DIY Doctor Kit for Kids

Hello! I'm sorry for the super long break between posts. [A] and I went on a mini-vacation BY OURSELVES and it was amazing! I never understood why parents would ever want to go away on a trip without their children but I can say that having those few days to just be together and relax without any of the daily obligations that come with jobs and having kids was so... freeing. It's not to say that we didn't do a lot (we'll take that vacation later in the summer, the one where we lay on the beach and just "do relax") but it was still very relaxing and incredibly enjoyable. Anyway, that's a post (or two) for a different day. Today I'm going to show you how I made inexpensive Doctor Kits for the girls.

Back in this post about some of the kids favorite toys I mentioned that the girls, and particularly [E], really love playing doctor lately. Originally I had a bunch of odds and ends in an old free Clinique makeup bag that we used as a medical kit like Peso from the Octonauts when [K] was younger and loved that show. Then when the girls became interested in the Disney Jr. show, Doc McStuffins, they both wanted to perform check-ups on all of their toys. It became clear that the Dollar Tree medical kit I bought on a whim and the few supplies we already had would not be enough for two budding doctors.

I looked around on the internet for some ideas and used those, along with some of my own and pieces we already had, to create these Doctor Kits for Kids. They really aren't expensive and with how much time the girls have used them, they were worth every penny.

The idea really started because of the stethoscope. Both girls loved the Dollar Tree version but it was cheap and the two that we had broke quickly. My Dad has an actual stethoscope that was my grandmother's who was an RN for years, that he let the girls use once (with supervision) but because of the sentimental value of it, I knew I had to find some they could have for themselves. I looked at other toy versions, namely the old Fisher Price version I had as a kid but for a few dollars more I found I could buy them a real working stethoscope which is way cooler.

In the back, starting at the 12:00 position and moving around clockwise:
Clear Cosmetic Bag with Handles -I wanted a bag with a zipper and having it clear made it just that much better. I bought letter stickers from Michaels and wrote "DOC [K]" and "DOC [E]" on their bags. Inside I included:

• Disposable face mask (from Walgreens)
• Purple glitter headband (like Doc McStuffins wears) from the dollar section at Target
• Tic Tac container (filled with Smarties and a few Tic Tacs). I found the free cross medical symbol printable on the Kylie Mae Events blog site
• Empty travel container with a pop top lid. I was going to use actual empty medicine bottles but those lids are child-proof (for obvious reasons) and I wanted them to be able to open the bottles and pretend to put ointment on cuts and scrapes
• Doc McStuffins sticker notebook. This comes in a set of four and would be nice for a Doc-themed birthday party as well.
• Plastic magnifying glass. My Dad originally got this for [K] when she expressed an interest in the glass one he has and both girls have enjoyed using it so when I made two Doctor Kits I got another one from WalMart.
• Three pack of mini memo notebooks from Target. (I wrote "My Big Book of Boo Boos") on the cover because that's what they call it on Doc McStuffins. The girls draw pictures of their patients and their injuries in the book.
• Flannel bandages. The two in the back are from an old Ikea toy veterinary kit I bought long ago. It only came with three though and I wanted each girl to have four so I bought a sheet of bandage-colored flannel from Michael's and heavy duty self stick Velcro and made four longer bandages and one additional small one so both girls have two of each size.
• Doctor badge (it's part of the free printable I mentioned above.) On the front it says "Dr. On Duty" and there's a spot for their names and on the back it's a blue cross. I covered both sides with clear contact paper to keep it from falling apart too quickly.
• Fabric thermometer. This was also a part of the Ikea vet kit (like the bandages above.)
• Soft facial brush. I don't remember where or why I bought this but it was never used for its intended purpose. One girl has this in her bag and the other has an old blush brush. They get more use than I would have guessed.
• Hand tweezers. I found these in the dollar section at Target and while they don't do a great job actually picking stuff up, they're cute and the girls have fun trying to use them.
• Stethoscope. I bought the pink one above for [K] (and I only bought the pink one because it was the cheapest of the colors they offer) and this black one for [E]. The reason I bought a different one for [E] is because they worded the description as if it would be smaller and more "child-like". Aside from color and hers being a single head versus [K]s which is a dualhead, they seem exactly the same to me. I ended up cutting the tube part that hangs down on both of them because they are so long that they were dragging on the ground.
• Empty medicine dispenser
• Syringe highlighter markers. These come in a pack of 6 so each girl has three colors. These are a huge hit. Originally I was going to buy them syringe pens but I was afraid the ink would end up leaking or something since they were just cheap from the Dollar Tree so I was really happy when I found the highlighter version on Amazon.
• Also included but not pictured: I'm not sure how these didn't make it in the picture but each girl also has two plastic popsicle sticks to use as tongue depressors.

 And there you have it! Everything fits neatly inside the carrying case and the girls have been having hours of imaginative play with them. It's been so fun watching how the girls use their kits and seeing them take such good care of their stuffed animals as well as all of the members of our family. Hopefully this inspires you to make one for the little Doctors in your lives.

Have a great weekend and stay healthy!
~ [J]