Children visit the doctor for routine check-ups, immunizations, and even emergencies. They may not be aware of what is going on and can become frightened and stressed by the experience. This experience will remain with them, possibly for a long time, and may even stop them from visiting their doctor in the future.
Young people are more stressed out due to unfamiliar surroundings, lack of understanding of what is happening, and fear of needles or injections. However, you can provide a comfortable environment for your young patients with these helpful tips:
1. Themed Murals
Among the different elements to make your clinic child-friendly is using themed murals. Professional artists paint these murals, and you can choose designs according to your theme. Since children love nature, you can include forest themed decor.
Many people nowadays use bright colors in the interior design of their houses because they brighten up the space and decorate them very well. This applies similarly to kids’ medical and dental clinics in a way that children find inviting.
To create bold walls for this purpose, light colors like pastel or pale blue can be used with murals containing animals or playtime scenes so that children feel relaxed in the clinic’s waiting room. Not only will this help in soothing distressed children, but it will also keep the parents relaxed.
2. Touchable Items
Another way to make your clinic child-friendly is to have touchable items on display so that children can feel them readily. These include picture books, plush toys, games, and figurines of famous characters. The more interactive the item, the better because children are naturally attracted to hands-on exhibits, which help them understand their surroundings more easily.
Plush toys are great examples because they are soft enough for kids of all ages to play with comfortably. Softer items are especially important if you want younger children who may not control themselves in a doctor’s office setting yet.
3. Attractive Decorations
Other decorative elements to make your clinic child-friendly are posters and calendars. These should be on the wall, hung from the ceiling, or placed on shelves for height variation.
You can place oversized items on a separate shelf with some distance between them and the surrounding walls so that children can readily choose which ones they want to play or read while at their appointments.
For example, if you’re a dental clinic, you can display appropriate dentist office decorations, such as a crescent-shaped sign with a cartoon of a tooth on it.
4. Wooden-Themed Benches
Aside from soft and touchable decorations, you can also have wooden-themed benches as a way to make your child-friendly clinic.
For instance, you can use a bench with a painted panel of an animal at one end and then provide some rocking motion for children who need it. This way, they will sit more calmly on the bench while waiting for their turn at their doctor’s clinic visit. For some ideas, you may visit this page for an incredible portfolio of a woodland decor theme for pediatric office if you’re a pediatric clinic.
5. Movie Theater Area
Themed movie theaters would be a great addition to your clinic’s waiting room. You can create this unique space by adding comfortable seating, a TV screen, and a play area for kids. Some designers can make this unique and special just for your office, depending on the services you provide.
If you have ample space, a projector is a good choice so you can screen movies and cartoons on a big screen. A built-in cabinet would also be great to store DVDs of family-friendly movies inside, including some old features like The Little Mermaid or newer ones. Make sure the seats are low to the ground or use bean bags, so it’s easy for kids to get in and out of.
6. Billboards on Your Vehicle
Traveling billboards are not new to the marketing world. This unique strategy involves a company painting a huge advertisement on the side of their car, then driving it around town to promote products or services.
For medical settings, this helps encourage children that clinics are not scary after all. Though it is not inside your office, your patients can still see your vehicle outside. Make it child-friendly by painting cartoonish images featuring children having fun. This will spark kids’ curiosity and possibly convince them to come inside your clinic.
Keep In Mind
Whatever style, design, color, or theme you want for your clinic, your goal is to create a happy and caring environment for children.
When they feel at ease, you can worry less about them crying or fighting with other children in the waiting room because they are preoccupied with engaging themselves in the decor of your office. By creating this comfortable environment, you can help kids be more patient during their check-ups so that you can perform better as well.
Most importantly, choose designers who have experience designing a space like yours. You can be sure that the result is exactly what you envisioned when starting this project.
