Playing Doctor at ‘Kid’s Clinic’ : Museum’s Hands-On Exhibit Helps Children Get Comfortable With Common Medical Procedures

It had been a busy morning for Kristy Malone.

Perform major surgery. Grab a quick ride on the carrousel. Pet a stuffed deer. Then dash back to offer breakfast and comfort to her patient.

Straightening her stylishly oversized lab coat, Malone gave the prognosis.

“She had a cold and, um, a broken leg,” said the 5-year-old from Cypress, helping the patient--her baby doll--into a more comfortable position. “I had to do surgery, but I knew what I was doing, because I’m a nurse.

“She’s not all better yet. But she’s going to have breakfast now. . . . That should do it.”

Kristy was among the dozens of very young professionals taking part in “Kid’s Clinic,” a hands-on exhibit at the Children’s Museum at La Habra (through Sept. 9) that lets youngsters explore the world of doctors and dentists in a decidedly non-threatening environment.

Using equipment donated by local hospitals, clinics and dental offices, visitors to “Kid’s Clinic” can listen to a heartbeat, prescribe eyeglasses, “adjust” spinal disorders, even “extract” teeth. (Fear not, parents: The drills have no power or bits, the scalpels no blades).

Wearing real lab coats and surgery scrubs, the youngsters can take a spin in a wheelchair, bounce on a hospital bed or raise and lower a dentist’s chair to their heart’s content--or until the next patient arrives.

Volunteer docents offer regular tours through the exhibit. Starting in a make-believe reception area, the young doctors and patients visit a dentist’s office first, then an ophthalmologist’s office, an operating room, a chiropractor’s examining room, a hospital room, a nursery and finally a pharmacy.

According to docent Dorothy Fite, each area in the exhibit was outfitted as realistically as possible. Before “Kid’s Clinic” opened May 16, local professionals supervised the arrangement of each display. In the dental area, tiny hand-held mirrors, probes and paper bibs line the tray on the examining chair alongside the inoperative drill. Rubber gloves, a full complement of gauze, cotton balls and bandages and a real examining table outfit the doctor’s office. Even the operating room is equipped with real (albeit antiquated) anesthesia and oxygen machines.

On a recent Saturday morning, several grade-schoolers--looking like very young interns in their baggy hospital garb--trailed after docent Fite. Stopping in the examining room, Fite coached “Dr.” T.J. Dawson, an 8-year-old from Huntington Beach, as he used a tongue depressor, stethoscope and reflex hammer to examine “patient” Lani Smith, 8, of Garden Grove.

“Say ‘ah,’ ” T.J. said.

“Ah,” Lani said.

“You’re fine,” T.J. said.

Moving into the infant nursery, Fite gave a simple explanation of birthing methods (“Some babies are born the natural way, other babies come with an operation. . . .”), then offered a few tips on prenatal care.

“Someday, a lot of you girls may have babies,” she said. “Remember, the way you eat and the way you take care of your body means that you will have a body that can produce a strong, healthy baby. So during pregnancy, it’s extremely important to do what your doctor tells you, right?”

Fite, a museum staff member who trains all the volunteer docents, feels that firsthand experience with the tools of the medical trade is a sure way to calm children’s natural fear of doctors and dentists.

“The children like the idea that they are the ones doing the operating and they are investigating the mouth,” Fite said. “It’s not somebody else doing it to them.

“We try to keep the children really interested . . . and give enough supervision that they realize what they’re handling, and not just playing. Of course, the hands-on (experience) is the big thing. They love it.”

Eyeing a larger-than-life-sized toothbrush in the dental area, 9-year-old Gracie Hansmeyer of Anaheim agreed.

“It’s pretty fun. I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I’ve learned that dentists should treat their patients nice.

“I’m not really afraid of doctors,” she added. “I know because I asked my mom and she said they wouldn’t hurt me. But seeing all this stuff does help me understand it better.”

For 5-year-old Cody Karst of Fullerton, a visit to “Kid’s Clinic” was a painless prelude to his upcoming first visit to the dentist. “I know he was pretty scared of the whole idea at first,” his mother, Karin, said as she watched her son happily examining the dental area. “He wouldn’t even get in this chair a half hour ago. Now I can’t get him out of it.”

On Saturdays, “Kid’s Clinic” offers shows and workshops designed to reinforce the importance of good health care. So far these have included a kid-level discussion of oral hygiene by an Anaheim dentist, an introduction to life under the microscope by a La Habra pathologist, and Saturday there will be an introduction by a registered nurse to basic first aid.

Upcoming events include “Fun with Pharmacy” next July 15, in which the safe use of medicines and household products will be discussed; and “The Eyes Have It,” a vision and eye-care workshop on Aug. 26.

Along with “Kid’s Clinic,” the Children’s Museum at La Habra offers several permanent exhibits: Nature Walk, a walk-through display where children can touch realistically mounted wild animals; Bee Observatory, where thousands of live bees work in a glass-enclosed hive; and Playspace, which features a whirling kid-sized carrousel and an assortment of educational toys.

The museum currently is involved in an 8,000-square-foot expansion. Scheduled for completion this fall, the new space will house hands-on physical science exhibits, a theater and “Preschool Playpark,” which will offer learning opportunities for the 5-and-under set.

The Children’s Museum at La Habra is at 301 South Euclid St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $1 for children, $1.50 for adults. Reservations are required for large groups. Information: (213) 905-9793.