Help make a difference in the lives of patients and families at Arkansas Children's Hospital! Knit or crochet hats for children of all ages through our Knitting for Noggins program.

How can YOU make a difference in the lives of our patients? Knitting for Noggins is one of the many ways you can help make the lives our patients and families brighter.

Here are some helpful hints to remember while you are knitting or crocheting hats for ACH:

• Our greatest need is for large hats for school-age kids, teens and adults.  We ask that hats be approximately the size of an average cantaloupe or larger. 
  
• NICU needs – due to the generosity of our needlework donors, we have received an abundance of infant hats.  Again, our greatest need is for large hats for toddlers, school-age kids, teens and adults.  NICU hats do have special requirements:  When the hat is laid flat, the bottom should measure 5 ½" to 6 ½" without being stretched, or 34cm in circumference; and the depth from the band to the crown should be about 6".  Many of our NICU babies have sensitive skin; therefore, we prefer hats made of soft yarn (i.e. chenille or baby yarn)
• Due to infection control, all needlework items must be made out of new materials (not recycled items).  Handmade hats are preferred, and we ask that no logos be on the hats.
• We also ask that items be free of any odor or pet hair.
• For privacy reasons, please do not attach your name, your group’s name, or personal information to individual needlework donations.
• For safety purposes for our kids, please make sure that there are no safety pins and/or straight pins in the needlework donations that you send to us.  
• Use your creativity, but bright and colorful hats are always great! And don't forget that we can use boy colors as well as girl colors.
• We will begin collecting hats again in September.
  
• If you mail OR bring your hats to our office, please provide us with the number of hats you are donating.  This helps us keep our hat count accurate. 
• Please mail or deliver your hats to Arkansas Children’s Hospital or deliver your hats to any of the knitting stores listed below.

Need some inspiration?  Pattern examples are available here.

Not the arts and crafts type? Click here for other volunteering opportunities Arkansas Children's Hospital.

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