Resources for Professionals

Our print-off resources have been designed by experts to support you to embed play into your practice

⭐NEW⭐ Starlight Prep book

Our prep books are designed to help children in your care understand what to expect from their hospital visit.

You can use the book as an opportunity to open up a safe space for questions, helping them to begin to process the information. Our prep books are customisable to match your healthcare setting. 

Prep book - going to hospital (outpateint and inpatient)

🔗 Download, customise, and print your own prep book

Prep book - having surgery

🔗 Download, customise, and print your own prep book

Visit our Family Hub for prep books aimed at parents, guardians, and children. 

Resources for play teams

Use these to display within healthcare settings, so everyone can understand these roles.

Health play specialist role 🔗

Playworker Role 🔗

A document for health play teams to use to manage the cleaning of play resources, to meet infection control guidance

Weekly Cleaning Log 🔗

A document to share with medical teams that enables them to highlight a child who can benefit from the input from a play specialist.

Play Specialist Referral Form 🔗

A place to document interaction and support provided to children and their families.

Audit Sheet - double 🔗

Audit Sheet - single 🔗

A sign to use on wards, procedure rooms, and medical areas to remind staff to call for a health play specialist to support the procedure. It gives details of each area of procedure support and how a play specialist can help.

STOP Call a HPS 🔗

A poster displaying the many reasons behind the importance of play.

Download the poster 🔗

Starlight colouring pages with a blank template for children to design their own Starlight picture.

Download the colouring sheets 🔗

A selection of themed wordsearch puzzles for children aged 5 and above.

Download the wordsearches 🔗

Communication tools

Tools to communicate with  and empower the voice of young patients. 

Yes/No cards with words 🔗

Yes/No cards with colours 🔗

Widgit 'choosing' board 🔗

Widgit 'now and next' board 🔗

Traffic light template 🔗

Starlight Prep Books Animation

Going to hospital can cause anxiety and Starlight have create a short animation to help prepare children and their families, improving confidence and showing what to expect in a fun way. 

Tracking progress

Are you working with a child or young person who deserves a celebration or award? Use our free print off PDF certificates to show off their achievements with pride!

Bubble certificate - green 🔗

Bubble certificate - orange 🔗

Framed certificate - green 🔗

Use our free downloadable reward charts to keep track of whatever you like!

Reward chart - blank 🔗

Reward chart - with the days of the week 🔗

Document a child's development when in hospital, for long-term or reoccurring stays. This can support their development progress and limit development regression.

Play Programme 🔗

Play Programme Example 🔗

Use in healthcare settings to support a child routine, help them to know what to expect throughout the day and to give consistency to each day.

Download timetable 🔗

A hospital passport is a way to document a child’s needs, likes, and dislikes. It can move with a child through different wards and settings to give continuity of care and help healthcare professionals to understand a child’s holistic needs.

Hospital Passport 🔗

Hospital procedure social stories

Social stories can be used as a way of explaining in simple steps, the process of a procedure or hospital visit. Using Widgit symbols to aid understanding.

Blood tests 🔗

MRI Scan 🔗

Surgery 🔗

X-ray 🔗

Going to hospital 🔗

End of life resources

There resources help play specialists and healthcare professionals with end of life and bereavement work.

Heart shaped notes 🔗

Gratitude tree 🔗

Stars of support 🔗

Memory jar 🔗

'What make me feels safe' worksheet 🔗

Balloons of comfort 🔗

Feelings garden 🔗