{"id":5184,"date":"2026-02-25T13:04:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/?p=5184"},"modified":"2026-03-06T11:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T19:07:25","slug":"pretend-play-ease-child-anxiety-doctor-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/pretend-play-ease-child-anxiety-doctor-visits\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Play at the Pediatrician\u2019s Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of my favorite patients in the pediatrics clinic are stuffed animals. Elmo was a regular visitor in the past, but these days Minnie Mouse has lots of appointments, as do Sonic the Hedgehog, Paw Patrol pups, and Pikachu\u2019s pals. Sometimes, a whole zoo of stuffed animals comes through my doors with their preschool-aged zookeeper.<\/p>\n

Usually, these stuffies join the visit for moral support. Just like the Disney Jr. character Doc McStuffins, I tell the stuffies, \u201cIt\u2019s time for your check up!\u201d The kids love playing along.<\/p>\n

Most parents have experienced a doctor\u2019s visit where their child was not thrilled<\/a> to be there. This is especially common between ages 1 and 4, though many children remain cautious about medical visits well into their school years. As pediatricians, we work hard to create a welcoming office environment, using stickers, bright colors, and friendly decorations to help kids feel more at ease.<\/p>\n

Still, a physical exam requires moving into a child\u2019s personal space, which can be unsettling. In these moments, incorporating play into office visits becomes key.<\/p>\n

Pretend play helps kids connect and learn<\/h2>\n

Bluey, the Australian animated show, gives great examples of the power of play. Bandit, Bluey\u2019s dad, demonstrates how a parent\u2019s participation in pretend play can help<\/a> develop a child\u2019s creativity and emotional learning while strengthening family bonds. The play scenarios created by the Heeler family allow Bluey and her sibling Bingo to navigate complex emotions and experiences.<\/p>\n

Similarly, bringing small toys or a stuffy from home and engaging in pretend play during the visit can help your child feel calm and in control, keep them occupied while waiting for the pediatrician, and even make the exam itself easier.<\/p>\n

Every pediatrician has their own style<\/h2>\n

Young patients often ask to see my light-up frog, the little distraction toy I use while listening to their hearts. Another doctor in our office \u201cchecks for birds\u201d in kids\u2019 ears, adding a playful tweet as they examine them with the otoscope. One pretends to be \u201cblown away\u201d as children take big breaths to push her across the room; another has kids blow bubbles during their lung exams. These seemingly silly tricks not only help doctors examine our young patients but also serve as wonderful examples of how play can ease anxiety and build connection.<\/p>\n

I love examining stuffed animals because it\u2019s a fun way to help children understand what\u2019s about to happen and relieve any worries. After demonstrating how to check their stuffy\u2019s ears, eyes, heart, and belly, I let the \u201cyoung doctor\u201d take a turn with the tools. From there, we transition into the child\u2019s exam. More often than not, these visits end with smiles all around including the patient, parent, and pediatrician!<\/p>\n

Next time your child wants to bring a stuffy to their doctor\u2019s appointment, consider saying yes! As Doc McStuffins herself says, \u201cBeing brave doesn\u2019t mean you never get scared.\u201d Spending time with stuffies just might make your doctor\u2019s day, too.<\/p>\n

Resources For Parents:<\/h4>\n

American Academy of Pediatrics<\/h4>\n

Pretend Play: Ways that Children Can Exercise Their Imagination<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some of my favorite patients in the pediatrics clinic are stuffed animals. Elmo was a regular visitor in the past, but these days Minnie Mouse has lots of appointments, as do Sonic the Hedgehog, Paw Patrol pups, and Pikachu\u2019s pals. Sometimes, a whole zoo of stuffed animals comes through my doors with their preschool-aged zookeeper. Usually, these stuffies join the visit for moral support. Just…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[454],"tags":[597,548,522,329,413],"class_list":["post-5184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior","tag-anxiety","tag-doctor-visits","tag-doctors-appointment","tag-play","tag-playtime-tips-for-toddlers","ages-toddler"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1773078954:11"],"_edit_last":["8"],"_thumbnail_id":["5185"],"qode_animate-page-title":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-text":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-image":["no"],"qode_show-sidebar":["default"],"qode_hide-featured-image":["no"],"cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":[""],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"video_format_choose":["youtube"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["true"],"_wpb_vc_editor_type":["classic"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["454"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_ages":["289"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["play at doctors office to help kids feel calm"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Pretend play and stuffed animals can ease kid's anxiety during doctor visits. A pediatrician explains how play builds comfort and trust"],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["71"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["60"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["3"],"post_featured_author_bio":["Dr. Lindsay Frost's biography reads: I joined the pediatrics team at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento in 2018 to help kids thrive. During my medical training, I pursued a Masters degree in public health and health promotion. I enjoy being able to foster long-term relationships with patients and their families, providing care in both health and illness as children grow. Some of my most relevant experiences as a pediatrician have come from my two children, who have \u201ctrained\u201d me first-hand on the challenges of parenthood. \nRead more at {{https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/providers\/lindsayfrost}}"],"post_featured_author_bio_link":["https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/providers\/lindsayfrost"],"post_featured_author_image":["https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Lindsay-Frost.png"],"post_featured_author_role":["YES"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1772824915"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"],"ase_mapbox_style":["openstreet"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"],"wpfp_favorites":["43"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5186,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5184\/revisions\/5186"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}