Buying guide
Time moves slowly on a children's ward. Between rounds, meals and visitors there are long stretches with little to do, and a child who feels tired or sore may not want screens or noisy games. A stack of gentle puzzles, one sheet at a time, is a simple thing to bring. This guide covers what helps, what to pack, and the hospital stay pack we make.
By the Buy Activity Books team · Updated · 3 min read
The best hospital activity book for a child is light, quiet and done in short pieces: one puzzle per sheet, gentle everyday themes, nothing about treatments, and easy to do in bed on a clipboard. Printable sheets can be handed out one at a time and recycled when finished. Ask the ward first about what is allowed in the room.
Twenty-four quiet puzzles for a child spending time in hospital: gentle word searches about helpers, get-well cards, cosy things and going home, mixed with mazes that grow page by page. Nothing about treatments or procedures.
| Hospital Stay | |
|---|---|
| Best for | 6 to 9 |
| Puzzles | 24 |
| Grid | 10 by 10 word search, mazes 6 to 12 |
| Difficulty | Gentle, everyday themes |
| Pages (A4) | 32 |
| Answer key | Yes |
| Paper sizes | A4 and US Letter |
| Price | $4.99 |
Sixteen word searches with gentle, everyday themes: at the hospital, helpers, feeling better, things in my room, brave words, get-well cards, quiet games, healthy food, animals that rest, under the stars, gentle moves, out the window, going home, bright colors, kind words and story time.
Eight mazes sit between them and grow from 6 by 6 to 12 by 12. The pack deliberately contains no words about treatments, needles, tests or illnesses: it is for passing the time, not for preparing a child for a procedure.
A printed sheet can be used once and recycled, so nothing has to be shared between children and nothing needs cleaning. Hospitals set their own rules about what can go into patient rooms, especially on some specialist wards, so ask the nurses before bringing anything in.
If you are visiting, a printed pack with a new pencil set and a clipboard makes a simple, practical gift. You can print it at home and bring it the same day, with no shopping or delivery.
Siblings often spend long hours in hospital too, in waiting rooms and family areas. For personal and classroom use: print as many copies as your household or class needs. Print a set for them as well, so everyone has something to do.
For an adult patient or a grandparent on a ward, our large print word search and graded sudoku work in the same way: one puzzle per page, printed fresh, answers at the back.
Every puzzle in our packs is generated and then checked by computer before it is allowed into a pack. Anything that fails a check is thrown away and replaced.
One route per maze
Every maze is a perfect maze, so there is exactly one way through.
One solution per sudoku
Each sudoku is solved by computer and kept only if it has one answer.
Every word once
Each word-search word is checked to appear exactly once in its grid.
Answers included
Every pack ends with a full answer key, in A4 and US Letter.
No. It uses everyday, comforting words only. It is designed for passing time, not for explaining treatment.
Ages 6 to 9 for the word searches. The mazes need no reading, so younger children can do those.
Many hospitals have a print service, family room or library printer, but it varies. Printing at home or at a local print shop before you go is the safest plan.
Straight away. The download page opens as soon as payment goes through, and a link is emailed to you as well, so there is no shipping and no wait.
Yes. Every pack ends with a full answer key, so a parent, teacher or the solver can check the work.
Yes. For personal and classroom use: print as many copies as your household or class needs. You may not resell the files or the printed pages.
