Sofia loves pretend play so I knew this doctors office dramatic play setup would be a huge hit. This time I laminated all of the materials so that they would last longer and I’m glad I did because Sofia loved pretending to be a doctor. Dramatic play is so great for expanding toddler’s minds and exposing them to new words, phrases, and objects. Here’s a little more about what’s included in this kit:
Transform Your Play Space with a Doctor-Themed Dramatic Play Setup
Creating a doctor-themed dramatic play setup can be an engaging and educational experience for children. Using our printable doctor dramatic play materials, you can set up an immersive and fun play area that encourages learning and creativity. Here’s how you can create three exciting bins to enhance the experience:
Bin 3: Doctor Supplies
Here’s everything you need to setup your doctor supplies bin! This one is great for dramatic play — pretend to be the doctor and patient with the printable intake form. Use the cotton swabs and tongue depressors to treat minor illnesses!
Cotton balls
Swabs
Tongue depressors
Bandaids
Instructions:
Collect Supplies: Gather all the doctor supplies and organize them in a bin.
Set Up Stations: Create different stations for each type of supply, encouraging kids to use them in their pretend play.
Role Play: Children can use cotton balls for cleaning wounds, swabs for checking ears and throats, tongue depressors for oral exams, and bandaids for treating pretend injuries.
Bin 2: Blood and Guts
Here’s everything you’ll need to create a blood and guts sensory plan bin. This one is perfect for little ones who like to get their hands dirty! Especially perfect because it’s taste safe — and dare I say yummy!
Egg noodles
Red food coloring
Instructions:
Cook the Noodles: Boil the egg noodles according to the package instructions until they are fully cooked.
Add Color: Drain the noodles and mix in red food coloring until the noodles are evenly coated.
Set Up the Bin: Place the red-colored noodles in a sensory bin.
Pretend Surgery: Kids can use the noodles to simulate blood and guts, practicing their surgical skills in a fun and safe environment.
Bin 3: Frozen Organs
Here’s everything you need to make this frozen organs sensory activity bin.
Human organ silicone molds
Jello mix
Human body tray
Ice
Instructions:
Prepare the Jello: Follow the instructions on the Jello mix to prepare the solution.
Pour into Molds: Pour the Jello into the human organ silicone molds and let it set in the refrigerator.
Create the Frozen Body Tray: Once the Jello organs are set, place them in a human body tray filled with ice.
Freeze: Place the entire tray in the freezer until the organs and ice are completely frozen.
Play Time: Let kids explore the frozen organs, encouraging them to identify and "operate" on the different body parts.
25 Doctor Themed Vocabulary Words for Preschoolers
Expand your child's vocabulary with these doctor-themed words:
1. Stethoscope
2. Thermometer
3. Syringe
4. Patient
5. Bandage
6. Prescription
7. Diagnosis
8. Heartbeat
9. Checkup
10. Nurse
11. Medicine
12. Hospital
13. Exam
14. Treatment
15. Cure
16. Infection
17. Virus
18. Vaccine
19. Pulse
20. X-ray
21. Surgeon
22. Emergency
23. Cast
24. Chart
25. Clinic
Creating a doctor-themed dramatic play setup with these bins is a fantastic way to combine fun and learning. Don’t forget to download our printable doctor dramatic play materials to complete your setup. Visit the link in our bio to get started!
Benefits of Doctor Themed Sensory Play
Engaging in sensory play, especially with themed setups like our doctor dramatic play, provides numerous benefits for children:
Fine Motor Skills: Handling small items like cotton balls and swabs helps improve dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Imaginative Play: Pretend play scenarios foster creativity and imagination, allowing children to explore different roles and scenarios.
Language Development: Using themed vocabulary during play helps expand a child’s language skills and comprehension.
Social Skills: Playing in a group setting encourages teamwork, communication, and sharing.
Cognitive Growth: Sensory play stimulates brain development by engaging multiple senses at once.
First off, these Body Parts Flashcards and Human Organs Flashcards were a great introduction to everything inside and outside of the body. These are super basic human anatomy, but Sofia loved pointing them out on her own body. And internal organs are challenging because she can’t see them, but we used phrases like “this is a stomach, like when your tummy is saying it’s hungry” and that really helped her imagine where they were.
The dramatic play all starts with the waiting room. Sofie put on the nurse badge and nurse hat and asked us to wait in the waiting room while she prepped the doctors office. She loved tidying up and getting everything ready. Then when we came in, she started by asking about my pain level using her pain level chart. This was a great way for us to discuss when it’s okay to be really upset vs when a boo boo is no big deal.
After assessing my pain level, Sofie proceeded with the patient exam. She started by getting my name and birthdate and all of the details and then filled out the form. She asked me where it hurt and today I told her my eyes were itchy and throat itchy from allergies. So she marked that down on her form and got to practice identifying her body parts.
After asking her up front exam questions, Sofie proceeded to checking all of my vital signs. She started with the blood pressure monitor which she loved wrapping around my arm. Then she moved on to her stethoscope (which she’s always afraid of at the doctor) and she used it to listen to my lungs.
Then she moved on to her diagnosis and of course wanted to use everything in her doctors toolkit to remedy my allergies. She started by giving me a shot in my arm (which she also hates at the doctor) so it was nice for her to get to be the one to administer the shot. Then she gave me a bandaid to cover up my shot, just like they do at the doctors.
After that she decided I should probably take some medicine to make me feel better and she gave me the little tray of pills and the pill bottle. Then she remembered she forgot to take my temperature so she used her thermometer to do that. She loves the real thermometer we have at home so it was great to see her interacting with the fake one.
