How To: DIY Doctor Play Set

Emma is really into pretend play at the moment, so I thought it was time to introduce her to my favourite roll play toy as a child, the Doctor Play set. I had a Fisher Price one as a girl, and it really got a workout.

Instead of buying her a whole lot of plastic stuff, I rummaged around in a few drawers and cupboards and put together a fun set that cost me next to nothing.

Apart from gathering supplies, I made a gauze surgical mask. The tutorial is included below.

Some items that may be in your first aid drawer or that you can cheaply pick up at your local pharmacy:

• Bandages
• Plastic Syringe
• Plastic Tweezers from a dressing kit
• Tongue Depressor
• Stethoscope (I bought this off ebay for $4, it’s not excellent quality but it does work. Make sure you supervise your child as yelling or banging on stethoscopes can cause hearing damage.)

Other items you may want to include:

• Bandaids
• Cotton Balls or swabs
• Eye Patch
• Note pad and Pen

How to make a Surgical Mask for Pretend Play

You will need:

• Cotton gauze 8″x10″
• 2 x elastic pieces 10″ long
• safety pin
• Sewing machine and general sewing supplies

This size suits a small child, you may want to adjust the measurements for older kids.

How to:

1. Cut your gauze square and elastic.
2. Fold the gauze in half and sew along the dotted line.
3. Turn inside out and press.
4. Fold open sides over twice as pictured and press.
5. Stitch along dotted line.
6. Fasten your safety pin to the end of the elastic piece and thread each through the side tubes.
7. Tie off the ends.
8. Move the elastic around to hide the knot.

To decorate the case:

• This was an old case I had kicking around the sewing room, if you don’t want to buy one you can use a lunch box or even a biscuit tin.
• Trace a circle around a bowl or plate onto some adhesive paper.
• Draw a large cross and colour in with a marker pen.
• Cut out and stick onto case or tin.

Now prepare yourself to be examined, prodded and bandaged up.

Have fun!