| Summary: | Abstract Objective: To understand the meaning of playing for the hospitalized child under precaution. Method: Qualitative research, where Symbolic Interactionism is the theoretical framework and Qualitative Content Analysis is the methodological one. It was attended by eight children aged between 5 and 10. Data were collected through participant observation of playful activities developed with the child by a nurse-researcher and semi-structured interviews mediated by story-drawing with theme. Results: Data showed the evolution of the interactions among toy, researcher and child; their rapid acceptance to get involved in playing; the way they explore the toys; the desire to free themselves from confinement; the relief of stress, the mastery of the situation and the protagonism enabled by the playing; the way they outline the hospital and the importance of having someone to play. Final considerations: Nurses should use creativity, seeking strategies that allow the child to play in this environment full of restrictions.
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