When Your Mom Is a Nurse...

...you have the best toys on the block.

Like surgical equipment...

...for squirt gun wars. 

The surgical mask is a nice touch there, Ginger Girl. Who needs a squirt gun when you've got a giant syringe to fill with water and get that accurate shot at your target? And it's easy to jump right into the middle of the action when you've got an eye shield and you can't get blinded by water getting into your eyes. It's perfect.

Who needs all those fake plastic medical toys to play Hospital with? Every kid knows that anything is more fun the closer it is to reality. And you can't get any more realistic than with items from your Mom's backpack.

My girls have a real stethoscope, masks, surgical caps, syringes*, sterile gloves, feeding tube bags, gowns, scrubs. They've even got an NG tube**. I'll add that none of these have ever been used on real patients...I'm not weird enough to bring home used medical equipment. Ew.

All that you would need to take care of your sick  siblings patients.
Except the hospital.

It's like an odd convergence of modern medicine and
battle field reenactment.

"Of course I'm a real doctor, why do you ask,
specimen...er...patient of mine?"

Giving your children the (safe) items you practiced techniques with is not only fun for them, it's entertainment for you. 

*Is it really necessary for me to add that there are no sharps in play here? Considering how some people get riled up for no reason, I will add that there are no needles or any type of sharps included in this particular child's play.

**With strict instructions to not actually insert it--the way they recoiled in fear when I originally told them where an NG tube goes and how it gets there, I have no fear that they will ever attempt to do anything but tape it to their stuffed animals for "surgery recovery".