From the Play Expert: Top 10 Reasons Kids Should Play with Dolls by Dr. Laura Hutchison
Play Dr. Hutch is in the business of PLAY! She’s a fully licensed psychologist and Registered Play Therapist (RPT/S) who uses Play Therapy as a tool to help her clients & patients heal and communicate. With her Doctorate from the Center of Humanistic Studies, she’s been practicing since 1999 and has additional training from the Association for Play Therapy.
She’s also a proud mommy to her two kids Henry and Honor.
Doll play helps children foster nurturing and caring relationships.
#2 Express Emotions:
Children use dolls to express feelings in appropriate ways.
#3 Increase Language Skills:
When playing with dolls children practice ways of communicating with others.
#4 Rehearse Real Life Situations:
Through using dolls to role-play a new situation, such as going to the doctor or school, children gain understanding and comfort.
Your kids may also enjoy playing doctor to her dolls and other playmates with Adora Pretend Play Dr. ADORAble.
#5 Enhance Fine Motor Skills:
Children practice and strengthen fine motor skills when moving and dressing the dolls.
There are many play doll outfits to choose from and your little ones will surely enjoy a mix and match fashion play.
#6 Learn Self-Care Skills:
By feeding, changing, toileting, and cleaning dolls children learn and practice skills they need to take care of themselves and become more independent.
Play doll accessories offer kids the wonderful, educational experience and ignite their imaginations. From diaper changes with Adora diaper bags to feeding their dolls with Magic Feeding Set, these activities are sure to help them prepare for siblinghood.
#7 Utilize their Imagination:
Playing with dolls is open-ended; anything can happen.
#8 Possess Companionship:
Having a unique and strong bond with a doll can help children feel safer, more connected, less alone, and freer to try new things.
#9 Gain Understanding:
Playing with dolls is a way for children to re-enact things that have happened in their lives and increase understanding of those events by giving them more perspective.
#10 Engage the Senses:
Children can touch, see, hear (with some dolls), and smell dolls. It simply feels good to hold and play with a doll.
However, don’t forget this . . .
Doll Play is important because it’s fun! Children enjoy playing dolls and all should be given the experience as an opportunity to benefit from the many reasons why kids should play with dolls.