Donating toys or other items

Our Patient Amenities and Family Services program considers every element of a hospital stay through the eyes of patients’ families and offers the support families need to feel normal and whole.

• Our child life specialists deliver kid-centered care: A hospital visit or stay can be traumatic for a child, especially when they are in pain or if the treatments they need are invasive and uncomfortable. Child life specialists are an incredible source of comfort and compassion. They are specially trained to support children in a developmentally appropriate manner through play, preparation, education, guided imagery and self-expression activities
• The creative arts guide kids along the path to healing: When a child encounters a health care challenge, their world is turned upside down. Art and music therapy provide a much-needed creative outlet for children staying at our hospitals. Through approaches such as songwriting, music improvisation or drawing, children can more easily communicate their needs, desires, and difficult or confusing emotions. That allows them to exert control in a healthy way, which is important in an environment where they otherwise don’t have much choice or control.

These services are fundamental to our identity as a pediatric hospital and health system, yet we do none of this alone. When you donate a new item from our wish lists, you support a child's healthcare experience by providing comfort and distraction to normalize the hospital environment. Likewise, treatment milestones and celebratory events (e.g. birthdays, holidays) are made special with child-friendly surprises.

Below you’ll find guidelines for donating items throughout the year:

• All donated items must be new (store-bought and in original packaging) and cannot contain Latex
• Infection control guidelines do not permit us to accept the following
  • Gently used items
  • Items that have been stored for an extended period of time
  • Food
• Donations with religious or violent themes are not accepted
• To respect the privacy of our patients and families, we are unable to allow donors to personally deliver gifts to patients
• Download a full list of items that aren’t accepted

We appreciate your generosity to help kids be kids!

The child life and creative arts therapy teams provide a wish list of items appropriate for distraction and therapeutic purposes. Below is a list of places where you can purchase items from our wish list. Please check this page often because our needs are always changing:

• Amazon
• Walmart
• Blain’s Farm and Fleet
• Download the Fox Valley wish list

Are you interested in creating artwork for Children's Wisconsin? We have special projects and would like to add your art! This is a great chance for kids, families, students, scouts or other groups who need service projects. Projects are not scheduled at regular times. Fill out our online form by clicking the link below and we will contact you when a special project comes up.

Your donated items can be dropped off at our Milwaukee or Neenah hospitals.