PROJECT SUNSHINE CANADA HARNESSES THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY TO HELP CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES MANAGE CHILDHOOD MEDICAL CHALLENGES

Play is one of the most effective methods of reducing stress in children, allowing their bodies to heal. Our programs step beyond the formal healthcare system, transforming hospitals into joyful, friendly, healing environments for children and families who are facing one of the most difficult times in their lives.

Project Sunshine Canada is headquartered in Toronto and serves 24 hospital and rehabilitation partners in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.  As part of an international organization, Project Sunshine’s reach spans across 175 cities and three other international locations: Kenya, Israel, and the United States.

We serve patients age 0-18 facing any medical challenge, chronic or acute, and take a family-centered approach to care, inviting caregivers and siblings to participate in all activities. We provide adaptable, play-based programming, through a dedicated corps of volunteers, that inspires child-centric and family-based behavioral change.

Our programs not only normalize an unfamiliar, scary setting for hospitalized children and their families, but also help patients build resiliency, feel less isolated and alone, and provide the human connection that is so vital to their healing process.

Our research-based programming includes interactive activities which are developmentally appropriate and designed specifically to promote the importance of play in a child’s development, and as a means to support their mental and physical wellbeing during medical challenges. Every element of our programming follows Project Sunshine’s foundational principles: to promote socialization, creative expression, intellectual stimulation, and sensory stimulation while incorporating our core values – they must be therapeutic, educational and inspire joy.