 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation for the news to reach South Texas. 

“The partnership between Cook Children’s and Twisted X reaffirms our commitment to providing both patients and families with individualized resources tailored to their health care needs,” said Cook Children's Health Foundation Director of National and Regional Partnerships Natalie Houghton. “We continually strive to provide compassionate care and are proud to come together with Twisted X who shares this philanthropic focus.”  

Twisted X will continue to donate 100 percent of wholesale proceeds from every pair sold directly to Cook Children’s to benefit the Creative Arts Program. The program enables patients to explore new ways of expressing themselves through visual arts, connecting the creative arts with the art of healing. This initiative aims to help children relax, gain confidence, make choices, practice control, solve problems, adjust to the hospital, and achieve social, emotional, and physical goals. To date, $75,000 has been given back to the program, which served 2,700 patients in the last year. 

“Partnering with Cook Children’s is a chance to make a positive change in our community and we’re proud to support the Creative Arts Program,” said Twisted X CEO Prasad Reddy. “We continue to believe that little steps can make a big impact and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see this collection embody the joy of footwear design.” 

The updated collection includes two thoughtfully designed shoes created by patient-artists Brianna and Alex, who worked alongside Twisted X Designer Tuan Le to bring their visions to life. Each pair is named after the young designer and represents their dream shoe—a lightweight, slip-resistant design tailored for comfort and style. These shoes are ideal for medical staff, patient families, and supporters of Cook Children’s everywhere. 

To celebrate the new launch, Cook Children’s and Twisted X hosted a special event today at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. The event honored the patient designers and provided a fun, interactive experience for patients and families at the medical center.

The collection will be available in the gift shops at Cook Children’s medical centers in Fort Worth and Prosper. To learn more about the special collection, visit twistedx.com/pages/cook-childrens. 

What exactly is Child Life? Child life specialists are asked this question daily. Despite its decades-old presence, child life specialists regularly explain the basics of their practice to others, often provoking surprise and appreciation. The “wow” following the explanation is a shared experience, a moment where child life specialists themselves reflect on the remarkable, and sometimes hard-to-grasp, nature of their profession.

Child life, though rooted in 1920s “play programs,” gained formal recognition in hospitals during the 1960s. While the profession has evolved significantly since then, just as the world has, its foundations still guide and direct every interaction. Child life is an essential component of pediatric care, supporting children’s healing throughout their medical journeys.   

Play

The foundational principles of child life services include emotional support, preparation for medical procedures, parental involvement and play.

At the heart of child life lies play, a fundamental principle that guides all other aspects of the profession. While play can sound simple and unimportant to the world, it is the primary way to relate to children. Children communicate through play in many ways: parallel play, cooperative play, constructive play, physical play and more.

As Fred Rogers, a television host and author better known as Mister Rogers stated, “Play is a child’s most important means of communication. Children are not self-conscious about playing. They play out what they think is real. That’s the ultimate honesty. Children bring their whole inner drama to any relationship.”

He also said, “Play is the work of childhood,” highlighting its crucial role in learning and development. Play is the best framework for every interaction with children.

So when a child is experiencing something new, different, scary, or confusing like the hospital, play becomes the essential starting point. It remains central to normalizing the hospital environment and facilitating healing.  

In The Story of Child Life, authors Susan Wojtasik and Claire White state, “Preparation for medical encounters, supporting family centered care, pain management, coping with grief and loss are as fundamental to child life practice today as is play. Nevertheless, play continues as a central experience in the hospital lives of children. It is a mode of healing.”

In some ways play has evolved over time with the development of technology. However, it has not changed a child’s need for free play, dress-up, or face-to-face interaction over a good card game or Barbie playtime.

Medical play, a cornerstone of child life practice, empowers children to process their medical experiences. By taking on the roles of doctors or nurses, children gain control and express their emotions, allowing child life specialists to understand their interpretations of their diagnoses and treatments.

So while the landscape of play has expanded, its core purpose – to learn, express and cope – remains unchanged. Children still thrive through pretending, competing and building, both independently and with others.

Emotional Support

While play is the foundation for communication with children, another principle of child life is emotional support.

