Transforming your dramatic play area into a doctor’s office is a wonderful idea for a pretend play theme. Toddlers can imagine they are the doctor, the nurse, the patient, or even the receptionist. Providing theme related props and decorations are a must for any dramatic play area. Here are few ideas to get you started!
How to Create a Doctor’s Office Dramatic Play Area
DĂ©cor:
Creating a doctor’s office can be done in a variety ways. Decorate the dramatic play area by hanging a curtain around an examination table. Create the table from a desk and cover it with a blanket. Add some bookshelves or filing cabinets to hold props typically seen in a doctor’s office or medical clinic. Set up a telephone and computer for the receptionist to use. Line up a few chairs for the waiting area. Hang or stand up signs such as open and closed, hours of operation, waiting room, 911 information, and an eye chart. Maybe even post some x-rays on the wall or provide a few skeletons to promote discovery about bones.
Props:
There are many different items that can be included in your doctor’s office. To get started, have dramatic play dress up uniforms available for a doctor and nurse. Incorporate a patient sign-in sheet with a few pens and pencils. Put out some magazines to read and hang up a clock for the waiting area. Provide doctor sets with check up items that include a stethoscope, thermometer and more to encourage imaginative play. Put together a first aid kit with Band-Aids, rubber gloves, and cotton swabs for toddlers to explore. A growth chart and a scale would also be great props to have as children can experiment a little bit with heights and weights.
Role Play Ideas:
There are a variety of ways to engage toddlers in a doctor’s office dramatic play area. A few suggestions include:
Patient Check-In
Patients can write their name on the sign-in sheet and wait for the receptionist to call their name.
Take Measurements
Children can measure each other’s height and weight using the growth chart and scale.
Nurse Practitioner
Nurses can take the patients temperature and blood pressure and determine if they need to be seen by the doctor.
Doctor’s Exam
The doctor can ask the patient what is wrong or where it hurts. Then they can provide a physical by checking reflexes and listening to the heart.
Prescription Writing
Preschoolers can take turns writing prescriptions for the patients.
Activities:
Aside from role-playing, toddlers can engage in different activities and crafts that are related to the doctor’s office theme. Some ideas to consider:
Build a Spinal Cord
Arrange Life-Saver candies onto a chenille stem and discover how the spinal cord works by moving the stem in different directions.
Band-Aid Letter Match
Marking Band-Aid with each letter of the alphabet, have early learners find that letter on a chart or image and stick the corresponding Band-Aid over the matching letter.
Button Pharmacy
Supply children with buttons and bottles or jars. Label each bottle with a number and have toddlers put in the correct number of buttons.
Using these ideas to get started, have fun helping toddlers to engage in a little bit of doctor dramatic play and learn through experience and imagination.