Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a preparation method using hospital play on anxiety and role behaviors of children undergoing tonsillectomy. Method: Twenty-eight children aged 5 to 7 years who were admitted for tonsillectomy were assigned to either an experimental group or a control group purposefully. The preparation method included provision of information using hospital play. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test and Chi-square test. Result: There was no Significant difference in anxiety before surgery between the experimental and control groups. Also, there was no Significant difference in role behaviors on the 1st and the 2nd day of surgery. Conclusion: Even though there was no statistical significance, the result showed that the preparation method had some positive effect on children and parents. It is needed to develop systematic preparation methods for children undergoing surgery to enhance their coping.