Women’s and Children’s Hospital: A Family Guide | North Adelaide

From a dedicated playroom and inclusive playground to Clown Doctors, bedside story time and colourful artworks, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital offers thoughtful touches to brighten hospital stays for kids and their families.

Review by Carla Caruso

One of my teenage sons recently underwent planned foot surgery, only to end up back in hospital for five days when complications arose.

Thankfully, everything turned out fine, but we were impressed by the facilities and activities on offer at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide, all thoughtfully designed to make a difficult time a little easier for young patients and their families.

While a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital is expected to be completed by 2031 near the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the current hospital already offers plenty beyond medical care. Here are a few highlights.

Starlight Express Room

The Starlight Express Room is a dedicated play space where young patients can take a break from hospital life.

There’s a craft room, gaming room, LEGO® workshops and a Disney screen where kids can choose their favourite movie. You might even bump into a princess!

The room recently celebrated 10 years of bringing fun and laughter to sick kids and their families, delivering more than 200,000 positive Starlight experiences over the decade.

You’ll find it on Level 1, open Monday to Friday, 9.30am–4.30pm.

The Play Deck Playground

Sometimes kids just need to burn off energy and be kids. The hospital’s inclusive outdoor playground offers a welcome change of scenery for young patients and siblings, with sensory panels, balance and strength-building equipment and a wheelchair-accessible carousel.

Book Buddies and Hospital School SA

Book Buddies brings stories to young patients, with volunteer readers visiting children on the wards and in outpatient areas. Thanks to community donations, children can also receive a book to keep.

Meanwhile, Hospital School SA helps children and teenagers continue their education through personalised classroom or bedside lessons.

My son was offered the chance to catch up on schoolwork during his stay but opted to stick to his iPad instead!

Knitting for Kids

A creative knitting project helps adolescent inpatients manage anxiety while learning a new skill. They can then gift their creations to other patients, including babies in the Special Care Baby Unit and children receiving cancer treatment.

My son was lucky enough to receive a knitted blanket in the colours of his favourite AFL team, the Western Bulldogs!

Clown Doctors and Play Therapy

The Clown Doctors bring music, comedy, puppetry and playful mischief to young patients, helping ease anxiety around hospital visits and procedures. The Adelaide program has been visiting the hospital since 2001.

Play Therapy also helps children express their feelings, manage anxiety and prepare for procedures through creative activities, sensory play and age-appropriate medical play.

Artworks galore

Colourful murals, interactive installations and rotating exhibitions brighten the hospital’s corridors.

Highlights include whimsical wildlife murals and Sharing Systems (below), an interactive artwork inspired by the River Torrens and created with contributions from children. Gallery spaces also showcase South Australian artists.

Food glorious food

I don’t care what people say about hospital and aeroplane food – I’m a fan of both!

The hospital’s main café in the Gilbert Building serves barista-made coffee, hot meals and snacks, while Nic Nath Café on the Play Deck offers a relaxed, alfresco-style setting.

Volunteer-run Rainbows and Vic’s shops also sell coffee, sandwiches and essentials, with vending machines handy for a quick snack, too.

All these thoughtful touches make a big difference, helping kids feel like kids – even when they’re in hospital!

Location:

Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide

See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide

For more information and all enquiries, please visit the Women’s and Children’s Hospital website.

All photos by James Elsby and Carla Caruso for Play & Go Adelaide. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (2026).

SUBSCRIBE

Follow Play & Go Adelaide on Facebook and Instagram

Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!