I remember the feeling of giving my little one a sweet doll of his own. My baby has his own baby! He was just starting to say “baby” and became very interested in reading about infants and pointing them out when we were around other families.
Every child benefits from having a baby doll not only for cuddling but also for learning the value of caregiving and gentleness through play. Since he was a tiny baby, it has been important for me to have a diverse selection of books and toys. Dolls with all kinds of skin color can model to children in a simple way the world we live in.
The addition of baby dolls and a cradle to our play area has encouraged so much imaginative play. My child loves to mimic our bedtime and nap routines to put the babies to sleep and take them on stroller walks around the house. It gives my child a chance to practice with the dolls the caregiving activities we do with him such as changing diapers and creating menus for feeding at mealtimes. We have some beautiful handmade dolls that we have collected over a few birthdays and holidays. Here are some of our favorite baby dolls and items:
Beautiful Nanchen Dolls (There are quite a few lovely ones)
I do my best to model gentleness when holding them myself and then set them back down in a play cradle where they rest. They are such a wonderful addition to our play area. All children, boys and girls, learn so much from the sweet connection they develop and the caregiving they practice with their baby dolls.
This one in a basket also looks very sweet. What kind of gentle play does your child love? What are your favorite ways to support kind and caring play?
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