A child’s illness affects the whole family. As a nurse it is important to understand the growth and development of children and how to support these in health care. It is also important to acknowledge the worries of the family.

The purpose of this thesis was to create a self-study material about the growth and development of a play-aged child. The material was produced for the Oulu University of Applied sciences. The aim of this thesis was to create a clear, study-based material that helps the nurse students to strengthen their knowledge in pediatric nursing.

The self-study material was created with the H5P Course Presentation in the Moodle online learning environment. The material was based on reliable and evidence-based sources. It covered the principles and laws in pediatric nursing, as well as the physical growth, motor and psychosocial development, the fears of children, sensory and cognitive development, the development of speech and communication and family support in nursing care. The material also presented the management and assessment of children´s pain. After studying the material, the students were asked to answer 19 questions about the themes. By answering these questions, students showed they had studied the material.

In autumn 2023 the material was presented at the family centered nursing care of children and adolescents course. The first students using the material were asked to answer a survey made with Webropol. The survey was based on and evaluated by the quality requirements of the self-study material. It can be said that the quality goals were achieved, as most of the answerers thought the material was interesting and relevant.

In the future this kind of material could also be made regarding other age groups and other courses too.