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Playing doctors and patients is a common role play enjoyed by toddlers and preschoolers. It can help them to build their imagination and to help them make sense of the world around them.
They'll often love it if you get involved in role plays and it's a great opportunity to get them to act out and use language they've heard from others.
Check out how one mum and daughter play pretend in the video below.
What are the benefits of doctor pretend play for toddlers?
- Pretend play allows children to use vocabulary they might not use in their everyday life.
- Role play helps children with their social and emotional development as they put themselves in someone else's shoes.
- Engaging in pretend play with other children or adults helps him learn the importance of taking turns.
- Role play can help children to make sense of situations they've experienced in their lives.
- Roleplaying doctors can help children to feel reassured about seeing doctors and dentists in real life.
Ideas for doctor role play with kids
If you're the patient, like the mum in the video, try initiating play by saying what's wrong, for example, 'it hurts here'.
Take your child's lead on what to say based on how they respond - for example, they might want to listen to your heartbeat or maybe they'll go straight to a diagnosis!
Respond to what they say by repeating it back to them, so if they say 'you've got a bug', you might say 'I've got a bug?'. This reinforces what they're saying and may encourage them to expand on the sentence and add more detail.
Ask them lots of questions about what they say to you, for example 'Is it a tummy bug?' and 'how are you going to make me better?'. Leave them time to respond to them.
Encourage your child with props like the tea towel and the bubbles in the video. You could even get crafty and make some of your own doctors tools with cardboard and paper.
You could try switching roles and letting your child be the patient.
More role play ideas
If doctors and patients isn't your child's thing, there are plenty more ideas for fun role play together.
1. Playing superheroes
So many children love the imaginative possibility of being a superhero. It can lead to lots of fun coming up with superpowers and gives them a great chance to act them out!
2. Teddy Bear's Picnic
Teddy Bear's Picnics are a fun way to help children to practise their ability to share.
3. Pretending to be animals
Acting out as their favourite animals can be a great way for children to have noisy fun with you. They'll love making the movements and it gives you chance to talk about what different animals eat, where they live and what they do.
