Welcome to our StrongStart veterinary clinic.
Our children have shown a strong interest in animals so a vet clinic
was set up in our dramatic play to let them explore the animals
further.
The children practiced various methods of caring for the
animals.
Interviewing the owner and taking down important information
to help them decide what is wrong with the pet.
Thanks to Let’s Go Fly a Kite for the inspiration for our
medical chart.
Inspecting each animal carefully.
Checking xrays and keeping them fed and watered.
After playing vet for several weeks we visited a real vet clinic
down the road from our school.
Dr. Joan showed us around the clinic. The examination room
was small so we quickly went through it to the main room behind.
We saw where they do dental work and check blood through
a microscope.
They have medicine for the animals to take with them if needed.
But our favourite room was the x ray room.
Dr. Joan explained how the x ray machine works and the importance
of wearing special clothing to take the pictures.
She let us try on the apron, collar, gloves and glasses to feel
the weight.
The children were pretty quiet up to this point.
But as she started to show us pictures the children began to guess
what kind of animal it may be and what was wrong with it.
She also explained that these are old x rays and now they are
all done digitally through the computer.
The old x rays are so fun to look at – can you see all the
baby kittens in this one?
We moved on to surgery where Dr. Joan got dressed in her
surgical gear that keeps all her germs off her patient. The
children asked how she cuts them open and she showed
them a scalpel and showed them the thread she uses to sew
them up again.
As we left Dr. Joan gifted each child with a hair net and mask so they
could do their own surgery. Several parents reported back to me that
is exactly what their children did for the rest of the afternoon – play vet.
What would you add to a vet clinic dramatic play at your centre?
Thanks for playing along.
