Medical play allows children to navigate their emotions regarding medical experiences. Katie and her team of child life specialists at @ChildLifeonCall love including bandages in their medical play practice. Here is a simple “Bandage Matching” activity that is a MUST ADD to your medical play repertoire. 

All you need:

Bandages, a marker, and a favorite doll (action figures and lovies are always welcome!)

All you do:

Label your bandages with different body parts, and let your child get matching!

We love this activity for so many reasons:

• Open-ended play: let the child lead this activity. The child may surprise you with observations, thoughts, or questions!
• Normalizing medical supplies: Many children LOVE bandages. But some children associate bandages solely with ouchies. Others struggle with the stickiness of bandages. By adding bandages to play, you are helping to create a positive association with these medical supplies for your child!
• Opportunity for education: this activity is a hands-on way to teach children their heads, shoulders, knees, and toes (and then some!)
• Adaptable: this activity can be easily adapted to teach a child about an upcoming procedure or past procedure.
•  …and so much more—the possibilities are endless!

You can find more fun, eye-catching bandage options from SmileMakers here!