Underwaterworld VieCuri

And there you are, in the hospital, and the doctor has ordered you to stay overnight. Well, you could certainly use some distraction! As pediatrician (and initiator) Karin van Dael from VieCuri Hospital in Venlo explains: "LEGO works like medicine and can really reduce (the focus on) pain."

With that in mind, we designed seven underwater creatures for the children to build. The ward has also been decorated with a large submarine featuring colorful coral. This way, besides the building fun, the children also have a build to lose themselves in for hours.

Every 0-4 year old who stays overnight in the hospital receives a box of Duplo. For the 5-17 year olds, there are underwater animal sets at various levels of difficulty. With funding from VieAmi – the Friends of VieCuri organization – we were able to organize enough sets for a year. We're hoping for donations from everyone (any help is welcome) to extend the project for a second year, or perhaps a third, or... Click here to contribute to VieAmi for this exciting project.

Besides the submarine on a coral background, the project also includes the following:

Boxes of DUPLO bricks for the youngest patients.

Seven different LEGO designs—boxes, building instructions, and underwater animals of varying difficulty—of underwater animals:

* Dolphin, green octopus, and blue octopus. ** Lobster and crab. *** Turtle and seahorse.

Each month, there will be a building contest so visitors to the children's ward can show off their own creations with the LEGO sets. The goal is to maximize distraction and building fun during what is usually a stressful time in the hospital.

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