Each year, The Toy Foundation™ (TTF) Play Fund opens grant applications for children’s hospitals and health systems nationwide to apply for funding. Applications are now open for the 2026 annual grant cycle, which will help expand pediatric patients’ access to play-based programs that deliver therapeutic benefits at hospitals in under-resourced communities. These grants are made possible through industry donations.
TTF is looking for industry partners to financially support the Play Fund in its fifth annual grant cycle. There are opportunities for companies of all sizes to join this program that greatly benefits children in need who are undergoing medical treatment. To explore ways to get involved, contact Kevin Colman, director of development at The Toy Foundation.
“Over the past decade, our approach to children has been more on their emotional needs and to balance that with their cognitive abilities. Things like play therapy can be used to help relax the child and make them more comfortable to allow us as healthcare providers to do procedures and examinations with more comfort and ease. One of the ways we are able to provide play is through foundation support, like from The Toy Foundation,” said Dr. Jeffrey Avner, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Maimonides Health Center in Brooklyn, New York, a grant recipient.
Play Fund is the only industry-wide funding initiative that distributes grants to children’s hospitals to comfort children when they need it most. These grants have funded a wide range of projects, from accessible play space upgrades, to offering safe sensory toys during procedures, and creating mobile play carts that staff can easily transport from room to room around a hospital. In total, Play Fund has distributed $1.6 million in support of 80 play projects that will comfort 825,000 children by the end of 2025.
The impact has been transformational, with every hospital reporting an overall improvement in the patient experience. Incorporating play into care plans has shown vast emotional benefits, helping pediatric patients express and regulate their feelings, which leads to improved coping, better patient cooperation, and a calmer environment to deliver care. Additionally, hospitals report communication benefits of play, especially among neurodivergent patients, with improved speech to express wants or needs in addition to improved social skills to foster connections with peers and family members. Read more about the impact of the 2024 play projects here.
To learn more about The Toy Foundation Play Fund, visit ToyFoundation.org.