ABSTRACT
People concerned with sick children have become increasingly aware that, in concentrating on a child's physical needs, his emotional and psychological needs may well be forgotten. Bed-tables and bed-trays extend space both for playing on and for storing toys that aren't immediately wanted. Once parents decide not to be too inhibited by the fact that the child is in bed, but to protect the bedclothes and let him get on with it, all sorts of play becomes possible. A mouth organ is one of the best, since it can be played in any position and quite young children can produce some sort of tune to their own satisfaction after a day's practice. Quite quickly a series of events can build up that make a hospital experience for a young child very frightening indeed. In some centres of progressive paediatric care in the USA a great deal of forethought and care goes into preparing children for hospital.
