Teddy Bear Doctor Clinic
Kids play doctors healing their dolls: they find the part that "hurts", put a sticker bandage on it, and then do an exercise for that part on their own body. Pretend play to learn body parts and move them with care.
How to play
- Each child picks a rag doll or stuffed animal and sits with it, spread out, in their "doctor's office" (1 min).
- In a nurse voice, the teacher says: "Oh no, the dolls have a sore knee!" Each child finds the doll's knee and puts a sticker bandage on it (4 min, several parts).
- To heal it, everyone does the exercise on their own body: "For a knee, we bend and stretch it five times." Arms: windmills; neck: slow yes and no (4 min).
- Doll walk: each child carries their doll walking, riding on their back or balanced on their head, switching when the teacher claps (3 min).
- In pairs: one is the doctor and one the patient. The doctor points to a part and the patient moves it. Switch (2 min).
- To finish, kids remove the bandages naming each part and put the doll to sleep (1 min).
Rules
- Treat dolls kindly: no throwing or pulling by the arm.
- Stickers go on dolls only, never on a friend's face.
- Walk slowly while carrying your doll.
- Each doctor takes care of their own patient.
Variations
Easier
Big parts (head, tummy, arm, leg) and the teacher shows where the bandage goes.
Standard
Varied parts and each child invents a healing exercise.
Harder
Two sore spots at once, and the doctor tells the patient what to move.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the doll sits on a table or lap and exercises focus on the upper body.
- Autism: preview the steps with pictures (ouch, bandage, exercise) and respect it if the child prefers to work alone with their doll.
- Different skill levels: big stickers for some; small parts like elbow, ankle or wrist for skilled kids.
Learning goals
- Locate body parts on a doll and on themselves.
- Move each body part gently and with control.
- Act out everyday situations through pretend play.
Equipment for a class of 25
- rag dolls or stuffed animals: 20
- dot stickers: 80
Teacher tip
Ask families to send a stuffed animal or doll the day before. A toy stethoscope or lab coat for the teacher makes the scene much more believable.
PatioLab has "Teddy Bear Doctor Clinic" and 4199 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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