THE DOCTORS 🥼🩺 ARE IN!

Some blessed soul who must have understood B’s deep love for animals got her a vet kit for her 2nd birthday. A year and a half later, she still plays with it multiple times a week. What I love most about open-ended toys are the possibilities they open up for language development and dramatic play.

My 3-year-old uses words like x-ray and CT scan, cast and bandage, and her recent favorite…surgery. Why? Because dramatic play has made the unfamiliar, familiar. Her animal friends always dread surgery and shots, but it’s great to watch her use her toddler bedside manner to walk them through it. She makes her medical SLP Mama very proud. 😊

H has also had a doctor’s kit for a while, and one of my favorite school moments ever, involved him running inside the house to get it when B fell on the playground. He declared that she needed a doctor and I just about melted into a puddle of mush. 🥰 That little boy warms my heart with his kindness every time, and these kinds of toys help them develop into the amazing adults they will someday become.

So if you’re looking at a room full of toys or struggling during a rainy day, I invite you to set up a doctor’s office or a hospital for your children, claiming that one of their favorite toys needs a check-up or immediate medical attention (those ambulance 🚑 rides are always loud and exciting). It doesn’t take a ton of prep and it can go on for hours.

What’s your favorite dramatic play set up?