~ Dolls ~
Ideas to Foster Development of Fine Motor, Social, and Speech Skills!
Play is essential for our children’s development. A versatile and engaging toy for play is dolls! They
Social Skills! Dolls provide a way for children to practice social skills like turn-taking, sharing, and communication. You can practice difficult social scenarios using dolls to role play to help guide your child through healthy ways to navigate situations!
Communication! Play with dolls encourages children to develop their language skills. They can narrate stories, sing songs, and have conversations with their dolls! This repetitive, play-based practice strengthens vocabulary and sentence structure!
Dress Up! Playing with dolls who have clothing and accessories can help children develop fine motor skills such as dressing, buttoning, and fasteners!
Activities of Daily Living! Some children struggle with routine activities such as brushing their teeth, brushing their hair, and picking out clothes. Practicing with a doll is a great way to start working on these skills that puts your child in charge!
You can use baby dolls, action heroes, bears, robots, Barbies, or full-size dolls!
Here are some tips for incorporating these goals into your play at home:
- Follow your child’s lead. Let them take charge of the play and see where their imagination takes them!
- Provide open-ended prompts. Instead of directing the play, ask questions such as “What’s happening now?” or “How do they feel now?”
- Get involved! Join in the play and model positive social interactions and communication skills!
- Have fun! Playtime should be a positive experience for both you and your child!
If you’re interested in more of our Toys that Teach series, keep an eye out for new posts by following us on our Facebook page and checking out the Blog!