The Teddy Bear Doctor Is In

Each child brings a stuffed animal to the clinic and plays doctor: listens to its heart, bandages its paw, walks it around to check it’s better, then feels their own heartbeat after moving. It builds body awareness, body care and empathy.

How to play

1. Waiting room: sitting with our stuffed animals, the teacher tells what hurts each one: a paw, a tummy or a head (2 min).
2. Listen to the stuffed animal’s heart, then your own with a hand on your chest: it’s calm (2 min).
3. The patient exercises: balance it on your head, shoulder or open hand and walk around without dropping it (3 min).
4. Now we run and jump for a bit and feel our heart again: it’s going fast! (2 min).
5. Treatment: use a scarf to bandage the part that hurts (paw, head, tummy) and say its name out loud (2 min).
6. Put it to bed on the hospital mat, tuck it in and tell it to get well soon (2 min).

Rules

• We handle our stuffed animal very gently.
• When we run, the stuffed animal rests.
• I name the body part I’m treating.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: balance the stuffed animal on the knees or the wheelchair tray.
• Autism: let the child use their usual comfort toy and skip the running if it’s overwhelming.
• Hearing impairment: point to body parts on a big poster as well as saying them.

Learning goals

• Recognize the heart and body parts.
• Notice how the body changes with movement.
• Show care and empathy.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Stuffed animals: 25
• Scarves: 25
• Mats: 4

Teacher tip

Ask families the day before to send a stuffed animal and keep spares for anyone who forgets. Make it clear any child can be the doctor. Kids tend to tie bandages too tight; a loose knot is enough.

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