How to Play Hospital

Playing hospital at home can prepare a child for an upcoming hospital stay or just entertain him for a few hours. If he'll need to go to the hospital soon, pretend play will help him feel more secure about what to expect from this potentially scary experience; if he's perfectly healthy, this play may teach him something new about the world.

  1. Gather Supplies

    • A toy doctor's kit is a must-have for playing hospital. If you don't own one, make one out of household supplies. Roll up the sleeves of an adult's white button-down shirt and let your child wear it open as a lab coat. Make a stethoscope by tying ribbon around the center of an upside-down headband and gluing a circle of felt or cardboard to the other end of the ribbon -- make sure the ribbon is not long enough to present a strangulation hazard. Gather bandages, cotton balls and a thermometer. Make a chart using a clipboard and blank paper. Gauze can be used to wrap up injuries or act as a blood pressure cuff.

    Prep the Patient

    • If your child is making a real hospital stay soon, take a few minutes to read age-appropriate stories about the experience, play online games about doctors and answer any of his questions about his procedure. Research the procedure yourself so you can accurately discuss it. Since he may want to recreate the game later with friends, talk about how playing hospital isn't the same as "playing doctor," that is, looking at or touching another child's private parts. Explain that a real doctor might need to look at his private parts, with you present, during a real hospital stay. During pretend games, those parts stay private.

    Let Him Play Doctor

    • Let your child decide whether he wants to be the doctor or patient first. If he wants to be in charge, you can act as his nurse while he treats a stuffed animal or doll. Narrate all the necessary steps, saying things such as "We should listen to the doggie's heart using this stethoscope" so he learns basic medical terminology. You may also act as his patient. Lie down on a bed or couch and list some pretend symptoms. Let him use his imagination to come up with a treatment plan for your ailment.

    Take a Turn Playing Doctor

    • Use your child's turn as patient to give him a realistic look at a hospital stay. Start off playing yourself, walking him into one part of the house and pretending it's a waiting room. Help him change into pajamas, tie on a ribbon ID bracelet and settle into a bed or couch. Talk about all the noises and smells he'd notice in a real hospital and how many nurses and doctors would come into his room to check on him. Then switch roles and act as a doctor or nurse, checking him over and giving him pretend medicine. Serve him a meal or snack in bed so he gets the full "hospital" experience.

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