Giessen Teddy Clinic: Children learn how to deal with fears through play!

Giessen Teddy Clinic: Children learn how to deal with fears through play!

The Giessen Teddy Clinic is once again opening its doors to young patients and their plush friends. From June 3rd to 6th, 2025, the square in front of the armory at Senckenbergstrasse 3 in Gießen will be the setting for a unique project that aims to allay children's fears of doctor's visits and hospital stays. This committed project is organized by medical students at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU).

The Teddy Clinic is aimed at kindergarten and primary school children and their families. Cuddly toys act as “patients” that are accompanied by the children. The event offers young participants the opportunity to learn about medicine in a playful way. Activities include registration, examination, x-ray, surgery and even a stuffed animal pharmacy, all aimed at ensuring child-friendly access to health education. The central idea of ​​the project is to promote trust in medical treatment.

Invitation to participate and support

Parents, educators and teachers in particular are invited to actively support their children. The support from the region is great, and the commitment of the helpers is visibly recognized on a sponsor board on site. This is not only an opportunity, but also an important step in giving children a positive experience in dealing with medical topics.

The project combines extensive medical insights with one central goal: to experience the healing process and reduce fears. The children use their cuddly toys to actively participate in the various wards of the teddy clinic and even take on responsibility. In this way, they experience directly how trust and security can be gained through simple medical measures. Further information about this diverse offer is available on the Giessen Teddy Clinic to find.

Comparable projects and their significance

Similar initiatives, such as the “Medicine for Kids” program at the Pirmasens Municipal Hospital, point to a growing trend in which the focus is on playful learning in the medical field. There, too, children are encouraged to actively engage with medical processes, for example by treating their own cuddly toys. Such actions are not only educationally valuable, they also help to reduce fears and promote a positive image of health and medicine.

The commitment of the Giessen Teddy Clinic and similar programs shows how important it is to impart medical knowledge to children in a creative way. By participating in these projects, both children and their families are integrated into the process, leading to a deeper understanding of health issues. This is important not only for the children, but also for their development in a constantly changing world.