Dress-Up Dolls

How many buttons, zippers, and snaps can you find on each of these dolls?

One of the appeals of these dress-up dolls is the variety of dressing tasks your child can perform. Your children can button the buttons and do up the zippers as practice. No one is hurrying them to get out the door and their slowness of getting it right isn’t keeping them back from play. Your child doesn’t give up on the task as being too frustrating because doing these little chores becomes the play itself.

Promoting the development of your child’s fine motor skills helps your child in so many ways. Strong finger muscles makes it easier to hold a pencil. Learning to write is not as frustrating when you can already hold the pencil and maneuver it with ease. Strong finger muscles make learning other things easier, too. Your child will be able to put things together better (for example, Lego and other building sets). Learning to play an instrument or even learning a sport often uses the fine motor skills of your fingers and hand. Think of all the different elements of life that our fine motor skills are the keys to. Early practice makes all the difference.

But these dress-up dolls are so cute that they are not just learning tools; they can become well-loved companions to your child, too. Look at each of their faces when choosing one for your child. Even after your child becomes an expert at buttoning buttons and tying shoes, the doll can have staying power as a special friend that accompanies him or her through the day.

Which doll would your child respond best to?

Maybe the Alex Toys Learn to Dress Monkey is the one that would become your child's special friend. I love his bright colors and lounging attitude, don't you?

Most of the parents who have reviewed this dress-up doll have praised the way their child has taken to him, especially little details, such as the banana that sticks into his pocket and the large, easy-to-fasten buttons.

Although these same parents have said that this monkey has been made to be sturdy to stand up to vigorous play, a couple have reported that the seams came loose soon after purchase. Because these were the complaints of just a few while most said the doll was sturdy, perhaps these parents just happened to get a poor run or maybe the monkey won't stand up to the rough play that happens at their house. It's hard to say.

Another thing to know about this monkey is that all the clothes can be removed. This may be a bonus for some who find the extra dressing practice something their child can learn from; others may be concerned that the pieces could become lost. 

Each child will have a style of dress-up doll that could become his or her favorite. There are so many types available that you can find one to please the child you love. Whether your child would love the sweet face of Dress Me Emily or the cuteness of Dress Me Josh, either choice would be a doll that encourages a child to practice the dressing skills they need to learn.

Other children may prefer a monkey or Elmo, and a fan of Clifford the Big Red Dog would love to help Emily Elizabeth get dressed. A pirate doll or a princess doll would appeal to some, while another child's heart would be melted by the big eyes of the Precious Moments Dolly Dress-up.

Any of these dress-up dolls would be a welcome gift for a child struggling with getting dressed, but even after the lessons have been learned, these dolls will be loved for their own cuteness.

And parents will appreciate how much easier learning to get dressed will be for their child when the practice can be pain free and the focus becomes having fun instead of having to complete a chore.

I hope one of these dress-up dolls will appeal to you.