Make a DIY Pretend Doctor Kit

For Christmas, my two year old son said he only wanted Santa to bring him one thing for Christmas: "A doctor kit with a stethoscope." I'm not even kidding. Whose two year old asks for something that sophisticated?

Since he really only asked for one thing, I wanted to try to get him one.

The problem? Most kids' doctor kits are $20-$30 and full of little plastic do-dads. I have major hang ups about paying $30 for a small collection of junky plastic do-dads. And none of them do anything. The reason he wanted a stethoscope in the first place was because a nurse had let him listen to his own heart with one a few weeks prior. Since he asked for one specifically, I wasn't sure he'd want a kids pretend stethoscope that didn't make noises.

So I did what any crafty mom would do: I decided to assemble my own with as many (safe for toddlers) working things as possible. I made this in the two weeks before Christmas, so I know that if I'd given myself more time, I may have been able to get some of these things for less.

What's in the Doctor Kit?

• Personalized doctor bag (Free: made myself from an old purse. See below)
• Stethoscope (about $8 for this one: Prestige Medical Dualheads, Frosted Royal)
• Knee hammer (about $3 for this one: Taylor Percussion Hammer)
• Light scope (about $10 for this one: CVS Multi Use Scope Light for Eye Ear Nose Throat)
• Metal baindaid box (about $5 for this one: Hello Kitty Bandages)
• Ace bandage (about $1.50 at Wal-Mart)
• Self-stick medical "tape" (about $1.50 at Wal-Mart)
• Box of bandages (to refill bandaid box, $1)
• Prescription bottle (on hand)

Total Spent: $30

So I did not actually save any money over buying a pretend doctor kit from the store. BUT I got stuff that is way cooler for the same price I'd have paid for a box of useless shaped plastic pieces. I'm hoping mine will last a bit longer, too.

Here is the break down of everything for those who like pictures and things....

Doctor Bag

The doctor bag actually used to be my favorite purse from college. It did create a smidge of heartbreak to turn my fave sentimental purse into a kids toy but the honest truth is that I have not actually used the purse in 5-6 years (the layer of dust I had to clean off of it will attest to that, ahem) and chances that I will be using such a small purse any time in the next five years is not high either. It also had the best shape for a doctor bag of any of my old purses.

This is what it used to look like:

I made a patch to cover the C on the front with a large white circle of felt, a red cotton cross that was appliqued on, and "Dr. Bonham" written in fabric paint. Once the patch was made (and the paint was dry), I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to glue it to the purse. I chose this glue because it is flexible and can move with the bag

Accessories:


Below are the items I bought to fill the kit (you can click the image to go directly to the item for sale on Amazon). We already had the medicine bottle at home.

      

For those of you wondering: Yes, this doctor kit is for a boy. 

Really? Hello Kitty? While the Hello Kitty bandage tin came with cute bandaids, I swapped them out for some plain colorful bandaids instead. All I was really interested in was the tin to use as a durable container for bandaids. You may be able to find a less expensive tin at a drug store near you (I paid about $5 for mine online).

Does he like it? Yes he does! He is particularly enamored with the bandaids - everyone including one of our fluffy dogs has fallen victim to "Dr. Bonham's" attempt at nursing them back to health with the power of kisses and bandaids. It has also become common to have to explain to grandparents, babysitters, store clerks, etc that my child isn't really injured. He just likes bandaids. 

He also likes to use his light scope as well as the stethoscope.

These are a couple pictures from Christmas morning:

These were taken a few weeks after Christmas. Notice how both Dr. Bonham and Daddy Bonham have several bandages each.

Thank you for stopping by! If I inspire you to make your own DIY Doctor Kit, please leave me a link in the comments. I'd love to see!

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