If you give children at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital a pad of paper and a box of crayons, their creations will likely go far beyond their family’s refrigerator door. Caregivers know that because art is fun and non-threatening, it can help patients get into the groove of hospital life.

Kevin Danie, a teacher at Packard Children’s in-house school, says that he and the other teachers and volunteers regularly use art projects to help reticent newcomers ease into the classroom environment.

Jo Wallace uses the kids’ art to learn what they’re thinking and feeling. As a board-certified art therapist, she helps children who need extra support or alternative ways to express themselves as they tap into fears or concerns. She sees the art as stepping-stones to further conversations.

For example, she asked a 5-year-old to draw a picture of herself in the hospital. The result was a sad little girl, alone and vulnerable during a blood draw. When Wallace asked her to describe the drawing, the girl said it showed her crying because she’d done something wrong and was being punished. Wallace gently assured the young patient that she hadn’t done anything wrong, and saw to it that her medical situation was explained to her in terms she could understand. With the girl’s permission, Wallace shared the drawing — tangible evidence of her angst — with the girl’s medical team. Armed with insight, they were able to treat her more effectively. — M.A. Malone

Artwork by patients at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital