Connecting with Compassion: Confessions of two Child Life Specialists: Toy Tuesday

Glitter Wands

I love my glitter wands! I use them almost every day! They are a great distraction tool as well as a calming mechanism. The best part is they work for every age group(even an 80 year old lady who was having trouble calming down on our rehab floor)

Here A few different things to do with glitter wands:

1.My Favorite thing to do with glitter wands is have races. During radiology scans and lac repairs it is my go to distraction. I always carry two glitter wands in my distraction bag for this reason

2. Play “I spy…” Of course! Talk about the objects that you see inside. Talk about the colors and shapes. My favorite Glitter Wands are the Wonder Tubes by ISpy, they have all sorts of crazy things inside to look for.

3.Use as a tool for relaxation. Talk about how the glitter moves fast and slow, how it settles down and calms on its way down to the bottom, have a patient count while the glitter settles and talk about how counting when you are upset can help you relax.

4.Use the glitter wand as a bubble popper, a princess or prince’s wand, play music and have it become a conductor’s baton, or use it as a talking stick in a group session

5. Assess each child before handing over a glitter wand, you wouldn't want to get bonked in the head or have the glitter wand thrown across the room. Use your child life intuition and you’ll be fine!