How Glass Can Help Soothe Child Anxiety in Healthcare

Healthcare spaces can be stressful for all, but the youth are especially inexperienced in facing mortal challenges. How do young minds grasp death when they still barely comprehend life? It’s why healthcare designers take painstaking care to uplift kids’ areas with comfort and distraction. And since glass meets so many needs in healthcare design, it’s an obvious choice for building a place that can bring calm and hope.  

Create a Space for Play 

Play is powerful. A 2018 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics states that play time develops social, cognitive, and language skills—but most importantly, it mitigates toxic stress. Not just from the physical activity—it helps nurture relationships with caregivers, building the trust children need to feel safe. The study points out that kids don’t always need expensive, high-tech devices for play and entertainment. Many are content with inexpensive toys like wooden spoons, blocks, balls, puzzles, and markers. And it’s the attention from caregivers and parents that enriches children, not pricey devices. In that spirit, glass can provide hands-on activities that include parents and caregivers. 

For example, a coloring glass. In play areas with toys, seating, and digital entertainment, there can also be a glass wall with printed black outlines of shapes, cartoon characters, and nature scenes for coloring. Just provide some dry-erase markers and let children’s imaginations run wild. Parents can get in on the fun, too, and show off their own artistic ability or interpretation of it. And since glass is inherently non-porous, the “art” can be wiped away easily and will never leave stains even after long-term use.  

Use Color to Uplift and Heal 

Color influences everything. Studies show that it deeply impacts our psyche and even has the power to aid healing. Colors can reduce stress, reinforce positive feelings, and improve overall patient satisfaction. And glass provides so many opportunities to infuse colors into pediatric spaces. You can clad walls with seamless panes of glass customized with bright pastels and energizing hues that not only help revitalize the moods of young patients but also reinforce the brand of the healthcare facility. Use color to differentiate sections of open rooms for a playful way to organize your space. Or print wayfinding on the glass for a colorful way to help patients navigate the facility. The best part is that tempered glass is naturally durable and scratch-resistant, so it remains pristine over time, even the color will never fade or discolor.  

Safety and Privacy 

Glass partitions can help define privacy where it matters most. And with mobile glassboards, you can move this privacy screen around with ease. Glassboards also look elegant, and their crisp, reflective nature exudes a sense of cleanliness. You can also print patient boards on the glass for a clean way for physicians and patients to communicate. Furthermore, you can customize the glass with healing artwork, whether that be charming photography, calming abstract paintings, or simple, faithful prints of natural materials like stained glass or marble. In addition, tempered glass is five times stronger than normal glass, but even if it breaks, it separates into dull pebble-like pieces that are far less likely to cause injury. However you prioritize privacy and safety, glass can meet so many of the everyday challenges faced by healthcare professionals and can help you make a better impression on patients for years to come.