Playing doctor is a nurturing and imaginative activity that helps children explore ideas of care, health, and empathy.
With a few basic props or a toy medical kit, they can create their own clinic to examine and treat patients—real or pretend!
This kind of role-play builds confidence, communication skills, and emotional awareness, especially helpful for children who may feel anxious about real doctor visits. It’s also a great way to introduce vocabulary around the body, feelings, and kindness.
Materials Needed
- Soft toys or dolls (as patients)
- Blankets or towels (for “hospital beds”)
- Plasters, bandages, or tissue
- Paper and pens for writing notes or prescriptions
Tools Needed
- Toy medical kit (or improvised tools like spoon as thermometer, string as stethoscope)
Steps
- Set Up the Surgery
Use a table, bed, or floor area to create your play clinic or hospital ward. - Assign Roles
One child can be the doctor or nurse, and others can be patients or assistants. Adults can play too, I recommend being the patient and having a nice lie down! - Check the Patients
Use pretend tools to examine heartbeats, temperatures, sore tummies, or broken arms. - Write Prescriptions
Make notes or draw pictures of medicine and care instructions. - Swap Roles
Let everyone have a go being both the carer and the cared-for!
Variations
- Animal Vet: Turn the clinic into a vet surgery and care for stuffed animals.
- Health Check Station: Create separate check-up zones for eyesight, height, or reflexes.
- Make ID Badges: Design doctor/nurse name tags with drawings and titles.
- Waiting Room: Set up books and chairs for patients waiting to be seen.
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