The Science to children playing with Dolls!
21 April 2023
The Science to children playing with Dolls!
A plethora of scientific evidence after the pandemic found most parents report that their children’s social-emotional development was severely impacted by a lack of socialising with their peer. Given its cognitive and social benefits, now more than ever it is important to encourage children to play. One form of play that has spanned generations is Dolls.
Playing with Dolls provides cognitive and social stimulation, and encourages children to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a safe environment.
Putting themselves in the shoes of their dolls allows children to progress their social and emotional processing. Oftentimes during play, we imitate interactions and events in our daily lives, allowing children to practice how they would behave and respond in social situations through their dolls. Not only does this help develop a deeper understanding of themselves but with the increased use of internal state language, where they talk about the thoughts and feelings of others, children are better able to understand other people’s mental states and show an empathic response. All these skills are important in our ability to make and sustain friendships. Ultimately, this type of play helps develop habits, define how we interact with others and navigate social situations throughout our life.
Here are some playtime suggestions to try out!
Going to the Vets:
An important part of caring for pets is taking them to the vets to make sure they are happy and healthy. With their favourite Doll dressed in a Vet themed outfit, children can emulate the important experience of taking their Favourite Plushie to the Vets for their regular check-up and experience some of the immense care, empathy and dedication Vets have towards animals!
Ambulance Emergency:
A lot can happen en route to the hospital. Paramedics are just some of the people who respond to urgent situations to help those in need of medical aid outside of the hospital. These Emergency heroes are medical professionals who are always ready to provide life-saving treatment. In their Paramedic themed outfit, dolls can help save the day in pretend play. Whether it is by simply taking other dolls to the Doctors at the hospital in their pretend ambulance or by performing play emergency medical procedures, playtime like these will help children practice skills like empathy and learn more about how the world works.
Going to the Dentists:
We all know that growing up, going to the Dentists is not everyone’s favourite thing. But learning healthy habits early, like flossing, is a key to good dental health. Playing pretend with their Dentist dressed Dolls can have kids practicing these habits in a fun environment and becoming familiar with visiting the Dentists.
Pretend to Bee doesn’t only offer Dress-up costumes for children, but also matching outfits for their Doll friends too! With the Pretend to Bee and Me range you can dress up your favourite Dolls as anything from a wonderous wizard to a marvellous medic. The pretend play opportunities are truly endless!
Looking to learn more?
Hashmi, S., Vanderwert, R. E., Paine, A. L., & Gerson, S. A. (2022). Doll play prompts social thinking and social talking: Representations of internal state language in the brain. Developmental Science, 25(2), e13163–n/a. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13163