Over the years, child life specialists have become essential in providing this support to patients and families, occupying a unique position within the health care team.

They are not responsible for making medical decisions for the patients or carrying out medical procedures; however, they serve as a constant, empathetic presence, guiding patients and families through the emotional complexities of their medical journey.

While other professionals can provide emotional support, child life specialists have the unique role in a therapeutic relationship with patients and families that includes a lot of play and fun. This type of relationship breaks down emotional barriers and fosters trust.

From initial hospital admission to end-of-life care, child life specialists offer unwavering emotional support to patients, families and friends. Over the past century, their reach has expanded significantly, extending beyond inpatient settings to outpatient clinics, specialty clinics, emergency departments and many other spaces. Today, emotional safety is at the forefront of pediatric care, and child life specialists are leading the charge to ensure that the emotional well-being of children is protected within their health care experiences.

Preparation

Preparing and supporting patients for medical procedures and experiences is another foundational principal for child life. Since its inception, the profession has emphasized the value of preparing children for medical experiences.

There are many ways to prepare children, but we know that play is the foundation of communication with children; therefore, effective preparation incorporates play and demonstration, including medical play.  Preparation also includes sensory information for the patients – what they will feel, see, smell, and hear – before, during and after procedures. Child life specialists can prepare patients and families for a wide variety of medical experiences, from blood pressure cuff placement to an IV start, MRIs and end-of-life care.

Child life specialists are trained to use developmentally appropriate language with children, translating complex medical terms into understandable concepts, like describing a tourniquet as a “tight squeeze.” This language helps alleviate fear.

Child life specialists also educate patients about new diagnoses and collaborate with families to create personalized coping plans. Over time, this aspect of child life has become increasingly specialized, making child life specialists essential in helping patients navigate and cope with their medical environments and experiences.

Parent Involvement

Lastly, child life specialists foundationally believe in parent involvement. A century ago, parental presence was not a given in hospital settings.

One of my favorite books is Curious George goes to the Hospital by H.A. and Margaret Rey. It was originally published in 1966, and the Man with the Yellow Hat was not allowed to stay at the hospital with George. While this book is chalked full of the foundations of child life, it is clear that family-centered care was not yet a standard practice.

It wasn’t until 1980s that family-centered care was introduced to hospitals and not until 2003 that the American Academy of Pediatrics added family-centered care to their policies. Child life specialists were instrumental in advocating for parental inclusion in a child’s hospital stay and care. They were guided by family systems theory, which recognizes that a child’s medical experience affects the entire family.

Today, family-centered care is essential to medical care, especially pediatric care, with child life specialists championing parental presence and involvement in all aspects of care, from comfort positioning to education about procedures and diagnoses.

So, what is child life? Child life is the foundation of caring for children in the medical setting. Child life specialists exist to bring comfort and understanding to children within the medical environment and ensure their emotional safety through play, emotional support, preparation and parent involvement. A century later, child life specialists still play – first and foremost – provide emotional support, prepare, support and educate patient families, and advocate for family-centered care. As we celebrate child life month, we celebrate the incredible role that child life specialists play within the health care team.

References

Gaynard, L., Association for the Care of Children’s Health., & ACCH Child Life Research Project. (1990). Psychosocial care of children in hospitals : a clinical practice manual from the ACCH Child Life Research Project. Association for the Care of Children’s Health.

Wojtasik, S. P., & White, C. L. A. I. R. E. (2009). The story of child life. The handbook of child life: A guide for pediatric psychosocial care, 3-22.

RELATED ARTICLES
A Look Back: Celebrating 45 Years of Cook Children's Child Life Department

This exciting event coincides with one of the biggest fundraisers supporting Cook Children’s NICU. Join us for Cook Children’s Day at The Rodeo on February 5, 2025. Half the cost of your ticket will benefit Cook Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Rodeo has long been a treasured partner of Cook Children’s, benefitting the NICU for more than ten years.

Our Level IV NICU, with all-private patient rooms, provides the highest level of care for babies in our region. Grab your boots and come support our tiniest Texans!

