# Little Journey > App to support children and families through healthcare procedures. (iPhone/iPad app by Little Journey Ltd.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-journey/id1256824573 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Little Journey Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1421882681) - Category: Medical, Games, Family, Simulation - Price: Free - Rating: 4.20/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 55 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 30 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2017-08-25 - Data updated: 2026-09-03 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-journey/id1256824573/reviews.md ## What is Little Journey? Undergoing a healthcare procedure can be a daunting experience for anyone, especially as a child. Whether as part of routine care or a clinical trial, Little Journey supports children and their families from contemplation to full recovery through this award-winning app. The simple-to-use app guides and supports children and their families through their healthcare journey – all from the comfort and safety of their own home. We support children through: • Virtual reality tours enabling them to explore the exact rooms they’ll visit while in hospital. • Age-tailored animations explaining what will happen and why. • Breathing and relaxation exercises. • Therapeutic and distraction games to use during stressful periods. Little Journey helps parents by: • Drip feeding information before, during and after their procedure. • Providing small bitesize chunks of information to assist with information retention. • Making it easier talk to children about what’s going to happen. • Providing checklists, hints and tips, and nudges to make sure you’re all ready to go. Little Journey was founded by an NHS doctor and researcher into children’s anxiety management. With support from children and their families, health play specialists, psychologists, nurses and doctors, the Little Journey app was born! We’ve continued to work with families and hospital staff to improve the app and expand to support families through more procedures. Awards & recognitions: • NHS Innovation Accelerator 2021 • Association of Anaesthetists Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) Innovation in critical care and anaesthesia 2018 • Patient Experience Network National Award (PENNA) Innovative use of technology award 2021 ## Key features - Virtual reality hospital room tours - Age-tailored procedure animations - Breathing and relaxation exercises - Therapeutic and distraction games - Drip-fed information for parents - Preparation checklists and tips ## Recent user reviews (10 of 55) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-journey/id1256824573/reviews.md ### 5/5 — So helpful *2026-07-20, version 6.5.0* My daughter has had numerous medical procedures and appointments throughout her life. Due to this, she had developed anxiety regarding appointments. She recently was scheduled for another surgery, this app was so helpful in helping her feel more prepared for what to expect. She was so nervous before finding the app, but after going through the videos and photos of the hospital, she was more prepared and actually no longer nervous! ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-06-16, version 6.5.0* This app was so helpful for me and especially my daughter before her operation, we went through the app a few days before and she had a child friendly breakdown of everything that will happen on the operation day, which made her feel very prepared when we arrived at the hospital, she was well aware of what would be happening so didn’t feel scared or anxious. Would 100% recommend this app! ### 5/5 — Very helpful before my Son’s procedure. *2026-05-29, version 6.5.0* When we got a date for our Son”s operation we were all pretty anxious as we didn’t know what to expect. Little Journey allowed us all to have a look around the hospital we are going to and it explained everything that is going to happen in a very clear and child friendly way. Our Son loves playing the games and we are much less worried about his op. Unsure how to share the quizzes with hospital staff though. ### 5/5 — So good! *2026-04-26, version 6.4.1* My daughter recently had to have surgery and the app was so good at preparing her so when we got to the hospital, she wasn’t scared, she had some understanding of what was going to happen and was not anxious at all! ### 5/5 — Little Journey Review *2026-04-12, version 6.4.1* Last Thursday I had to take my son into hospital for a Tonsillectomy operation, and both my son and I were a little worried and unsure about what was going to happen and how we were going to cope. That’s when we started little journey, and it’s been absolutely fantastic for both my son and myself. We have loved playing the games together, watching the calming water, and of course taking the tour of the hospital and all the rooms he was going to be using on the day. We particularly loved how you could choose animals or people to guide you through your journey, and we chose the animals which really helped us to feel calm and took away all the worries and anxious feelings. My son was so much more relaxed and it made such a difference to him to see how easy it was to self regulate home self after he would get to scared etc. By far the best app I’ve ever used, and we are still using it today 1 week after his op. So I’d definitely would recommend it to any parent having to