The Toy Foundation™ Awards $600,000 in Grants to Bring Play into Pediatric Care for More Than 220,000 Children

Grants Support 37 Children's Hospitals Nationwide Serving Under-Resourced Communities

NEW YORK, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toy Foundation™ (TTF), the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association™, will continue delivering the healing power of play to comfort children as they undergo medical treatment with its largest funding allocation to date. TTF has announced that more than $600,000 has been awarded to 37 children's hospitals, enabling the facilities to incorporate play into day-to-day care for more than 220,000 pediatric patients. The funded play projects will include updating dedicated recreation spaces, facilitating specialized activities, and expanding sensory-friendly experiences.

Grants are being distributed through TTF's Play Fund program, the only industry-wide fundraising initiative of its kind, which has delivered the power of play to more than 825,000 pediatric patients since 2021. The proven impact of past grant distributions and the continued generosity of the toy industry have enabled TTF to expand its funding to reach more hospitals, more states, and more children over the past five years.

"The Toy Foundation's mission is to bring the power of play to children who need it most. By growing the Play Fund, we're delivering more than play; we're delivering comfort, joy, and hope to children throughout their medical journeys," said Pam Mastrota, executive director of TTF. "We are deeply grateful for every donation that allows us to fund more play projects."

Regardless of a pediatric patient's diagnosis, access to play during a hospitalization or treatment is highly therapeutic and plays a critical role in supporting their emotional well-being. Previous children's hospital grant recipients have reported that access to play enabled a calmer and normalized environment, allowed for healthier staff-patient interactions, and provided joy and comfort to improve the patient's quality of life. Learn more about the impact of the 2025 grants here.

"Funding from The Toy Foundation has helped us provide a level of comfort and support to the hospital setting," said Shelly Brown, chief development officer and executive director of Akron Children's Foundation, a 2025 and 2026 Play Fund grant recipient. "This new grant will help us expand our dedicated play spaces to offer patients, siblings, and caregivers opportunities for imaginative play and creative expression during what can be a stressful and overwhelming time."

This year's grant recipients will utilize their funding through 2027 to support approved play projects that will benefit patients in a variety of departments throughout the hospital, from the emergency room to the burn center, hematology/oncology clinic, therapy services, outpatient centers, and more. The 2026 recipients are:

• Akron Children's Foundation, on behalf of Akron Children's - Akron, OH
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago - Chicago, IL
• Beacon Children's Hospital - South Bend, IN
• Blank Children's Hospital – Des Moines, IA
• Children's National Hospital - Washington, DC
• Children's Hospital Colorado - Aurora, CO
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA
• Children's Health Foundation - Oklahoma City, OK
• Children's of Alabama - Birmingham, AL
• Children's Specialized Hospital - Mountainside, NJ
• The Children's Specialty Hospital at The Center for Discovery - Harris, NY
• ChildServe - Johnston, IA
• CHRISTUS Children's - San Antonio, TX
• El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation - El Paso, TX
• Elizabeth Seton Children's Center - Yonkers, NY
• Grady Health System - Atlanta, GA
• Holtz Children's Hospital - Miami, FL
• Home of the Innocents' Kosair for Kids Complex Care Center - Louisville, KY
• HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital - Springfield, IL
• John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County - Chicago, IL
• Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital – St. Petersburg, FL
• Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children - Honolulu, HI
• Kennedy Krieger Institute - Baltimore, MD
• La Rabida Children's Hospital - Chicago, IL
• Miller Children's & Women's Hospital - Long Beach, CA
• Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital - New York, NY
• The Memorial Foundation on behalf of Children's Village - Yakima, WA
• NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital - Brooklyn, NY
• Phoenix Children's Hospital - Phoenix, AZ
• Saint Francis Children's Hospital - Tulsa, OK
• Sanford Children's Hospital Fargo - Fargo, ND
• St. Mary's Hospital for Children - Bayside, NY
• UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center - Worcester, MA
• UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA
• USA Health Children's & Women's Hospital - Mobile, AL
• Wellstar Golisano Children's Hospital of Georgia - Augusta, GA
• Wesley Children's Hospital - Wichita, KS

TTF's Play Fund connects the toy industry to vetted children's hospitals to create a greater impact delivering the healing power of play to children in need. Since the program started in 2021, TTF has awarded 117 grants to children's hospitals nationwide totaling $2.2 million in funding. TTF extends a special thank you to Mattel, Inc., a committed year-round financial supporter of the program.

For more information about TTF's Play Fund, to support the program, or to apply for a grant at the next application period, visit ToyFoundation.org or contact the team.

Follow The Toy Foundation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and to learn more about the toy industry's impact delivering play to children when they need it most.

About The Toy Foundation www.toyfoundation.org
The Toy Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) children's charity and the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association. The uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need, The Toy Foundation is dedicated to creating a world where every child experiences the comfort, joy, and extraordinary benefits of play. The Toy Foundation works towards this vision through two program areas, Toy Chest, a toy distribution initiative, and Play Fund, a grant distribution initiative. By working together, The Toy Foundation has delivered the power of play to 36 million children in need worldwide. To learn more and support The Toy Foundation, visit toyfoundation.org.

SOURCE The Toy Foundation