Learn more about this exciting night here: https://www.cookchildrenspromise.org/events/rodeo/

March is Child Life Month! This year, we are celebrating 45 years of Cook Children’s Child Life Department. I can’t imagine Cook Children’s or any pediatric facility without child life, but nine times out of 10 when I tell people what I do, they immediately ask, “So what exactly does a child life specialist do?” I have to wonder if there is a blessing in people not knowing exactly what child life specialists are. It most likely means they or someone they know has not ever had to spend time at the hospital with a child. Yet, child life is so vital to the care pediatric facilities provide patients and families.

History of Child Life 

Child life services, or some version of play in the pediatric setting, dates back to the 1920s. Michigan and New York both had pediatric hospitals developing play programs for their patients in the early 20s. Play is essential to children’s development, so it is not surprising that it became clear that even hospitalized children still needed play interactions. Emma Plank, known as the mother of child life, was asked by Dr. Fred Robbins – a Nobel Prize-winning pediatrician – to create a program to “address the social, emotional, and educational needs of hospitalized children” (ACLP, 2023) at the Cleveland City Hospital in 1955. 

Plank went on to be the director of that child life program until 1972, and in 1962, she authored a book titled Working with Children in Hospitals. At the same time in 1965, a group of child life pioneers met in Boston to discuss child and family-friendly hospital settings. This meeting led to a professional organization that became the Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals (ACCH) in 1967. This group was made up of doctors, nurses, child life specialists, other professionals, and parents.

The 1970s was a time of growth in the field of child life. A group of child life professionals met to establish the theoretical framework of the profession and begin to establish educational requirements for becoming a child life specialist. The number of child life programs increased during this time, including Cook Children’s own child life program. Lisa Pool graduated from Texas Woman’s University as a recreational therapist. Upon completing her residency required for her degree in a child life program, she changed her profession and became Cook Children’s first-ever child life specialist in 1978. In 1979, Cook Children’s had an official Child Life Department, which is celebrating 45 years this year!

In 1982, the Child Life Council was established. It is now known as the Association of Child Life Professionals (2016). They began a national conference for child life professionals and requirements for professional certification were also established. Much work was done in the 1980s and 1990s to support the child life profession by creating and upholding standards for child life programs and individuals in the field of child life. 

Now, child life specialists must complete certain coursework in play, child development, grief and bereavement, and other related courses along with a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 600-hour internship under a certified child life specialist to be eligible to sit for the Child Life Certification Exam. To maintain their certification, child life specialists must continue their education or take the exam every five years.

Child Life Today

There are over 5,500 child life professionals in the world today. Cook Children’s has over 89 individuals in the child life department including Certified Child Life Specialists, activity coordinators, music therapists, art therapists, recording and broadcast producers in the Child Life Zone and many other individuals who are a part of our Sit, Stay, and Play and CARP programs, Sibling Center staff, experience ambassadors and community program coordinator.

When I think of how far child life has come as a profession, I am so proud to be a part of not only apart of this profession, but specifically the Child Life Department here at Cook Children’s. Jill Koss, Director of Family Support Services, has been at Cook Children’s for 33 years and has served as a pillar of the child life profession becoming the 2023 ACLP Distinguished Service Award recipient. She values serving patients and families above all, and she continues to empower our department to remain true to the practice of helping children through hospitalization even though the world of healthcare is constantly changing.

Today, all over the world, you will find child life specialists impacting children who are experiencing hospitalization. Child life specialists meet children and families to support their continued development and emotional safety. Child life specialists do this by promoting play and normalization, preparing and supporting patients through painful procedures, teaching children coping skills, supporting patients and families through grief and bereavement and providing patients and families with creative outlets through art, music, broadcasting and much more!

Child life specialists have become an essential part of the pediatric health care team and are honored to advocate for patients and families throughout their hospital journeys. While the child life profession is fairly young compared to others, it is safe to say that child life professionals have impacted children and families well beyond their years. Happy Child Life Month and Happy 45 Years of Cook Children’s Child Life Department!

If you would like to learn more about what Child Life Specialist do each day, you can check out the following articles:

• Entering Someone Else’s Story: What It Means to Be a Child Life Specialist
• How Child Life Specialists Can Help Patients Through an Important Aspect to Pediatric Health Care