‘Do you want to play doctors?’ An exploratory study of parent engagement in medical play with preschool children

Medical fears are common in early childhood, and managing young children’s distress with routine healthcare encounters is essential for promoting lifelong health. Previous research suggests medical play guided by healthcare professionals reduces children’s anxiety and distress in medical settings, and medical play has been recommended as a strategy families can use at home to prevent or address medical fears. However, little is known about how parents engage with their children during play involving medical toys, equipment or themes. The present exploratory study sought to describe how parents in the United States naturally engaged in medical play with their preschool children (ages 4 and 5). Observations of 43 play sessions between parents (88% mothers) and children (51% girls, M age = 4.87 years) were video recorded during a lab visit in which families were provided with pretend play toys and invited to play as they would at home. Findings show that most parents and children chose to engage in medical play for the majority of the observation. Qualitative analysis revealed five patterns of parent engagement in medical play (play follower, play collaborator, play guide, play leader and playful instructor) which varied in amount of participation, direction and instructiveness. Given that parents are the primary support available during early healthcare encounters, implications for future research and intervention focused on medical play are discussed.