New ways to connect with Captain Starlight

By Rebekah Devlin

Starlight Children’s Foundation is Australia’s broadest-reaching children’s charity, helping kids of all ages with any illness, injury or disability across the country. Starlight helps to make hospital fun for kids, teens, and families by allowing them to take a break from the pain, fear and stress of treatment and turning it into fun, joy and laughter. 

Starlight is present in every children’s hospital around Australia through their Starlight Express Rooms and Captain Starlight program. 

Captain Starlight is a superhero of fun, helping sick kids cope with the uncertainty and worry of hospital and treatment by playing games and creating imaginary worlds, arts and crafts, video games, competitions, and any activity you can think of, while parents can take a moment to sit back and watch their kids have fun.  

Knowing that not every seriously ill child in hospital will always be able to access a Starlight Express Room, has led Starlight to develop a virtual platform, Planet Starlight, that connects kids with the child-led magic of Captain Starlight in a way that is not limited by location or time of day. 

Built on child-led principles, Planet Starlight includes live interactivity and activities that encourage and facilitate fun, play, achievement, control and creativity in a safe environment.  

And the best part is that access to Planet Starlight is not limited by time or location —any handheld device with internet access can access it at planetstarlight.org.au