Medical Play and the ECE Setting

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What is Medical Play?

Play has served as a way for children to express their emotions and reactions, especially when confronting stressful situations such as medical trauma, and as such, it allows children to have control of their experience (Nabors et al., 2013). Medical play is maybe more familiar in pediatric medical settings offered by child life specialists. However, medical play is also provided in the early childhood setting where is mostly seen in the dramatic play area. Regardless of the context, medical play can serve as a vehicle for children to cope with stressful medical experiences and attain control through the creation of stories with positive outcomes. Children’s retelling of their medical experiences through personal stories while playing can help in processing their medical experiences and feelings of distress.

There are four categories of medical play (McCue, 1988). First, medical play includes real medical equipment as well as commercially made materials like the ones used in ECE settings. Then, there is medical fantasy play, where medical themes are enacted, but without the use of medical equipment. Indirect medical play is another category, which involves a wide range of opportunities for exploration around medical issues but without the elements of health-related role play themes. Lastly, there is medically related art. This type of activity is less structured and range from direct painting and drawing to three-dimensional creations using medical materials like cotton swabs or band-aids.

Medical play is frequently offered as a child-directed exploratory activity. It is also initiated by child life specialists and ECE educators supporting a specific need/goal. However, the purpose for medical play in both environments is different. Child life specialists offer medical play a way to support a particular psychosocial goal such as preparation for a medical procedure. On the other hand, ECE educators provide health care related play across developmental domains (Turner & Dempsey, 2018).

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Ways ECE Educators Can Support Medical Play and Knowledge in the Classroom

As ECE educators we can support children gain health literacy knowledge by providing open-ended medical play that includes symbolic objects that are related to their prior medical experiences such a visit to the doctor. Child-directed play in an unstructured environment is ideal for children to construct their understanding of health related issues. ECE educators can provide symbolic objects like the medical tools used by physicians. These items include bandages, gauze, thermometer, cotton balls and swabs, stethoscope, empty medicine bottles, and a small flashlight. Medical play does not have to be limited to the dramatic play area, but can be incorporated in other areas as well. For example, an ECE educator can include bandages, cotton balls and swabs in the art area. Medical related books in the library is a great idea as well.

Other ideas include incorporating empty medicine bottle in sensory play for scooping or syringes for water play. Additionally, people figures with various abilities can be added to the block play area. Lastly, you can add human and animal x-rays to the light table for children to explore.

I hope these ideas are helpful when rethinking medical play in the ECE environment. Remember that children spend a big part of their day in care, which makes it an ideal place for them to learn and become literate about health care issues in a safe environment. Below, you will find some resources that may be helpful to you.

Until next time,

Yeni

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Resources for the Classroom

Books:

  • “Daniel Visits the Doctor (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) by Becky Friedman.

  •  “It’s Time For Your Checkup” by Shani Thornton, MS, CCLS

Video:

  • Elmo Visits the Doctor and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Gets a Shot


Medical play dolls:


Differently Abled Block People:

Medical Kit


Rolling Doctor’s Cart with Accessories

Human and Animal X-rays



References:

McCue, K. (1988). Medical play: An expanded perspective. Journal of the Association for the Care of Children’s Health, 16(3), 157-161.

Nabors, L., Bartz, J., Kichler, J., Sievers, R., Elkins, R., & Pangallo, J. (2013). Play as a mechanism of working through medical trauma for children with medical illnesses and their siblings. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 36(3), 212-224.

Turner, J. and Dempsey, V. (2018). Preschoolers’ Healthcare Play: Children Demonstrating Their Health Literacy. In Rubin, L. (Ed), Handbook of Medical Play Therapy and Child Life  (pp. 19-37).  New York, New York: Routledge.