Play-Dough Surgery: Trichobezoar Removal
(inspired by real OR footage and the Breakfasteur)
A trichobezoar is a giant hair-ball that people sometimes swallow strand by strand. Hair can't be digested, so it collects in the stomach, blocks food from moving on, and causes serious belly pain until a surgeon opens the stomach and lifts the wad out.
Today's make-believe operation lets kids:
- Locate the stomach in a play-dough body.
- See why “food” that isn't really food (hair, beads, Lego heads…) gets stuck there.
- Practise a careful cut-and-remove procedure, then stitch everything closed.
Set-up (≈ 15 min)
| Item | Color / Description |
|---|---|
| Play-dough organs | Liver (brown); Stomach (red); Gallbladder (green); Large intestine (lavender horseshoe); Small intestine (pink coils) |
| Layer of skin | Flat sheet of dough of any skin color |
| Hair-ball | Small bundle of black sewing thread wrapped in dough |
| Instruments | Plastic scalpel or Play-Doh knife; kid chopsticks or tweezers; plastic needle for sutures |
| Baking tray & foil | Operating table |
Procedure 🎬
- Scrub in & drape. Gloves on, masks optional drama.
- Incise the skin. Make a straight cut through the orange layer. Peel it back to reveal the organs.
- Identify the stomach. It's the red pouch hiding just under the liver.
- Gastrotomy. Slice a small opening in the front wall of the stomach.
- Extract the trichobezoar. Use chopsticks/tweezers to grip the black hair-ball and lift it out in one piece.
- Close the stomach. Pinch the red edges together or “stitch” with the plastic needle.
- Close the skin. Lay the orange flap back and smooth the cut line.
- Post-op check. Palpate the belly: no more hard lump, no more “ouch” — patient saved!
What kids learn
- Anatomy 101 — stomach location & job (collect, churn, send food on), liver neighbour, intestine pathways.
- Why we don't eat hair / coins / mystery objects — they don't break down, they block and hurt.
- Problem–solution thinking — find root cause, remove it, repair tissue.
- Fine-motor control — precise cuts, gentle tweezer work, careful “suturing.”
Wrap up by holding the extracted hair-ball and announcing, “This is why we only chew food!” Then pop the patient in recovery (a cookie sheet ICU) while the junior surgeon basks in applause — and maybe goes to wash those pretend hands for real snacks.
Step-by-Step Procedure Photos
Play-dough organs setup for surgery: liver, stomach, gallbladder, intestines
Layer of orange play-dough representing skin over the organs
Plastic scalpel making an incision in the play-dough skin
Tweezers removing a thread hairball from the play-dough stomach
Play-dough stomach and skin closed after surgery
Inspiration
Real-Life Footage:
The Breakfasteur's Play-Dough Version:
Background Audio
Gear We Used (Affiliate Links)
- Premium Doctor Stethoscope(The real stethoscope I used to hear her heartbeat when pregnant. Do not ask me why I needed this. 🙈)
- Dentist Play Set(We borrowed some props from a dentist set like this.)
- Kid-Size Garden Gloves(Couldn't find surgical gloves for children lol I wonder why, but these work well enough and she can use them for other stuff too!)
- Playdough set(What I use to make the organs and skin)
- The Body Book (in German)This is an amazing book i found on the streets, it has a lot of foldouts and is super informative 🔥
- Headlamp(USB-C rechargeable headlamp that is perfect for surgeries as well as adventures)
- Felt sewing set(We use this to learn how to do running stitches, and also to create other cute things that are now hanging all over her bed)
Keep Reading
Kinetic-Sand Surgery
A fun and educational sensory activity where kids perform "surgery" on kinetic sand to find plastic organs, learning about anatomy in a hands-on way.
Play-Dough Surgery: Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy)
Learn how to perform a toddler-safe play-dough cholecystectomy, exploring gallbladder anatomy, the function of bile, and why gallstones cause issues. Fun and educational!