Learning through play isn’t just fun, it’s powerful. A Wildlife Vet Clinic STEM Center gives children the opportunity to explore science, problem-solve, and communicate through hands-on, play-based learning. Whether you’re a classroom teacher or a homeschool parent, this type of STEM center transforms dramatic play into meaningful academic growth.
I have always been a hands-on teacher. Any chance that I was able to incorporate an interactive activity, such as games, projects, movement, music, or exploration, I jumped on it. Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.”
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Involving students in active and engaged learning is the best way for them to remember concepts and skills deeply. Also, it’s just plain fun for children to learn through play! If students can see school as fun, they will be lifelong learners.
As a former teacher turned homeschool mother, I am always looking for hands-on activities for my two children: a middle schooler and a kindergartener. My mother and I recently took my kids to a children’s science museum, and my 5-year-old daughter absolutely loved the wildlife veterinarian clinic. My daughter spent the majority of her time in that particular corner.
That’s why I was so thrilled and surprised when my mother, a K-6th-grade elementary librarian and former classroom teacher herself, recreated the wildlife veterinarian clinic as a Christmas gift for my daughter. Complete with stuffed animals, a veterinarian medical kit, play food for the animals, and so much more, my daughter has spent endless hours exploring and loving this center.
My mom and I came together to collaborate and extend this center as a resource for other homeschool parents and teachers. If you’re looking for a way to make science come alive, encourage curiosity, and let kids learn through joyful, purposeful play, this is one center you won’t regret setting up. Your students’ excitement and the learning that follows will say it all.
Let’s dive into what’s included!
What Is a Wildlife Vet Clinic STEM Center?
Animals Included in the Wildlife Vet Clinic Center
This vet clinic explores a variety of wildlife and forest animals, particularly, a:
- Wolf
- Bat
- Owl
- Sloth
- Eagle
- Hedgehog
- Raccoon
- Koala Bear
- Bluebird
- Turtle
- Fox
- Chihuahua
- Unicorn (just for fun!)
Hands-On Materials That Make the Vet Clinic Come Alive
To complete this center, my mother purchased matching stuffed animals. Here are the specific ones she bought:
Also, you can always look in your child’s stuffed animal collection or thrift these animals as well.
She also purchased small baskets from the Dollar Store to place each animal in as they are being cared for.
Learning Through Dramatic Play in a STEM Center
Teaching Science Concepts Through Play-Based Learning
Food Menus & Dr. Badges
Our resource includes matching menu cards for each animal. Students learn what each animal eats through these visual menus. Included are extra food cards, so students can “feed” the animals their particular diet choice. We also purchased play food so my daughter could use that to feed her animals in a hands-on, fun way.
The most exciting part of this center is how my daughter has been able to learn and remember what these particular animals eat, such as koalas loving eucalyptus, or bluebirds eating worms.
For even more interactive play, our resource includes printable veterinarian doctor badges for students to wear.
Hands-On Science and Writing Activities for K–3 Students
Combining STEM, Writing, and Visual Learning
Medical Reports & Animal Reports
Included in this resource are medical reports in which students indicate they have checked their patient’s eyes, ears, nose/mouth, paws, etc. Also included are X-rays, in which students can sort and match animals to their skeletal systems, or use their imaginations to even draw a fracture or broken bone on the animal’s X-ray. I love that each medical report and menu also includes visuals for students who are learning to read or can’t quite read yet.
We also included animal writing reports, differentiated for grades K-3rd. Students can draw and write about their animal’s injury and how they fixed it.
How to Set Up a Wildlife Vet Clinic STEM Center
Optional Supplies to Extend Learning Through Play
Extras
To make this dramatic center even more hands-on and interactive, we highly recommend purchasing a simple medical kit. Here’s the one my daughter loves.
Some more extras you can include are simple white washcloths from the Dollar Store for students to pretend are bandages, and even a box of Band-Aids, and a doctor’s coat. Clipboards are also highly recommended, as students can clip the medical report onto them to perform their checkups.
Skills Students Learn Through a Wildlife Vet Clinic STEM Center
Playing is Learning!
This wildlife vet clinic has entertained and excitedly engaged my daughter for so long. I love that she’s learning through purposeful play and exploration, and I can also count this as a science class. The skills it teaches are:
- STEM inquiry & observation
- Project-Based Learning
- Writing & illustration
- Speaking & listening
- Vocabulary development
- Social-emotional learning
- Career awareness
- Science Standards
My six-year-old nephew recently played with it too, and he loved it just as much as my daughter. He spent hours exploring it. It’s engaging enough for kiddos to go back to it over and over again and use it and learn from it differently each time.
Wildlife Vet Clinic STEM Center for Classrooms and Homeschools
Wildlife Vet Clinic
Why Learning Through Play Matters
Conclusion
I have loved watching the wonder in my daughter’s eyes as she doctors her animals, fixes their boo-boos, feeds and cares for the patients, and learns science through play. It is a joyful reminder of why play matters. In those moments, she’s thinking like a scientist, communicating like a veterinarian, and learning with her whole heart engaged. That sense of wonder is powerful.
The Wildlife Vet Clinic brings that same magic into classrooms and homeschools. It invites children to explore, imagine, problem-solve, and care, all while meeting meaningful learning goals. Whether it’s used as a dramatic play center, a STEM station, or a project-based learning experience, this resource helps put the spark back into learning.
