How dolls help with development

After your baby’s first birthday, the concept of play starts to become a fundamental part of their life. Now is a great time to introduce toys that offer an element of role play, as this can be a really effective way for children to make sense of the world around them. Dolls are a brilliant toy to gift at this age as they teach empathy and help your little one understand their emotions. Showing your child how to interact with a doll and mimicking real-life scenarios can encourage emotional development and aid social interactions.

But which ones do I buy?

Cry Babies dolls are brilliant because not only do they teach children to love and nurture something by encouraging cuddles, offering dummies, and tucking them into bed, they also help your child recognise actions, such as dressing up, kissing, and even feeding.

Help your toddler understand their emotions

Caring for a doll teaches children responsibility, but it also helps them process emotions such as compassion and empathy. Toddlers love to copy, and you can aid their learning by showing them how to calm the doll down with cuddles or a dummy. Try it a few times and eventually, they should follow along. Cry Babies Kiss Me Stella, is perfect for this as it cries real tears, and you and your toddler can use a bottle or dummy to soothe any snuffles. She also adorably blushes when kissed, which both of you will love.

Teaching your child to dress themselves

Want to make your life a lot easier, faster? Show your toddler how to dress from an early age. Start by using repetitive language and actions when you put their clothes on and ask them to help you with simple requests like ‘arms up’ or ‘put your hand through here’. Another way to aid learning is to use a doll and play dress up as this can improve motor skills and enable them to do up tiny buttons or poke their dolls arms and legs into clothes. Cry Babies Dressy, is ideal for this as it comes with different outfits and removable shoes – and there’s three characters to choose from Coney, Lady and Dotty. Dressing a toddler generally takes place when you’re in a hurry, so playing dress-up with dolls will also give you a calmer opportunity to teach your child the names of pieces of clothing.

How to combat jealous feelings of a new sibling

New baby on the way? Help your toddler combat future jealousy and instigate parent-child role play by looking after a doll together. They will love to imitate you and your actions. Pretend play is a brilliant way to help them understand what’s going on in the world. Then hopefully, once the new arrival appears, your toddler will be so au fait with caring for a baby that they’ll accept it with their tiny open arms.

*Join the Cry Babies adventures on the official Kitoons YouTube channel and video streaming platform. The episodes feature storylines on friendship, discovery, creativity and teamwork. Kitoons TV is now also available across Smart TVs, mobile, tablets, and the web.

Want to know what real Mums think of the Cry Babies dolls? We asked three mums to review the toys for us. Here’s what they had to say…

“My child engaged with the Cry Babies doll straight away, rocking and cuddling it and giving it its dummy when it cried. She has a little brother, and it helped her develop empathy and kindness towards him. She also loved to take its shoes on and off and managed this independently. The doll is very cute, and the bright clothing, hair, and accessories immediately got my daughter’s attention. I would definitely recommend this to my friends, a great item for developing your child’s emotions and understanding.” Dani Hagan – Hertfordshire

“Charley has always been very compassionate but having the Cry Babies doll really brought it to light. She watches me with my 9-month-old and tends to copy and repeat what she sees with the doll, it’s helped her develop a rapport with her little brother, and she’s now learnt when he’s crying to cuddle him and offer him his dummy.” Lou Shields – Leamington Spa

“Since playing with the Cry Babies doll, I’ve noticed a real improvement in my child’s ability to show caring, loving feelings. She’s taken a shine towards other children around her and has a sense of responsibility among them and noticeably when they’re showing sad feelings. I feel like it’s encouraged her to understand emotions. A great toy for independent role play that my child has really enjoyed.” Amy Adams – Northamptonshire

Cry Babies, including the new dolls, are available now @smythstoys @tesco @amazon