Pretend Play Guide for Oral Medications!

Pretend Play Activity Guide

Includes engaging activities to help children practice and feel empowered around taking medication:

• Play Pharmacist Lab – Pretend setup with colorful liquids, cups, droppers, spoons, or syringes so kids can “measure, mix, and dispense” like a real pharmacist.
• Medicine Choice Board – Printable board to let children make small choices (cup color, drink option, timing) and build autonomy.
• Medicine Storytelling (“Medicine Man”) – Turn medicine into a superhero, helper, or fun character through stories, art, or mini-comics.
• Countdown Chants – Silly rhyming chants and celebratory handshakes/dances to make swallowing fun and predictable.
• Candy Ladder Practice – Step-by-step “practice pill” swallowing with small foods (sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, candy) to build confidence.
• Sink or Float Exploration – Visual science activity using water and cereal/candy sprinkles to show how swallowing works.
• Super-meter Chart – Gamified progress tracker where kids “power up” and unlock superhero skills: Mighty Mouth, Bravery Boost, Hero’s Focus, and Master of Medicine.



Backed by child development principles:

• Role-reversal builds mastery & reduces helplessness.
• Choice-making restores autonomy & reduces anxiety.
• Storytelling externalizes worries and fosters resilience.
• Rituals and chants build predictability & positive associations.
• Graduated exposure (Candy Ladder) builds oral-motor skill and confidence.
• Visual play (Sink or Float) makes abstract concepts concrete.
• Gamification (Super-meter) boosts motivation and perseverance