Most children love our four-legged and feathered friends. Transform the dramatic play area into something extra special! This Vet Clinic can be a wonderful way to tie in science, math, cooperative play, and literacy skills all in one dramatic play area. It also encourages empathy, and can even help a child who might be feeling a little anxious about their next check-up feel a bit more at ease.
Working together is always a great skill to practice!
Children will incorporate their Math and Science skills as they read the numbers on the medicine droppers, count “pills”, and explore the medical tools.
Vet Clinic Dramatic Play Props
Many of the props for this center can be reused for a doctor’s office or hospital dramatic play center as well! To really invite the students to explore, try adding these:
- small, easy-to-open plastic jars, bottles, and containers
- medicine droppers or eye droppers
- band-aids
- cotton balls
- ace bandages
- clipboards with pencils or pens
- calculator, cash register and phone
- baby blankets and washcloths
- thermometers
- of course, a toy doctor’s kit!
- Lab coats
- rubber gloves
- tweezers
- stuffed or plastic animals to help feel better!
- Signs and labels make it feel real and encourage literacy skills.
Yes, that is a “Cone of Shame” in the clinic!
Vet Clinic Literacy Tools
Travel size bottles make inexpensive yet realistic props!
Encourage pre-writing skills with the medical record sheets. Pictures combined with words help make connections.
This dramatic play center can be especially helpful for children who might feel a little anxious about their own check-ups.
Badges help children work cooperatively while also reinforcing literacy skills. The “intake form” extends vocabulary skills and fine motor skills (drawing and writing) as well!
All of the name tags, intake forms, labels, and signs for the Vet Clinic are available for you to print and use HERE. I hope that your class enjoys them as much as we do!
Affiliate Links to some of our favorite play things:
Did you love the Vet Clinic? Find MORE Dramatic Play inspiration and ideas HERE:
Need more Animal Ideas? These units and more are available on TeacherPayTeachers!
