The therapeutic and educational space of the pediatric surgery department at Safra Children’s Hospital in Tel Hashomer is a unique pilot project that was designed to mediate the surgical procedure of a child’s hospital experience. The space aims to provide children, ages 3-18, and their families with cognitive and emotional preparation at their most vulnerable moments before undergoing surgery. Our goal was to transform the hospital experience, which might be traumatic for young patients, into a child-friendly, play-based environment. Our design concept evolved while we were conducting research for this project, working closely with the clinicians and pediatric specialists at the Weizman Educational Center. We even had the rare opportunity to join the Director of the Pediatric Surgery Department and observe a surgery in action. These insights were the foundation for our design strategy. The space was divided into two areas, one that would be dedicated to young children, and the other that would be designed for adolescents. The two areas were both designed from a child’s perspective according to their physical proportions and whimsical wants. For the young group, we created a scaled-down model of a real-life operation room, where children can both learn about the procedure they are about to experience, and immerse themselves in a stimulating, engaging environment. Each piece of furniture is custom made, hand crafted specifically to look and feel as it would in a real operation room. Symbols and objects children will likely encounter during their hospital visit are colorfully carved into the furniture or spread throughout the room at various activity stations, including a heartbeat signal, first-aid sign, medicine bottles, and the human body. When children are able to process the situation in which they find themselves through playful means familiar to them from their everyday life, such as with dolls and toys, they are able to be more accepting and less frightened of the unknown. The playful colors, shapes, and inviting imagery are used to soften the trauma and anxiety a child may feel in a hospital setting, and to encourage their curiosity and imagination. The second area of the space was designed for teenagers in a more didactic language. Here, adolescents receive an explanation from the educational staff as well as interactive tutorials and designed props to help explain and clarify any confusion they may have. The design combines wood and bright colors to create warmth and also includes furniture elements that they may find in an operation room, such as the light fixture or an operating bed that has been repurposed and turned into a table. On our last visit to see the completion of this project, we were fortunate to observe a five-year old hospital patient the morning after her appendix surgery. She was still attached to the IV and looked confused and frightened. After a few minutes of interacting with the new space, her body language changed. Through play, she became calm and happy, switching roles, becoming a little surgeon wearing a miniature operating room uniform and using the make-believe medical equipment to take care of her doll. For us, this was a rewarding, meaningful moment. It was a live demonstration of the impact of the playful environment on a child. We believe this project is aligned with the global trend where designers together with medical professionals are recognizing the integral part the physical environment plays on the emotional well-being and the healing process of young patients.