Best gifts for a young child undergoing cancer treatment?
April 18, 2023 12:15 PM Subscribe
My 4-year-old nibling will be having major surgery followed by chemo. What are some good gifts and activities as they heal up?
Nibling is usually very active and bouncing around, and most of their toys reflect that. Becoming sedentary for weeks (minimum) will be a big adjustment―on top of the actual health issues. We need to find the most absorbing toys, books, and activities to help distract them and encourage relaxation during this time.
Likewise, we’d appreciate any suggestions on items or rituals that can make chemo even a little easier.
(The hospital has already supplied the family with some excellent books to explain surgery and chemo in four-year-old terms. We’re looking more for fun distractions.)
Links to specific products would be very appreciated. We're all quite frazzled and not up for internet scavenger hunts right now.
Many thanks.
Nibling is usually very active and bouncing around, and most of their toys reflect that. Becoming sedentary for weeks (minimum) will be a big adjustment―on top of the actual health issues. We need to find the most absorbing toys, books, and activities to help distract them and encourage relaxation during this time.
Likewise, we’d appreciate any suggestions on items or rituals that can make chemo even a little easier.
(The hospital has already supplied the family with some excellent books to explain surgery and chemo in four-year-old terms. We’re looking more for fun distractions.)
Links to specific products would be very appreciated. We're all quite frazzled and not up for internet scavenger hunts right now.
Many thanks.
My extremely active almost four-year-old will spend solid chunks of quiet time coloring in
Water Wow books ("painting" with water) and regular coloring books, playing Sago Mini games on the iPad, and paging through books from The Ultimate... series by Anne-Sophie Baumann (The Ultimate Construction Site Book, The Ultimate Book of Cities, etc.), which are full of fun pull tabs and pop-ups. Wishing the very best for your nibling and whole family!
posted by Synesthesia at 12:40 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
Water Wow books ("painting" with water) and regular coloring books, playing Sago Mini games on the iPad, and paging through books from The Ultimate... series by Anne-Sophie Baumann (The Ultimate Construction Site Book, The Ultimate Book of Cities, etc.), which are full of fun pull tabs and pop-ups. Wishing the very best for your nibling and whole family!
posted by Synesthesia at 12:40 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another huge favorite right now is podcasts. There are a lot for kids these days, but mine especially likes Thomas & Friends Storytime, Pinkalicious & Peteriffic, Deep Blue Sea (Spotify only), and Gardenkeeper Gus (Spotify only).
posted by Synesthesia at 12:46 PM on April 18, 2023
posted by Synesthesia at 12:46 PM on April 18, 2023
How about a Tonie Box? It is a soft box and your nibling can switch out the figurines for different stories and songs. You can even personalize a Tonie and put in your voice and jokes and songs. My son loved the Disney Tonies and the Peter Rabbit Tonie. Whenever I went away on business trips, he would play my personalized Tonie where I read several books on repeat throughout the days.
posted by ichimunki at 12:52 PM on April 18, 2023
posted by ichimunki at 12:52 PM on April 18, 2023
A battery operated play sink that recirculates tap water has been a huge hit with the 4 year olds I know. Include a pack of large disposable puppy pee pads to absorb spillage, and use them liberally - can be hung to dry overnight and re-used a few times.
And honestly just do a ton of screen time! It’s calm, distracting, and relaxing. Bluey is the best show out there. My kiddo enjoys long quiet YouTube videos showing the process of building a house, or how things are made in factories.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:04 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
And honestly just do a ton of screen time! It’s calm, distracting, and relaxing. Bluey is the best show out there. My kiddo enjoys long quiet YouTube videos showing the process of building a house, or how things are made in factories.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:04 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Fisher Price record player has been a huge hit with a three-year-old in my life. I'm told she plays with it constantly. It comes with different records so kid can change them and play different songs.
I also just got this lap desk for a five-year-old recuperating from surgery. It opens up, so you can put crayons, pencils, paper, and activity books inside.
posted by FencingGal at 1:45 PM on April 18, 2023
I also just got this lap desk for a five-year-old recuperating from surgery. It opens up, so you can put crayons, pencils, paper, and activity books inside.
posted by FencingGal at 1:45 PM on April 18, 2023
I haven't been through chemo, but I did have a bad motorcycle wreck when I was 13, and had a very long recovery. After being immobile for a long time, it took me a while to get my energy, strength, and stamina back. I got easily frustrated, and gave up on a lot of things, partly from having low strength and energy, and partly from the mental toll of being sick and tired of... being sick and tired.
I tried a lot of crafts and hobbies that I never really took very far, tried several artistic avenues, tried to learn a couple instruments. My parents were good enough to humor my frustrated, fickle, teenage brain, but wise enough to not dump a bunch of money into this. Borrowed instruments and one of those "super mega art kits" that has everything from paints to pencils was how they did it. I read a lot. The library was an amazing resource, for borrowing books, magazines, and music. I couldn't go myself, but my mom brought me weird books and music that were so far outside my wheelhouse, I never would've chosen them myself, but I read/listened to them anyway. Hits and misses, but it broadened my horizons.
All of which is to say, this may be a time that kiddo gets easily frustrated or thinks they want to try X thing, but turns out it's not really for them or not what they were expecting... Be prepared for a lot of "I changed my mind," and so maybe don't dive/invest too deep in any one thing, but instead be consider a range of options a mile wide and an inch deep?
