The Toy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The US Toy Association, is proud to award $405,000 to 23 children’s hospitals and health systems to fund play projects that will help comfort paediatric patients during their medical journey. The funding will benefit over 245,000 children in need, with a specific focus on hospitals that serve under-resourced communities nationwide.
The Play Fund programme is the only industry-wide funding initiative that brings the power of play to hospitals. Uniting the philanthropy of toy companies enables it to fund a variety of projects, from sensory-friendly play areas to themed arts and crafts activities, and innovative play equipment. As a result, children are more likely to feel a sense of normalcy in an unfamiliar environment, develop positive behaviours and attitudes, and build stronger coping skills.
“Play is a key component of childhood. Having access to play in difficult situations, such as a hospital stay, can provide immense comfort and emotional benefits to paediatric patients as they receive treatment and heal”
Pam Mastrota, executive director at The Toy Foundation, said: “Play is a key component of childhood. Having access to play in difficult situations, such as a hospital stay, can provide immense comfort and emotional benefits to paediatric patients as they receive treatment and heal. We are proud that by the end of 2025, the collective impact of our Play Fund program will have provided the power of play to 825,000 children nationwide since 2021.”
2025 Recipients of The Toy Foundation’s Play Fund include:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – Chicago, IL
Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Hospital – Temple, TX
Blythedale Children’s Hospital – Valhalla, NY
Children’s Care Hospital & School dba LifeScape – Sioux Falls, SD
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore – Bronx, NY
Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron dba Akron Children’s Hospital – Akron, OH
Children’s Hospital New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU – Richmond, VA
Children’s Hospital Orange County – Orange, CA
Children’s of Mississippi – Jackson, MS
ChildServe – Johnston, IA
Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. – Minneapolis, MN
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – Hollywood, FL
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County – Chicago, IL
La Rabida Children’s Hospital – Chicago, IL
Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital – Loma Linda, CA
Maimonides Medical Center – Brooklyn, NY
MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach – Long Beach, CA
Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation – Louisville, KY
Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital – Baton Rouge, LA
Saint Francis Children’s Hospital – Tulsa, OK
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children – Philadelphia, PA
The Toy Foundation’s Play Fund connects the toy industry to vetted children’s hospitals to create a greater impact supporting children in need. Through the industry’s financial donations, the program has awarded 80 grants to children’s hospitals nationwide valued at $1.6 million since 2021. The Toy Foundation extends a special thank-you to the programme’s year-round financial supporters: Mattel, Beacon Media Group, and VTech Electronics.
To learn about the projects The Toy Foundation funded last year and the benefits children experienced, read the 2024 impact report online.
