Few things scare me more than playing hospital with my 3 and 5-year-olds. It sounds harmless enough: I play the patient while they play the caring and skilled physicians, complete with their doctor bags filled with torture devices plastic medical instruments. As patient, it is my job to stay perfectly still while they poke and prod me and contort my body during the initial examination and then tearlessly accept the inevitable cure-all shot to each and every limb. I am then required to proclaim myself all better, hug my dearly beloved white-coated tormentors, and skip from the room with my bill for ten kadrillion dollars. The bruises sustained during these play sessions are a small price to pay for providing them the inspiration to pursue careers as doctors and support me and their father both financially and medically in our old age. However, on those days when this beat-up body of mine doesn’t feel up to an imaginary trip to the hospital, I rely on the iPad to provide my children with the inspiration. If you have a budding doctor in your house, try some of these doctor-related apps for kids:
Dr. Dino! by Joy Preschool Game
Be a doctor alongside Dr. Dino in 8 different departments: Trauma and emergency, orthopedics, dentistry, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, physical examination, and ward. Every department offers several fun puzzles and mini-games, with 28 puzzles and games in all. This app is perfect for preschoolers, with no ads or in-app purchases. $1.99, 4+ rating
Dr. Panda’s Hospital by TribePlay
This app is ideal for kids ages 2-6, an age range when curiosity about basic medical procedures and anatomy comes naturally. Feed their curiosity by allowing them to help Dr. Panda take care of animals at Dr. Panda’s Hospital. Your child will greet different animals in the waiting room, help them to their hospital beds, and discover and treat their ailments. Features include 10 fun medical mini games, 8 different patients, sticker rewards, and fun animations and sounds. This app does not contain third-party advertising or in-app purchases. $1.99, 4+ rating
Dentist Office Kids! by Beansprites LLC
Is your child ready to specialize? If so, consider dentistry with this app, which will allow your child to perform a variety of dental procedures on patients. Choose from over 9 different procedures, including dental cleaning, tooth extraction, root canal, crowns placement, and more. $1.99, 4+ rating
Animal Vet’s Office – Virtual Pet Doctor by Detention Apps
If your child prefers animals over people, then a job as a vet could be in their future. With this app, your child can be an animal doctor to 4 adorable pets suffering from a variety of ailments and injuries, including fleas, ticks, ear infections, and rashes. Use examinations, x-ray machines, and a variety of vet tools to determine the best healing course of action. This is an ad-free game. $0.99, 4+ rating
Stitches by Mobile Mind LLC
Featured in “The Best Games You’ve Never Played,” this app is geared towards the 12-and-over crowd. Stitches pits you against the clock as you pinch and push a variety of humorous organs in an attempt to extract them from your patient and restore him to good health. As your skills increase, you will be forced to perform surgery under some of the worst conditions imaginable. The 12+ rating is due to infrequent/mild alcohol, tobacco, or drug use references and infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence. $0.99
