A Bag of Fun is a backpack filled to the brim with toys and games that are hand-picked for each child, taking into consideration their developmental age, gender, treatment plan, and interests.

What is a Medical Bag of Fun?

Our Medical Bag of Fun is provided to children throughout our community who are bravely battling a variety of critical, long-term and life-threatening conditions. They are thoughtfully packed to help children find joy, laughter, and relief – even in their toughest moments. Each bag is packed with items that spark imagination, support development, and provide healthy distractions. More than just toys, they’re a reminder that every child is more than their diagnosis. These bags bring comfort, creativity, and a chance for kids to simply be kids.

“The Bag of Fun turned his whole day around! He went from nervous and sad to excited & smiling non-stop. The joy it brought gave us a break from the tough moments of treatment and reminded him, and us, that there is always room for fun, even during the hardest times.”

– Parent of Medical Bag Recipient

A backpack with Rush Hour traffic jam logic game in the front and a Bags of Fun water bottle in the side cup holder, and a Amazon Fire, art pad and headphones in the back. The Bags of Fun backpack is sitting on a Bags if Fun blanket, and it is resting on a packaged dart board.
A High Sierra Bags of Fun backpack with lots of toys, including a fidget sticking out of various pockets.

What is a Mental Health Bag of Fun?

Our Mental Health Bag of Fun is designed to bring hope, safety, and support to young individuals in crisis. In partnership with local adolescent medical centers and behavioral health teams, we ensure that each bag meets the real needs of at-risk teens. Given at discharge, each bag goes home with the child, filled with tools to help them cope, recover, and heal. Sometimes, that small moment of support can be what helps them choose a better path.

“I was so shocked when my therapist gave me a Bag of Fun! It was full of so many awesome things that I could not stop smiling. I thought everyone had given up on me, and I even had given up on myself. The Bag of Fun gave me hope that people who don’t even know me, care about me. You are my heroes!”

– Mental Health Bag Recipient

The Effects of Play Therapy and Bags of Fun.

Quality study conducted by Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

  • 78% agree that the Bag of Fun helped motivate him/her to continue through treatment.
  • 98% felt that the Bag of Fun helped parents feel less isolated because others are thinking of them and their children.
  • 88% agreed that playing with their child reinforced that he/she is a child first, not just a patient.
  • 91% agreed that engaging in play with their child provided a distraction for the parent as a caregiver from the stress of the illness.
  • 87% of participants believed that playing with items in the bag helped their child cope and maintain some normalcy during treatments.
  • 83% agree that the Bag of Fun distracted their child from negative side effects of hospitalization/treatment, like pain, nausea, fear and anxiety.