Small children will be visiting the doctor about seven times for standard wellness visits just between the ages of one and four! That's a lot of time spent at the doctor's office, and also a lot of time spent in the pediatric waiting room.

You want your pediatric waiting room to be as child-friendly as possible. After all, you want children to feel safe and comfortable there. A trip to the doctor should be as good of an experience as possible.

We're here with a few tips that can help you improve your waiting room. Read on to learn more. 

Incorporate Play Areas

When children are waiting at the pediatric doctor's office, they may feel a bit nervous. A play area, or at least a few toys and interactive elements, is a great idea to put children at ease and give them something to focus on while they wait.

Stock your kid-friendly waiting room with age-appropriate toys, books, and interactive games. Consider dividing the room into zones for different age groups to cater to various interests and developmental stages if you have space to do so.

Incorporate activities that are both entertaining and educational to engage children during their wait.

Focus on Comfortable Seating

Provide comfortable and age-appropriate seating options. Include a mix of chairs and benches with colorful, easy-to-clean upholstery. Remember, you want to be able to easily wipe the seats down at the end of the day.

Consider adding soft seating options like bean bags or floor cushions for younger children. Ensure there's ample space for strollers and accommodations for different age groups.

We recommend seating "pods" so children and guardians can sit together. Children often feel safer grouped like this rather than in a wide-open seating area. 

Consider Private Spaces

Designate private spaces for nursing or quiet time. Consider the needs of parents with infants and provide comfortable seating, changing tables, and a calm environment for feeding or soothing their children. Remember that many young children may still be nursing, and parents need a place to do that.

Some children may also become overstimulated. Having private and quiet spaces available will be helpful in these cases because the children will have somewhere to go to settle down before their appointments. 

Keep It Bright

Many adult doctor's offices look plain and sterile. When it comes to a waiting room design for a pediatric doctor's office, you want to keep it bright and cheerful.

Prioritize natural light and avoid any dark or dim spaces. Use light and bright colors on the wall to evoke cheerful and happy emotions. You can also put murals and art on the wall to make the mood of the space even happier. 

Make the Most of Your Pediatric Waiting Room

These tips can help you make your pediatric waiting room more comfortable for parents and children alike. Make sure there's comfortable seating, provide private spaces, keep it bright and cheerful, and consider a play area to keep children entertained.

At Arminco Inc., we pride ourselves in our healthcare design. Whether it's a doctor's office, a dentist's office, or any type of medical office, we want to help you keep your staff and patients happy. 

Reach out to us so we can start redesigning your space today.