What to Bring Someone in the Hospital That You Can Do Together
Sometimes the most thoughtful hospital gift is something you can do together.
When someone you love is in the hospital for an extended time, it’s hard to know how to best support them or what to bring.
Flowers brighten the space, and a card offers encouraging words. But a hospital stay can also mean answering the same questions over and over about how you’re feeling, what hurts, or whether anything has changed. Doing something together gives them a break from all of that. You can sit side by side, focus on what you’re making, and spend time together without the visit revolving around being in the hospital.
A family in our community recently shared a photo with us from a hospital visit that captured this perfectly.
Nothing lights up a grandma quite like a visit from her grandkids, so when Elisa could feel the long hours in the hospital were starting to wear on her mom, she brought her son and a FLOW Signature Watercolor Gift Set along for a visit.
The artmaking gift set gave her something to do with her hands, gave her grandson something to focus on, and gave both of them an easy way to spend time together.
Choose something that is easy to begin
Hospital stays can be unpredictable.
Someone may feel up for doing something for a while and then need to stop. They may have limited space or mobility. A nurse or doctor may come in at any time.
That makes it helpful to bring something that is easy to begin, easy to pause, and easy to come back to later.
Watercolor works well for that.
You can paint for five minutes or for much longer. You can follow a prompt, mix colors, make a few marks, or fill a whole page.
There doesn’t need to be a plan for what you’re making.
And the finished painting doesn’t need to be good.
Before bringing any activity into a hospital room, it’s always worth checking with the patient or caregiver first. Hospital guidelines and individual care needs can vary.
Bring something you can do together
Not every visit needs to revolve around conversation. Having something to do side by side can take some of the pressure off and give you both something else to focus on.
You can talk while your hands are busy. You can also work quietly beside each other without the silence feeling awkward.
That’s what happened with this grandmother and grandson.
He didn’t just bring her the art kit. He sat down and used it with her.
If you are wondering what to bring someone in the hospital when they are bored, consider something you can begin with them. Pull up a chair and open the supplies together. Make the first mark beside them.
Bringing kids along to the hospital
Hospitals are not designed for children, and it can seem easier to leave them at home.
Sitting still in a hospital room is hard for kids, and a restless child can cut a visit short.
Giving a child something to make at the bedside changes that.
Instead of expecting a child to sit still while the adults talk, they have something they can participate in. And the person in the hospital gets to spend time with them in a way that feels more natural.
Why the FLOW Signature Watercolor Gift Set worked
The FLOW Signature Watercolor Gift Set was designed to make watercolor easy to pick up and start using.
It comes gift-ready with the materials needed to begin, including a water dish, mixing palette, washable cloth, watercolor paints, brushes, and paper.
The materials are high quality and designed to keep being used, so the kit isn’t just for one afternoon.
The guidance in the included activity guides also focus on the process rather than the finished result.
You can notice how the water moves, mix colors, try something different, and see what happens on the page.
There is nothing you have to produce.
That matters, especially in a hospital room.
The point isn’t to give someone another thing to accomplish. It’s to give them something to engage with.
Art doesn’t have to be good to be good for you.
One thing to know before bringing the gift set to a hospital
The full FLOW Signature Watercolor Gift Set is packaged as a gift for home, so it also includes an aromatherapy candle, organic tea, and a sweet treat.
For a hospital room, leave the candle unlit and check with the patient, caregiver, or nurse before sharing the tea or treat.
Other thoughtful things to bring someone in the hospital
The best place to start is by asking what the person actually wants or needs.
Sometimes the most useful thing is a long phone charger.
Other good options for a hospital stay can include:
Headphones
A short book or magazine
Crossword or puzzle books
A deck of cards
A notebook and pen
A familiar pillowcase or blanket from home
A simple creative activity
Before bringing food, flowers, scented products, or electrical items, check the hospital’s rules and the person’s current needs.
And think about how the gift will actually be used.
Something that looks thoughtful isn’t always something the person wants taking up space in their room.
Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can bring is something that gives you a reason to sit down and stay awhile.
The part that mattered most
The watercolor gift set gave Elisa’s mom something to do during a long afternoon, but the best part was that her grandson sat down and did it with her.
They painted, talked, and spent time together without the whole visit being about how she was feeling or what was happening next.
If you’re reading this because you’re trying to figure out how to make someone’s time in the hospital a little easier, that care already matters. The gift is part of it, but showing up, sitting beside them, and giving them something else to focus on can mean even more.
They’re lucky to have someone thinking this carefully about how to be there for them.
Planning for patients, caregivers, or staff? Explore Art in Healthcare.
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