Play dough can keep kids entertained for hours. But it can also be an amazing educational tool, and the brilliant YouTuber known as The Breakfasteur has found a surprising way to use it. She’s a doctor who is also a mom, and she regularly relies on the squidgy stuff to recreate kid-friendly surgeries.
Dr. Jessica So is a board-certified dermatologist, and when her son, then age 3, told her he wanted to be a surgeon right now, she put together some play dough for his first surgery — a gallbladder removal — while he napped, Huffington Post reported.
So’s latest video is perfect for parents who want to explain a cesarean section birth to their kids — or for grown-ups who want to learn about it without having to watch all the gory bits. So uses different colors of play dough to represent fat, muscle and blood, and there’s even amniotic fluid made out of plastic wrap and a balloon for an umbilical cord and placenta. The best part is that the little boy himself gets to perform the surgery using toy plastic tools. Not only does he learn about anatomy and get a cool insight into a surgeon’s job, he gets a surprise “baby” out of it — a Spider-Man doll.
Introducing the video, So wrote, “Our little guy just had a birthday (the big 4!), and we reminisced about the eventful, unexpected day he arrived and the flurry of amazing people involved with getting him here safely. In our next case, a small superhero was born by Cesarean delivery (yes I know it was actually a radioactive spiderð·).”
She continued, “Superheroes are a common topic in our home these days. We talked about how being a superhero isn’t just about having super powers or abilities – heroes are made by using whatever power they have to help others, often at expense of much sacrifice and risk to themselves. To the OB/GYNs and FM/OBs who use their superpowers for their mamas and miracle babies (alongside a team of midwives, L&D staff!) – you are all heroes.”
You can watch it here:
Other videos on The Breakfasteur’s channel, which she started just four months ago, include a cyst removal, a kidney transplant and a cleft lip repair. They’ve been a huge hit, not only with kids but with people of all ages who want to learn more about what these common surgical procedures involve. And from a parent’s point of view, it’s a great way to combine learning and fun.
The C-section tutorial is the standout favorite so far, with more than 240,000 views and counting. It’s going to be super interesting to kids who came into the world that way, but it’s also a must-watch for anyone who’s preparing for their own — or their partner’s — imminent C-section.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