For a more tangible answer, plushies / stuffed animals. They don't have to be expensive, and they can be had with a range of colors and textures. And there's something just so comforting about hugging your favorite stuffed animal when you're not feeling well.
posted by xedrik at 4:27 PM on April 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
I tried a lot of crafts and hobbies that I never really took very far, tried several artistic avenues, tried to learn a couple instruments. My parents were good enough to humor my frustrated, fickle, teenage brain, but wise enough to not dump a bunch of money into this. Borrowed instruments and one of those "super mega art kits" that has everything from paints to pencils was how they did it. I read a lot. The library was an amazing resource, for borrowing books, magazines, and music. I couldn't go myself, but my mom brought me weird books and music that were so far outside my wheelhouse, I never would've chosen them myself, but I read/listened to them anyway. Hits and misses, but it broadened my horizons.
All of which is to say, this may be a time that kiddo gets easily frustrated or thinks they want to try X thing, but turns out it's not really for them or not what they were expecting... Be prepared for a lot of "I changed my mind," and so maybe don't dive/invest too deep in any one thing, but instead be consider a range of options a mile wide and an inch deep?
For a more tangible answer, plushies / stuffed animals. They don't have to be expensive, and they can be had with a range of colors and textures. And there's something just so comforting about hugging your favorite stuffed animal when you're not feeling well.
posted by xedrik at 4:27 PM on April 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
I have two suggestions that worked well under the same circumstances. First, laser gloves! Amazon is filled with options. Kids LOVE laser gloves. They are fantastic for little ones stuck in hospital beds who feel shitty. My other suggestion is Hexbugs. Your options are nearly endless, and they are really enjoyable to fiddle with when stuck in a hospital. You can even get little hamster balls or mazes for the bugs, which make them even cooler! Good luck and FUCK CANCER!
posted by msali at 9:19 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by msali at 9:19 PM on April 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
I am presuming that as well as some bed time for recovery there will be more travel in your nibling's life as they go to receive treatment as well as the chemo itself? An audio player will be less likely to lead to car sickness in the way that focusing on a screen would.
Are there other niblings in the household who need to be considered / distracted?
A Yoto Player (probably the mini) and some volume controlled headphones would be wonderful. Yotos are screen free* audio players that can play pre-recorded cards (or be controlled from a caregiver's phone) and you can also Make Your Own cards which would be a great way for other family members to read favourite stories / make music mixes for upcoming birthdays, holidays etc. *There is a tiny 16x16 bit screen that my 3 year old finds fascinating.
The mini can be accessorised with Etsy available travel holders and straps.
There might be especially calming music or a recommended meditation for kids that can be played during the chemo process. You could provide your nibling with a suitably themed eye mask (unicorn / pirate / dragon) so they can ignore visual reminders of the chemo during treatment.
Screen focused: I presume there is already a tablet available?
We are also finding hours of ipad occupation with the Reading Eggs and Maths Seeds phonics and early maths programs. There is some structured content that scaffolds learning, but the games are usefully distracting and support related learning outcomes too. Developing phonics skills might also support them picking up their own books to read sooner rather than later.
Disney + access primarily so your nibling can watch Bluey over and over again and most specifically the episode Bumpy and The Wise Old Wolfhound. We've found Bluey to be much slower paced than a lot of other kids shows and it is just a lovely world to inhabit.
posted by pipstar at 1:14 AM on April 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
Are there other niblings in the household who need to be considered / distracted?
A Yoto Player (probably the mini) and some volume controlled headphones would be wonderful. Yotos are screen free* audio players that can play pre-recorded cards (or be controlled from a caregiver's phone) and you can also Make Your Own cards which would be a great way for other family members to read favourite stories / make music mixes for upcoming birthdays, holidays etc. *There is a tiny 16x16 bit screen that my 3 year old finds fascinating.
The mini can be accessorised with Etsy available travel holders and straps.
There might be especially calming music or a recommended meditation for kids that can be played during the chemo process. You could provide your nibling with a suitably themed eye mask (unicorn / pirate / dragon) so they can ignore visual reminders of the chemo during treatment.
Screen focused: I presume there is already a tablet available?
We are also finding hours of ipad occupation with the Reading Eggs and Maths Seeds phonics and early maths programs. There is some structured content that scaffolds learning, but the games are usefully distracting and support related learning outcomes too. Developing phonics skills might also support them picking up their own books to read sooner rather than later.
Disney + access primarily so your nibling can watch Bluey over and over again and most specifically the episode Bumpy and The Wise Old Wolfhound. We've found Bluey to be much slower paced than a lot of other kids shows and it is just a lovely world to inhabit.
posted by pipstar at 1:14 AM on April 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
When I was living with a 4 year old and they got super anxious, we would look at the breathing meditation app I had on my phone together and just follow along. They liked the fact that you could change the shapes, color and timing (link goes to an app similar to the one I used). There are also gifs that are even simpler.
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:18 AM on April 19, 2023
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:18 AM on April 19, 2023
Whatever you decide to get, you might want to space things out,rather than an overwhelming pile of new stuff right at the start. You can make ceremonies around the distribution dates.
posted by CathyG at 6:59 PM on April 24, 2023
posted by CathyG at 6:59 PM on April 24, 2023
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posted by EndsOfInvention at 12:21 PM on April 18, 2023 [5 favorites]