5 Ways To Embrace Medical Play With Your Kids
Author: Allie Jones, Certified Child Life Specialist and Founder of Child Life To Go
You’ve just opened your brand-new, beautiful box of The Butterfly Pig medical toys for your child. Now what?
As a Certified Child Life Specialist, often known as ‘the play lady’ in the hospital, I used play to support children and families. I brought a variety of toys to patients—cars, puppets, teddy bears—as well as medical supplies like medicine cups, syringes, and bandages. These tools were key in creating medical play experiences that helped children prepare for procedures, express their feelings, and ask questions in a safe environment.
Parents sometimes looked at me with doubt, wondering why I would let their child paint with EEG electrodes or dig through magnetic sand for hidden medical tools.
But there is a method to all the medical play!
As you begin your own journey with The Butterfly Pig toys, here are five tips to create the best environment for your child to make the most of their new toys.
Use The Butterfly Pig toys to PREPARE children.
Whether it’s for a routine doctor’s visit or a recurring medical experience, children greatly benefit from knowing what to expect. You can prepare them using medical toys by:
- Pretend play through the steps they might encounter: This is a wonderful way to educate your child in a non-threatening, playful manner.
- Get familiar with the equipment: Letting your child handle medical tools in a playful setting helps normalize the environment and makes the real experience feel less intimidating.
- Practice coping techniques along the way: Use the toys to demonstrate and practice calming techniques, like deep breathing or distraction methods, which can be helpful during real medical experiences.
Use The Butterfly Pig toys to BUILD CONFIDENCE in your child.
As they practice being a doctor or nurse and go through the steps of care, they’ll begin to feel empowered as the ‘expert’ in what to expect. Watch their pride grow as they confidently use real medical terms, understand the function of each toy, and gain a sense of control by knowing the ‘why’ behind medical procedures/treatment.
This knowledge not only boosts their confidence but also helps reduce anxiety, giving them a greater sense of autonomy during real-life medical experiences
Use The Butterfly Pig toys to LISTEN to your child.
Toys act as a ‘vehicle of communication’ for children, helping them express their inner thoughts, feelings, and even misconceptions. So, pay close attention when they’re playing doctor! Tune in to both their verbal and nonverbal cues. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Use open-ended questions. Starting with ‘How’ or ‘What’ encourages more thoughtful responses and keeps the conversation open.
- Watch for nonverbal cues. Sometimes children express their feelings through play without using words. Pay attention to how they handle the toys—are they gentle, hesitant, or rough? This can give you insight into their emotions.
- Allow for pauses. Silence is okay in play. Let your child take the lead and don’t rush to fill the gaps. Sometimes, the most meaningful thoughts emerge after a pause.
- Respond without judgment. Whether they’re expressing fear, frustration, or confusion, respond with empathy and validation. For example, ‘It sounds like your teddy bear is really worried about the poke. Lots of people feel can feel that way.’
Use The Butterfly Pig toys to REFLECT your child's emotions.
As your child plays, mirror their language. If they use a word to describe how the pretend “patient” is feeling, repeat it back to them. This validates their emotions and shows you’re actively listening. By reflecting back what you notice, you help your child process their feelings and experiences.
Here are a few go-to phrases for medical play:
- ‘I noticed Bear said “no, no” before the poke. Why do you think that is?’
- Instead of saying, ‘Is your teddy bear scared of the poke?’ try asking, ‘How is your teddy bear feeling?’
- ‘You seemed so confident when you did that!’
- ‘What comes next? How does Bear feel about that?’
- ‘I saw that Bear held really still. What else could he do to keep his body relaxed?’
Reflecting their emotions and actions helps them feel understood and encourages further exploration of their feelings.
Use The Butterfly Pig toys to DEBRIEF with your child.
Even after the test, procedure, or medication is over, the experience isn’t truly behind them. Debriefing through play offers a valuable opportunity for your child to continue processing what happened, gain new coping skills, and correct any misconceptions they may have formed.
Incorporating The Butterfly Pig toys into your child’s medical experiences can make a world of difference! Trust me! By preparing them through playful simulations, reflecting on their emotions, and using the toys to debrief, you help create a supportive environment that makes medical encounters less daunting and more manageable.
Remember, the goal is to empower your child with knowledge, build their confidence, and ensure they feel understood and supported. With these strategies, you’re not just navigating medical experiences—you’re turning them into opportunities for growth and resilience.
Embrace the power of play, and watch as your child flourishes with each new experience!