Children often visit the doctor for routine check-ups, immunizations, and even emergencies. Not only are they scared of the unknown, but they’re also anxious about how their doctor will treat them. As their caregiver, you will be asking them difficult questions using tools that they’re not familiar with, which can be very scary for a child.
Not only is your office an uncomfortable space, but there are often items in the room that can frighten children, like sharp instruments on trays or even some of the equipment. To help alleviate some of these fears, you can transform your clinic into a child-friendly space.
Here are a few tips on interior designs to make your clinic more child-friendly:
1. Themed Murals
Among the different elements to make your clinic child-friendly is using themed murals for photo ops. Kids take delight in seeing their favorite characters surrounding them. For instance, create a scene wherein they can be in the company of their beloved cartoon characters. You can also paint a scene from their favorite movie to make it more memorable for them.
You don’t have to put up large murals around your clinic even if you want a child-friendly atmosphere. You can place them in a small area where kids play a lot, such as the waiting area, the entrance of your clinic, or on one side of a room where they play.
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 that help them understand their surroundings more easily.
Plush toys are excellent examples since 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
Aside from the murals, you can also put up colorful posters featuring their favorite cartoon characters or movies. If you want, you can also try putting up clouds with your logo on them. The sky’s the limit as long as it makes the clinic more engaging for kids.
Some talented artists can create masterpieces suitable for the services you provide. For example, you can use jungle decor for pediatric office if you’re a pediatrician. What’s great about having custom decors is choosing the color scheme based on your logo. It helps create a unique experience for kids in your clinic.
4. Wooden-Themed Benches or Desks
In addition to soft and touchable decorations, you can also have wooden-themed benches or desks to make your child-friendly clinic.
For instance, put a custom made reception desk in the waiting area and engrave your clinic logo on the front. Decorate these with wooden sculptures of famous characters that they usually see on TV.
You don’t need to buy ready-made furniture if you feel that they look too old for modern kids. Instead, you can turn it into something they will love by painting them yellow or with polka dots. Moreover, you can turn the tables into something more fun, personalizing it with colorful stickers of cute characters. You can also place some stuffed toys on top of them for decoration.
Remember
Whatever style, design, color, or theme you want for your clinic, your goal is to create a happy and caring environment for children. It will be beneficial for you too, as it helps attract more patients.
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. This way, you can ensure that the result is exactly what you envisioned when starting on this project.