go through the same thing or similar with your child, no matter the age. Thank you so much Little Journey🩵 ### 5/5 — Really helpful preparation *2026-03-09, version 6.3.3* My son recently had an MRI with GA and he is very anxious. It’s hard to explain things is words as he has a learning disability and autism- so having clear simple pictures and I was able to choose a setting which related to his mental age rather than just getting age related information. Amazing! ### 4/5 — Helpful app *2023-03-01* What a great way to introduce children to the hospital experience! The relaxation games were great. I did feel like the pauses between sentences when the characters were speaking was a little long but the information they were providing was well suited to children. ### 4/5 — Great app but… *2023-02-12, version 4.6.3* This app is amazing to help a parent and older children to understand and put your mind at ease with what is going to happen during there visit. However, my 4 year old daughter is autistic and does not understand. It also doesn’t put my mind at ease as I know what is expected of her and it won’t happen! I think there should be articles for about what would happen with children with additional needs. Amazing for children who have the understanding ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2022-11-09, version 4.5.6* This app is amazing with supporting not only a child but there parents ### 2/5 — Doesn’t work for us *2021-10-28, version 4.0.0* Can’t get the app to work, keeps freezing and sending us a white screen. Have tried numerous times. Such a shame as my autistic son could really benefit from this before his procedure. ## Frequently asked questions about Little Journey ### What does the Little Journey app do? The app supports children and their families through healthcare procedures by providing virtual reality tours of hospital rooms, age-tailored animations explaining procedures, breathing and relaxation exercises, and therapeutic games. It also offers parents drip-fed information, checklists, and tips to help them prepare and communicate with their children. ### What are the key features for children? Key features for children include virtual reality tours to explore hospital environments, animations tailored to their age to explain what will happen, breathing and relaxation exercises, and therapeutic games for distraction during stressful times. ### How does the app help parents? Parents benefit from the app through bite-sized information delivered before, during, and after procedures, making it easier to retain and understand. It also facilitates conversations with children about upcoming events and provides checklists, hints, and nudges to ensure preparedness. ### Is Little Journey free to use? Yes, the application is free to use. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements, making it fully accessible for families navigating healthcare journeys. ### What kind of procedures does this app support? The app is designed to support children and families through a range of healthcare procedures, whether for routine care or clinical trials. It has been developed with input from medical professionals and families to assist with anxiety management and preparation for various medical interventions. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 6.5.0 — 2026-04-30 This release includes improvements to how your data is stored, helping keep your information safe, accessible, and ready to support you throughout your journey. ### 6.4.1 — 2026-03-26 Bug fixes and stability improvements. ### 6.4.0 — 2026-03-23 At Little Journey, we’re always working to make your experience more personal and supportive. This release introduces user accounts, helping you save your progress, store important information, and access the tools most relevant to you. ### 6.3.3 — 2026-02-24 This release focuses on minor bug fixes and performance updates to keep your Little Journey experience seamless and dependable. ### 6.3.2 — 2026-02-18 To keep your experience safe and running smoothly, this release includes essential updates that require everyone to move to a supported app version. Updating ensures continued access and support. ## Apps similar to Little Journey | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Clinibee](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clinibee/id1463572941) | 4.3 (6) | Free | Medical | | [Quick Reference Handbook](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-reference-handbook/id6612035993) | — | Free | Medical | | [Blood Components](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blood-components/id1221434626) | — | Free | Medical | | [Paediatric Emergency Tools](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paediatric-emergency-tools/id415663345) | — | Free | Medical | | [Alertive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alertive/id1526280881) | — | Free | Medical | | [Association of Anaesthetists](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/association-of-anaesthetists/id6443558109) | — | Free | Medical | ## More apps by Little Journey Ltd - [Little Trial](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-trial/id1459910335) - [ziMyG](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zimyg/id6476666295) - [Solace Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solace-study/id6478007245) All apps by Little Journey Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/1421882681 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-03.*