Role play is such a powerful tool for learning and one of our favourite setups is playing doctors.

You don’t even need to have a doctor's kit. Just a few kitchen bits and bobs: a torch could be an x-ray, some towels or sheets could be bandages or slings, empty containers can be medicine. Imagination is key! Add in this printable I whipped up, and suddenly we’ve got a full-on GP practice in the living room.

Here’s why I think doctor role-play is worth encouraging at home:

1. It helps kids understand how others feel.
When they step into the role of a doctor, they’re not just handing out pretend medicine – they’re tuning into what someone else might need. That gentle question of “Are you ok?” or “Where does it hurt?” gives them practice in empathy without us needing to lecture them about it.

2. It’s brilliant for language.
Kids use new words like “temperature”, “check-up”, or “injection”, and they learn how to ask questions, give instructions, and have back-and-forth conversations. That kind of pretend talk is gold for their communication skills.

3. It builds confidence.
Taking charge in a play scenario gives children a safe way to practise making decisions. They get to be in control - and for kids that’s a big deal.

4. It supports social development.
If there’s more than one child involved (or a willing adult), they’ll start practising skills like turn-taking, listening, and cooperative play. It’s also a nice entry point for developing parallel play.

5. It can help reduce fear around real-life doctor visits.
Medical play gives kids a chance to explore common scenarios they might otherwise find overwhelming – like getting an injection or having their heartbeat checked. When they’ve played through it first or done it to their teddies, it doesn’t feel so scary.

6. It feeds their imagination.
There’s no one way to play doctors. One minute they’re performing emergency surgery on a dinosaur's tail, the next they’re overdosing all the dollies who have pretend flu. It’s all imagination – and that’s exactly what we want.

If you’d like to set up your own play doctors station, you can grab the free printable I made. It includes patient forms, prescription pads, x-ray sheets and a few extra bits to spark ideas.

You don’t need any special toys, just a bit of time and a willingness to play along.

Download it and let me know how your little doctor gets on.