# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play
- **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 06 Jun, 2026 at 11:00 am – Sat, 06 Jun, 2026 at 12:00 pm
- **Event Description**: Join us for the next Cove Connections session featuring local occupational therapist Dr. Kaci Walvatne as we explore how play can help children process, prepare for, and feel more confident during medical and dental experiences.

As part of her doctoral program, Dr. Walvatne partnered with Otter Cove to create a special Change It Up exhibit centered around medical play. Through surveys and conversations with parents and caregivers, she discovered a common challenge for families: anxiety, fear, and uncertainty surrounding doctor visits, hospital stays, dental appointments, medical equipment, and procedures.

The resulting exhibit invited children to explore these experiences through hands-on, child-led play, offering opportunities to interact with pretend medical tools, practice caregiving roles, become familiar with equipment and environments, and build confidence through curiosity and imagination.

In this Cove Connections session, families and caregivers will learn:

-Why medical play helps reduce fear and anxiety
-How children process unfamiliar or stressful experiences through play
-Simple ways to support children before appointments or procedures
-How play can strengthen trust, communication, and emotional regulation during difficult experiences

Whether your child feels nervous about the dentist, has ongoing medical needs, or simply benefits from preparation and predictability, this session will offer practical tools and compassionate insight for supporting both children and caregivers.

As a reminder, Cove Connections are structured like this:

11:00-11:10 - Family project or activity
11:10-11:30 - Children go play with an Otter Cove Playworker while a local professional provides child development and/or parenting information
11:30-12:00 - Adults have an opportunity to connect and discuss issues or concerns
12:00 - Families are reunited to spend Saturday together!

Cove Connections is FREE thanks to support of a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. We do require registrations to ensure we have enough project supplies, seating, and childcare support: https://ottercoveff.doubleknot.com/event/cove-connections/3144800
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/fergus-falls/cove-connections-supporting-kids-and-caregivers-through-medical-play/200030063615952
- **Event Categories**: kids, contests, nonprofit
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 13

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Fergus Falls
- **state**: MN
- **country**: United States
- **location**: 105 W. Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN, United States, Minnesota 56537
- **lat**: 46.28318
- **long**: -96.07466
- **full address**: 105 W. Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN, United States, Minnesota 56537

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/cd90622fed9f8ab04f8bca2f891b2bf1b8a70708edc3160e88afe4b55cbbacf6-rimg-w940-h788-dcffffff-gmir?v=1780362605

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play being held?
  - **A:** Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play takes place on Sat, 06 Jun, 2026 at 11:00 am to Sat, 06 Jun, 2026 at 12:00 pm at 105 W. Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN, United States, Minnesota 56537.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play?
  - **A:** Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play is organized by Otter Cove Children's Museum.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Fergus Falls, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Cove Connections: Supporting Kids & Caregivers Through Medical Play sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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